Are the birds we shoot with a rifle and that die permissible to eat or not, given that some of the birds we shoot are found to have died before we invoked the name of Allah over them?

The questioner : The listener also asks: Are the birds we shoot with a rifle and that die permissible to eat or not, given that some of the birds we shoot are found to have died before we invoked the name of Allah over them?

The Shaykh : Yes. If you shoot game birds or reptiles, such as rabbits and hares, with a rifle and you invoke the name of Allah when you fire, then they are permissible to eat even if you find them dead. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said and he said However, if you find it alive with a stable life that lasts longer than the movement of a slaughtered animal, it is obligatory for you to slaughter it and invoke the name of Allah over its slaughter. If you do not do so and it dies, it becomes forbidden for you. But you must be careful to invoke the name of Allah when you fire, because if you do not invoke the name of Allah, eating it is forbidden for you, even if you were forgetful. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the saying of Allah the Exalted . Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.