Ruling on Saying “Bismillah” at the Time of Slaughter
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
① Qur’anic Evidence:
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ
"And do not eat from that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned."
(Al-Anʿām: 121)
② Bukhari’s Chapter Heading:
باب قول النبي: فليذبح على اسم الله
“Chapter: The statement of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Let him slaughter in the name of Allah.’”
[Bukhari, before hadith no. 5500, Book of Slaughtering and Hunting]
The narration stating, “The slaughter of a Muslim is halal whether he mentions the name of Allah or not” is weak.
[Fath al-Bārī 9/551]
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
Scholarly Opinions
- Majority View: Saying Bismillah at the time of slaughter is a condition for permissibility; without it, the slaughtered animal is not halal.
[Al-Mughnī 8/565; al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr 2/106; Badā’iʿ al-Ṣanā’iʿ 5/46] - Imam al-Shāfiʿī: It is Sunnah, not obligatory, but deliberately omitting it is makrūh.
[Al-Muhadhdhab 1/252; Mughni al-Muḥtāj 4/272] - Preferred View (Rājiḥ): Saying Bismillah is wājib, and this is also the position of most scholars.
[Al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuhu 4/2771; Subul al-Salām 4/1846; al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 2/405]
Evidences
① Qur’anic Evidence:
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ
"And do not eat from that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned."
(Al-Anʿām: 121)
② Bukhari’s Chapter Heading:
باب قول النبي: فليذبح على اسم الله
“Chapter: The statement of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Let him slaughter in the name of Allah.’”
[Bukhari, before hadith no. 5500, Book of Slaughtering and Hunting]
The narration stating, “The slaughter of a Muslim is halal whether he mentions the name of Allah or not” is weak.
[Fath al-Bārī 9/551]
