This excerpt is taken from Professor Dr. Fazl Elahi's book Masail-e-Qurbani.
Regarding the offspring that come out of the stomach of an animal slaughtered for sacrifice, please observe the following four points:
➊ It is established from the pure Sunnah that if after slaughtering the sacrifice, a dead offspring comes out of its stomach, then eating it is permissible, because slaughtering its mother suffices for its slaughter. Imam Ahmad and Imam Ibn Hibban have narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
”ذكاة الجنين ذكاة أمه“
"The slaughtering of the offspring in the womb is the slaughtering of its mother."
Reference: (Al-Musnad, Hadith number 11343, 442/17) (Publisher: Al-Risalah Foundation); Al-Ihsan fi Taqreeb Sahih Ibn Hibban, Book of Slaughters, Hadith number 206/13, 5889-207.
Sheikh Shoaib Arnaout has declared this hadith authentic based on multiple chains and evidences. (See:
Reference: Footnote Al-Musnad 442/117).
Imam Hibban wrote the following heading on this hadith:
ذكر البيان بأن الجنين إذا ذكيت أمه حل أكله .
Mentioning that when the mother of the offspring in the womb is slaughtered, then its eating becomes permissible.
Reference: Al-Ihsan fi Taqreeb Sahih Ibn Hibban 206/13.
➋ Some people have interpreted this hadith to mean that the offspring coming out of the slaughtered mother should also be slaughtered like the mother. According to their opinion, if such an offspring is dead, then eating it would be forbidden because it cannot be slaughtered due to being dead.
This interpretation is incorrect. The following hadith clearly exposes their error:
Imam Abu Dawood narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said they asked:
”يا رسول الله تنحر الناقة ونذبح البقرة والشاة أو الشاة فنجد فى بطنها الجنين أنلقيه أم نأكله؟
قال: كلوه إن شئتم فإن ذكاته ذكاة أمه“
"O Messenger of Allah! We slaughter camels, cows, and goats, and find offspring in their stomachs. Should we throw it away or eat it?"
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If you wish, then eat it, for its slaughter is the slaughter of its mother."
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter on the Slaughtering of the Fetus, Hadith number 2842, 18/8 -
Sheikh Albani declared it [authentic].
Reference: (See: Sahih Sunan Abi Dawood 544/2).
The presence of the companions' inquiry in this hadith leaves no room for the above interpretation. Imam Khattabi comments on this hadith:
فى هذا الحديث بيان جواز أكل الجنين إذا ذكيت أمه ، وإن لم تجدد للجنين ذكاة ، وتأوله بعض من لا يرى أكل الجنين على معنى أن الجنين يذكي كما تذكى أمه ، فكأنه قال: ذكاة الجنين كذكاة أمه“
وهذه القصة تبطل هذا التأويل وتدحضه، لأن قولهﷺ : فإن ذكاته ذكاة أمه. تعليل لإباحته من غير إحداث ذكاة ثانية ، فتبت على أنه على معنى النيابة عنها
This hadith states the permissibility of eating the offspring coming out of the mother's stomach after her slaughter without slaughtering it. Some people who do not consider eating the offspring permissible have interpreted this hadith to mean that the offspring should be slaughtered in the same way as its mother.
[But] this incident completely negates this interpretation, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the reason for the permissibility of the offspring without slaughtering by saying: [So indeed, its slaughter is the slaughter of its mother], meaning that slaughtering its mother suffices for its slaughter.
Reference: Quoted from 'Awn al-Ma'bud 18/8
➌ From the above hadith, it is also understood that eating the dead offspring coming out of the slaughtered mother is not necessary, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ”كلوه إن شئتم“ [If you wish, then eat it].
➍ If the offspring coming out of the slaughtered mother is alive, then it must be slaughtered, because then it is an independent living being. Regarding this, Imam Ahmad said:
إن خرج حيا، فلا بد من ذكاته ، لأنه نفس أخرى
If it comes out alive, then it must be slaughtered, because it is an independent living being.
Reference: Al-Mughni 310/13.
