This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
All sea creatures are halal:
There are two types of animals based on their habitat: aquatic and terrestrial.
Aquatic animals that live in water and can only survive in water are all halal regardless of their condition. Whether they are taken alive from the water or dead, found floating on the surface or otherwise, fish, sea dogs, sea pigs, or any other animal are all equally permissible. It does not matter whether the one who catches them is a Muslim or a non-Muslim. By making all the animals of the sea and rivers lawful, Allah Almighty has granted great ease to His servants. He said:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا
"He has subjected the seas so that you may eat from them fresh meat."
Reference: (Surah An-Nahl: 14)
He also said:
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِ
"Lawful to you is the pursuit of water game and its food, for the benefit of you and those who travel."
Reference: (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 96)
Forbidden terrestrial animals:
As far as harmful animals are concerned, the Quran has generally declared four things and in detail ten things as forbidden, which have been mentioned earlier, and the Quran has also described this status of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him:
وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ
“This Messenger makes lawful for them the pure things and forbids them the impure things.”
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf: 157)
Impure are those things which, in general, people consider dirty according to common taste, regardless of whether some individuals like them.
One such thing is the meat of a domesticated donkey. It is mentioned in the Hadith:
نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن أكل لحوم الحمر الأهلية يوم خيبر
Reference: (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Slaughtering and Hunting, Chapter on the Meat of Domesticated Donkeys, Hadith No: 45524; Sahih Muslim, Book of Hunting and Slaughtering, Chapter on Eating Horse Meat, Hadith No: 1941, Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Foods, Chapter on Eating Horse Meat, Hadith No: 3788, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 356/3, Hadith No: 14840, Irwa al-Ghalil by Albani, 137/8, Hadith No: 2484)
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade eating the meat of a domesticated donkey on the day of Khaibar.”
And related to this is the Hadith in the two Sahihs:
نهى عن كل ذي ناب من السباع وكل ذي مخلب من الطير
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade eating predatory animals with fangs and birds that eat with talons.”
Reference: (Sahih Muslim, Book of Hunting and Slaughtering, Chapter on the Prohibition of Eating All Predatory Animals with Fangs, Hadith No: 1934; Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Slaughtering and Hunting, Chapter on Eating All Predatory Animals with Fangs, Hadith No: 533, without the phrase “and all birds with claws,” Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Foods, Chapter on What Has Been Mentioned About Eating Predators, Hadith No: 3803, Sahih Ibn Hibban, 12/85, Hadith No: 65280, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 1/244, Hadith No: 2192)
Predators (carnivores) refer to animals that tear forcibly to eat, such as lions, cheetahs, wolves, etc. And birds with talons refer to those birds that hunt with claws, such as vultures, hawks, eagles, kites, etc.
The stance of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, is that apart from the four things mentioned in the Quran, nothing else is forbidden. Probably, according to him, the prohibitions in the hadiths regarding predators and others imply dislike rather than prohibition, and it is also possible that these hadiths did not reach him.
Reference: (Bukhari, Book of Slaughtering, Chapter on the Meat of Domesticated Donkeys, Hadith 5529, Abu Dawood, Book of Foods, Chapter on What Is Not Mentioned as Forbidden, Hadith 3800)
In any case, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, also inclined towards the stance of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both.
حافظ ابن حجر رحمه الله اس حديث كي شرح ميں فرماتے هيں : اس حديث كے ساته حلال هونے پر استدلال كرنا تب ممكن هوتا هے جب اس بارے ميں نبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سے اس كے حرام هونے ميں واضح حكم نه آيا هو. جبكه اس كي تحريم ميں بهت سي احاديث وارد هوئي هيں. حرام قرار دينے كي تخصيص حلال قرار دينے كے عموم پر مقدم هے اور قياس پر بهي مقدم هے. ميں كهتا هوں يهي وجه هے كه مؤلف نے ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما اور مالك رحمه الله كے مذهب كو جس ميں درندے وغيره كو جائز قرار ديا گيا هے اسے اچهے انداز پر بيان نهيں كيا بلكه اس كے ساته اس مذهب كے غلط هونے كي صراحت كر دي هے كيونكه يه ان احاديث كے خلاف هے جن كي جانب حافظ ابن حجر رحمه الله نے اشاره كيا هے. ان ميں سے بعض احاديث خود مؤلف نے بهي ذكر كي هيں. ليكن اس نے اس كو صراحتاً حرام قرار دينے والي نص (واضح حكم) كي اتباع نهيں كي. انهوں نے قارئين كرام كے سامنے ميدان وسيع چهوڑ ديا هے تا كه يه مذكور مذهب اختيار كر سكيں جو كه قرآن پاك كے ظاهر كے موافق هے. حالانكه اس سے كم لوگ هي آگاه هيں كه اس ظاهري معنى كو مراد لينا مناسب نهيں هوتا جبكه سنت صحيحه كي نص اس كے خلاف هو اور رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كا فرمان كس قدر صداقت پر مبني هے خبردار مجهے قرآن پاك اور اس كے ساته اس كي مثل ديا گيا هے. يعني وه سنت هے.
Condition of Slaughtering for Permissibility of Domestic Animals:
There are two types of land animals whose consumption is permissible:
◈ One type includes those animals that are under human control. For example: camels, cows, goats, such livestock, and those birds that are domesticated.
◈ The second type includes animals that are not under human control.
For the permissibility of the first type of animals, Islam has imposed the condition that they must be slaughtered according to the Islamic method.
Conditions for Slaughtering According to the Islamic Method:
The conditions for completing the Islamic method of slaughtering are as follows:
The animal should be slaughtered with a sharp-edged tool that causes blood to flow and the veins to be cut, whether the tool is made of iron, stone, or wood.
Sayyiduna Adi bin Hatim Tai (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
قلت يارسول الله إننا نصيد الصيد فلا نجد سكينا إلا الضرار وشقة العصا فقال أمر الدم بما شئت، واذكر اسم الله عليه
"I said: O Messenger of Allah, we hunt but we do not have a knife except for a sharp stone or a piece of bamboo? He said: Use whatever you want to cause blood to flow and say the name of Allah over it."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad 4/256, Abu Dawood Kitab al-Dahaya Bab al-Dhabihah bil-Mirwah Hadith 2924, Nasa'i Kitab al-Sayd Bab al-Sayd Itha Antan Hadith 4309, Ibn Majah Kitab al-Dhaba'ih Bab al-Tasmiyah 'Ind al-Dhabh Hadith 3177
A knife should be run over the throat or a knife should be inserted into the lower part of the throat (the larynx), resulting in the animal's death.
The best method of slaughtering is to cut the throat, the esophagus, and the two large veins inside the throat.
Some jurists have imposed additional conditions, but we have omitted them because there is no explicit text regarding them. Slaughtering is an act that is naturally known and people are accustomed to it, so there is no need for excessive scrutiny or strictness. For example, questions such as whether these parts must be completely cut or if cutting most of them is sufficient, or whether it is a condition that the hand should not be lifted before the slaughtering is complete, etc. The condition of running the knife over the throat is waived if the opportunity to slaughter is not available, for example, if the animal falls headfirst into a well and its throat is not accessible, or if it becomes wild. In such cases, it will be treated like hunting. Therefore, wounding any part of its body with any sharp object will suffice.
In Sahihayn, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Rafi' bin Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him):
كنا مع النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى سفر فند بعير من إبل القوم ولم يكن معهم خيل فرماه رجل بسهم فحبسه فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : إن لهذه البهائم أوابد كأوابد الوحش فما فعل منها هذا فافعلوا به هكذا
"We were on a journey with the Prophet (peace be upon him) when a camel went out of control. The people did not have horses (to go ahead and catch it). A man shot an arrow and stopped the camel. Seeing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: The nature of these livestock is like wild animals, so when any livestock behaves like this, you should treat it in the same way."
Reference: Bukhari Kitab al-Dhaba'ih Bab Itha Asaba Qawm Ghanimah Fadhbah Ba'duhum Hadith 5543, Muslim Kitab al-Adahi Bab Jawaz al-Dhabh Bikulli Ma Anhar al-Dam Hadith 1968
The name of anyone other than Allah should not be taken over it. There is consensus on this because the people of ignorance used to slaughter animals for the sake of their idols and deities, which involved taking their names or slaughtering at their places. The Quran has declared all such practices forbidden, as we have explained.
Only the name of Allah should be taken over the slaughter, as is evident from the legal texts. The Quran states:
فَـكُلُوۡا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسۡمُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡهِ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ بِاٰيٰتِهٖ مُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
"If you believe in Allah's verses, then eat of that over which the name of Allah has been mentioned."
Reference: (Al-An'am: 118)
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَفِسْقٌ
"And do not eat of that over which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed it is Fisq (disobedience)."
Reference: (Al-An'am: 121)
And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما أنهر الدم وذكر اسم الله عليه فكلوا
"Eat the animal whose blood has been shed and over which the name of Allah has been taken."
Reference: Bukhari Kitab al-Dhaba'ih Bab Itha Asaba Qawm Ghanimah Fadhbah Ba'duhum Hadith 5543, Muslim Kitab al-Adahi Bab Jawaz al-Dhabh Bikulli Ma Anhar al-Dam Hadith 1968
This condition is also confirmed by the hadiths in which it is instructed to say the name of Allah when shooting arrows for hunting or releasing trained dogs. According to some scholars, saying the name of Allah is necessary, but it is not necessary to say it at the time of slaughter; saying it at the time of eating is also sufficient because the person who says the name of Allah while eating does not fall under the category of eating something over which Allah's name was not taken. In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
إن قوما حديثي عهد بجاهلية قالوا للنبي : إن قوما يأتوننا باللحم لا ندري أذكروا اسم الله عليها أم لم يذكروا؟ أنأكل منها أم لا؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سموا اسم الله وكلوا
Some people who had recently embraced Islam asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): People bring us meat, and we do not know whether they said the name of Allah over it or not. Should we eat it or not? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Say the name of Allah and eat it.
Reference: Bukhari Kitab al-Tawhid Bab Inna Lillah Mi'at Ism Illa Wahidah Hadith 2057, 7398
The Wisdom and Benefit of the Islamic Method of Slaughtering:
The wisdom behind slaughtering according to the Islamic method is that the animal's life is taken in such a way that it experiences the least amount of pain. For this reason, the condition of the knife being sharp and the throat being cut during slaughter has been imposed. At the same time, slaughtering with teeth and nails is also prohibited. It is obvious that these cause pain to the animal and create a choking sensation. The Prophet ﷺ instructed to sharpen the knife and to ease the slaughtered animal, saying:
إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شيء فإذا قتلتم فأحسنوا القتلة وإذا ذبحتم فأحسنوا الذبحة وليحد أحدكم شفرته وليرح ذبيحته
"Allah has commanded kindness in everything, so when you kill, kill well, and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let every one of you sharpen his knife and ease the suffering of the animal."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Hunting, Chapter on the Command to Slaughter and Kill Kindly, Hadith 1955
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that a man laid down a goat and then began to sharpen his knife. The Prophet ﷺ said:
أتريد أن تميتها موتات؟ هلا أحددت شفرتك قبل أن تضجعها؟
"How many times do you want to strike this goat? Why did you not sharpen the knife before laying it down?"
Reference: Mustadrak Hakim 4/231, Tabarani in Al-Kabir 11916
Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man dragging a goat by its legs to slaughter it. He said: "May you be grieved! Take it to death in a good manner."
Reference: Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 9/281, with a weak chain due to discontinuity between Muhammad ibn Sirin and Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)
In this way, Islam has provided for gentleness towards animals and to protect them from pain as much as possible. The people of ignorance used to cut the hump of a living camel and the udders of sheep, which caused great pain to these animals. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ declared it forbidden to cut parts of a living animal for eating. He said:
ما قطع من البهيمة وهى حية فهو ميتة
"Any part cut from a living animal is considered carrion."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad 1/218, Abu Dawood, Book of Hunting, Chapter on Cutting a Part from It, Hadith 2858, Tirmidhi, Book of Food, Chapter on What is Cut from the Living is Dead, Hadith 1480
The Wisdom of Mentioning Allah's Name at the Time of Slaughter:
Islam has made it obligatory to mention Allah's name at the time of slaughter. The subtle point hidden in this should be well understood. In Islam, idolaters and the people of ignorance used to mention the names of their deities while slaughtering. Instead, the practice of mentioning Allah's name was established, because when a polytheist mentions the name of his idol at the time of slaughter, how and why should a believer not mention the name of his Lord?
The second point is that animals, like humans, are living creatures of Allah. A person should take their life only with Allah's permission. Mentioning Allah's name is equivalent to declaring divine permission. In other words, a person says that he is not doing this act because he finds them weak or due to oppression and injustice, but rather he slaughters by mentioning Allah's name with His permission, hunts by mentioning His name, and eats by mentioning His name.
