THE FIFTH SECTION: LAWS OF MISCELLANEOUS

Lesson 45: Slaughter and Hunting of Animals

Halal Animals meat becomes lawful to eat in two ways:

1. Hunting
2. Slaughter must be done according to Islamic laws. (Issues 2752 & 2754).

A- Slaughter of Animals

One: Meaning of Slaughter

In Islamic slaughter, the head of an animal is cut off completely by cutting off its four big veins:

Tow: Method of Slaughtering Animal

To slaughter an animal, all four veins must be cut off completely as follows:

1. The windpipe (Trachea);
2. The food pipe (Esophagus);
3. The right vein on the side of the trachea and esophagus;
4. The left vein on the side of the trachea and esophagus. (Issue 2760).

Three: Conditions of Slaughtering Animals

There are five conditions for slaughtering an animal.

1. The slaughterer must be a Muslim;
2. The animal must be slaughtered with a sharp knife made of iron; if it is not available, the animal must be slaughtered with any sharp thing.
3. The face, hands, feet, and belly of the animal must face the Qibla;
4. The name of Allah the Exalted must be mentioned at the time of slaughtering the animal;
5. The animal must move after cutting the head if there is any doubt as to whether the animal is alive or not (Issue (2763).

four: Slaughtering a Camel and Wild Animal

1. The camel must be slaughtered in a specific way, which is called ‘naḥr,’ that is: the camel must face the Qiblah, and it is better to stand up, and then a person says Bismillah and inserts a knife or sharp object that is made of iron into the hollow area between the neck and chest (Issue 2764).
2. Whenever an animal becomes wild and cannot be slaughtered according to Islamic law, must a wound is inflicted on its body, and it dies as a result of that wound, it becomes lawful to eat it. Such a case does not require it to face the Qibla (Issue 2767).

B. Hunting

One: The Meaning of Hunting by Weapons

When a wild animal whose meat is lawful to eat is killed with a weapon, and its body is pure, its meat is also lawful to eat.

Two: Conditions of Hunting by Weapons

When a halal wild animal is hunted with a weapon, the following conditions apply:

1. The hunting weapon, like a knife, must be sharp and a winner;
2. The hunter must be a Muslim;
3. The weapon must be used for hunting an animal;
4. When using the weapon, the hunter must mention the name of Allah the Exalted.
5. The hunter must reach the animal after it has died.
6. If it is still alive, there must not be enough time to slaughter it (Issue 2770).

Three: Conditions of Hunting by Hunting Dog

Hunted halal-meat animals  by a hunting dog are pure and lawful to eat under the following conditions:

1. The dog is trained for hunting;
2. Its master must send it to hunt an animal;
3. The person who sends the dog must be a Muslim;
4. When the hunter sends the dog, he must mention the name of Allah the Exalted;
5. The prey must die due to the wound inflicted by the dog’s teeth;
6. The person who sent the dog, when he arrives, the animal is dead;
7. If there is enough time to slaughter but does not perform it and the animal dies, it will not become halal (Issue 2778).

Four: Fishing

1. If a fish with scales is caught alive from water and dies outside, it is pure and lawful (halal) to eat. If it dies in the water, it is pure but unlawful to eat. If a fish without scales is caught alive from the water and dies outside, it is unlawful to eat (Issue 2784).
2. A fisherman does not need to be a Muslim or mention the name of Allah when catching fish. But a Muslim must have seen that the fish was caught alive from water or be certain in some other way that it was caught alive from the water (Issue 2786).

C. Laws and Prayer of Aqeeqah

It is recommended to perform aqeeqah for a baby boy or a girl, and divide its meat among the believers, and pray for the baby. The animal that is chosen for aqeeqah must be healthy and without defects. Imam Sadiq (AS) said: At the time of slaughtering the Aqeeqah sheep, this prayer is recited:

«بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَبِاللّٰهِ، اللّٰهُمَّ عَقِيقَةٌ عَنْ فُلانٍ (Say name of baby) لَحْمُها بِلَحْمِهِ، وَدَمُها بِدَمِهِ، وَعَظْمُها بِعَظْمِهِ، اللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْها وِقاءً لِآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ السَّلامُ»[1].

Question:

The dog has hunted an animal; when the owner of the dog arrives,  the animal is alive, but he does not have a slaughtering tool, so the hunting dog kills the animal with its teeth. Is the meat of this animal lawful?

Answer:

That animal’s meat is not lawful.

Exercises:

1. In what way eating the meat of halal meat animals is lawful?
2. What are the two conditions for slaughtering halal meat animals?
3. What are the three conditions for hunting halal meat animals with weapons?
4. What conditions must be met for hunting halal meat animals with dogs?

Lesson 46: Eating and Drinking

A- The Types of Animals

There are four categories of animals:

One: Birds

1. Halal-meats: domestic chicken, pigeon, and sparrows.
2. Ḥarām -meats: nightingale, Saro, bat, peacock, crows, hawk, eagle, vulture, birds that don’t have a crop, gizzard, or a spur at the back of its feet, or when flying its wings are less than keeping its wings straight (Issue 2793).

Two: Quadrupedalism

1. Halal-meats: Among the domestic, such as sheep, cow, camel, and wild animals, such as deer, ram, antelope, mountain cow, wild camel, buffalo, and elk, is halal (Issue 2794).
2. Ḥarām-meats: lion, leopard, tiger, cheetah, boar, kangaroo, cat, wolf, fox, hyena, jackal, rabbit, elephant, monkey, bear, impure-eating animals, mouse, and hedgehog (Issue 2793).

Note: The meat of a horse, mule, donkey, swallow, and

hoopoe is Makruh (Issue 2793).

Three: Aquatics

1. Halal-meats: A fish with scales is caught alive from the water. (Issue 2784)
2. Ḥarām- meats: A fish without scales is unlawful to eat (Issue 2784).

Four: Reptiles and Insects

1. Halal-meats: A winged locust caught alive

(Issue 2791).

2. Ḥarām – meats: All reptiles, such as grasshoppers that have not grown wings and snakes, are unlawful

(Issue 2793).

B- Ḥarām Parts of Halal Meat Animals

Some parts of Halal-meat animals are unlawful to eat; they are:

1. Blood;
2. Droppings;
3. Penis;
4. Vagina;
5. Uterus/ Womb;
6. Glands;
7. Testicles;
8. A thing in the middle of the animal’s hooves is called ‘Zāt-ul-Ashāje’.
9. Pituitary Gland;
10. Gall Bladder;
11. The spinal cord;
12. The two wide (yellow) nerves which are on both sides of the spinal cord;
13. Spleen;
14. Urinary Bladder;
15. Pupils of the eye (Issue 2796).

C- Etiquettes of Eating

One: The Recommended Eating Manners

The following things are recommended (Mustaḥabb) to be observed while having a meal:

1. To wash both hands before eating;
2. To wash both hands after eating and dry them with a piece of cloth;
3. The host must start eating before the guests and stop after them;
4. To sit for a long time at the table and to prolong the meal;
5. To eat with three fingers or more and don’t eat with two fingers;
6. To take small morsels of food to eat;
7. To wash the fruit with water before eating;
8. To say Bismillah (بِسمِ اللهِ) at the beginning of the meal;
9. To chew food well;
10. To praise Lord Almighty after the meal;
11. To lick the fingers;
12. To use a toothpick after the meal;
13. He eats with his right hand;
14. To gather and eat the pieces of food that have fallen on the tablecloth;
15. To eat at the beginning of the day and the beginning of the night;
16. To eat salt at the end of the meal (Issue 2806).

Two: The Disliked Eating Manners

The following things are discouraged (makruh) while having a Meal:

1. To eat when one is full;
2. To eat until one is full;
3. To look at the faces of other people while eating;
4. To eat hot food;
5. To blow on something that one is eating or drinking;
6. To wait for another dish, after putting bread on the table;
7. To cut bread with a knife;
8. To place bread under a utensil for food;
9. To purify the meat of a bone with tooth;
10. To peel the skin of the fruit that is eaten with its skin;
11. Throwing away half-eaten fruit (Issue 2807).

D- Etiquettes of Drinking

One: The Recommended Acts of Drinking Water

The following things are recommended (Mustaḥabb) while drinking water:

1. To drink water by sipping;
2. To drink water during the day while standing;
3. To say Basmillah (بِسمِ اللهِ) before drinking water, and alḥamdu lillāh (اَلحَمدُ لله) after drinking it;
4. To drink water in three gulps/breaths;
5. To drink water when one desires it;
6. After drinking water, remember Imam Hussain (AS) and his household and curse his killers (Issue 2808).

Two: Discouraged Acts of Drinking Water

Some acts are discouraged (makruh) while drinking water; they are:

1. To drink too much water;
2. To drink water after eating fatty foods;
3. To drink water while standing at night
4. To drink water with the left hand;
5. To drink water from the broken side of the pitcher and where its handle (Issue 2809).

Exercises:

1. What are three non-domestic halal-meat birds?
2. What are four domesticated halal-meat animals?
3. Which five parts of a halal-meat animal are forbidden?
4. What are the four disliked eating acts?

 Lesson 47: Enjoining Good &Forbidding Evil and Defense..

A-Enjoining Good & Forbidding Bad Acts

Enjoining what is good (Amr Bil Ma’roof) and forbidding what is evil (Nahyi ‘Anil Monkar) is a general obligation that becomes obligatory on a person due to conditions.

One: Conditions for Enjoining Good Deeds & Forbidding Bad Deeds

Enjoining good deeds and forbidding bad acts become obligatory on the following conditions:

1. The person who enjoins good and forbids evil must know good and bad.
2. A person must believe that the enjoining of good and forbidding of bad is effective.
3. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Bad must be free of corruption and harm.
4. The person who enjoins good and forbids evil must be certain that the other party is committing a Ḥarām or abandoning an obligatory act (Issue 2109).

Two: The Levels of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

1. By his actions and behavior, to understand the person that he hates leaving the good and committing the bad.
2. By preaching and advising people to stop sinning and do what is obligatory.
3. After the previous steps have failed, practical action is taken, such as taking the wine container from the drinker’s hand (Issues 2118 and 2223)

B-Rules of Legitimate Defense

1. Whenever an aggressor attacks a person with the intention of killing, raping, or any other action, that

person can defend themselves.

2. It is not the defender’s responsibility if the defense results in the aggressor’s death (Issue 2169).

C- Rules of Autopsy

1. There is no problem with an autopsy to determine the cause of death, discover a crime, remove usurped property from the dead body, and teach students to save the lives of Muslims (Issue 2723).
2. It is permissible to remove a body part from a deceased Muslim and transplant it into a live Muslim whose life depends on it, but the person who does so must also pay a ransom (Issue 2726).
3. Donating blood to patients who need blood transfusions is not just permissible but preferable, and receiving payment for donating blood is not an obstacle (Issue 2728).

Question:

Is it permissible to autopsy a Muslim’s dead body?

Answer:

The autopsy of a Muslim’s body is not permissible unless the Muslim’s life is dependent on it.

Exercises:

1. What are the conditions for enjoining good and forbidding evil?
2. What are the levels of enjoining good and forbidding evil?
3. When is it obligatory for a person to defend his life, property, and soul?
4. How is an autopsy of a dead Muslim permissible?

[1].  Mohammad Al- Kolayni, Al-Kafi: vol. 11, pp 399, Al- Aqeeqah, ch. 19, hadith no. 1.