Clarification of the Intended Meaning of What Dhakah (Lawful Slaughter) Applies To

The questioner:
Well, Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, what is the intended meaning of your statement that “dhakah applies to it”? What is meant? Is it the livestock or everything that is slaughtered?

The Shaykh:
Everything that is slaughtered. The intended meaning is everything that is slaughtered and becomes lawful, to which dhakah applies, meaning that dhakah makes it lawful to eat. This includes all animals, such as livestock and others like hyenas, rabbits, and birds. It applies to everything that dhakah makes lawful to eat.

The questioner:
And what about the cat? May Allah keep you safe. It is apparent that it is alive. Does dhakah apply to it, and is it permissible to benefit from it?

The Shaykh:
No, the cat is not eaten. The intended meaning is what dhakah applies to, which is what is eaten. Dhakah does not apply to the cat, even if it is pure in life. No, the intended meaning is the pure animal in life to which dhakah applies, meaning that it makes its meat lawful to eat. Yes.