What is the ruling on taxidermy of birds? And is the prohibition of taxidermy for the sake of blocking the means to killing birds without cause?
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The questioner : A final question, may it be good if Allah wills, in this session.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : What is the ruling on taxidermy?
The Shaykh : Taxidermy?
The questioner : Taxidermy of birds.
The Shaykh : The dead one?
The Shaykh : Ah, I guessed the ruling is related to the funeral.
The questioner : No
The Shaykh : Yes, and by Allah, we have been asked about this many times. We say that if the taxidermy—and I do not know how this craft is done—if the taxidermy does not result in the torture of the animal, then it is permissible; there is nothing in the Shari'ah that prevents it. But if the taxidermy of the animal results in its torture, it is well known that the torture of animals is prohibited in the Shari'ah. This is among the virtues of our complete Shari'ah, as you know. It has reached the point of caring about the slaughter of animals so that some are not slaughtered in front of others. Do you want to kill them twice? This is a prohibition against torturing the animal. Ah, but if there is no torture in the taxidermy, and I do not find, to my knowledge, in the texts of the Sunnah, let alone the Book, anything that prevents it.
The questioner : Okay, let us add a second issue in this same topic. I seem to lean toward, or go to, we need an issue in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
The Shaykh : I have a comment on your saying "I lean toward," but it is not going well.
The questioner : It is not going well. May Allah reward you with good. No, I held back my tongue for this reason. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the meaning of what I recall, hunted game and said or something like that.
The Shaykh : Ah, this is the hadith about the hunting of sparrows. Ah.
The questioner : So if we open the door to taxidermy, animals and birds would be killed without their right, and it would be from the perspective of blocking the means that one does not taxidermy, or that taxidermy is prohibited. This is from the perspective of not committing this prohibited act. What is your opinion, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : This is killing the animal without a cause. I believe that this is not prescribed. But the issue differs somewhat. This taxidermy, no matter how widespread it becomes, will not reach the point where this type of animal is exterminated, as long as the meat-eating animals are not exterminated despite the abundance of their slaughter and killing, because they reproduce. Is the speech clear?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean, what is hunted for the sake of taxidermy is few, most of what is hunted is for lawful food. Therefore, this is not applicable. So the issue now, and this is the end of the matter in my answer,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If we say this is not permissible, then that is not permissible absolutely. But if we say this is not permissible because it necessitates the extermination of animals, this is not applicable, because the meat-eating animal is not exterminated because it exists in contrast to extermination for reproduction. And conversely, if it is said that there is no evidence for my methodology, and the original ruling for things is permissibility, as is well known from the principles of jurisprudence, then this little killing for this purpose, I do not see it as contradicting the Shari'ah.
The questioner : Okay, is the hadith that came, "except with his right," intended from the perspective of not being exterminated, or from the perspective of another wisdom?
The Shaykh : First, this is a question about wisdom, and Allah knows it best. Second, I have a question in my mind: the hadith of killing except with his right seems to have weakness, meaning
The questioner : In the hadith, O our Shaykh, as you mentioned, without a cause.
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : As for the issue of the right, I am in doubt about it.
The Shaykh : In any case.
The questioner : As for ... a cause is broader than eating being the only cause.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, and here is a question.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : What is the ruling on taxidermy?
The Shaykh : Taxidermy?
The questioner : Taxidermy of birds.
The Shaykh : The dead one?
The Shaykh : Ah, I guessed the ruling is related to the funeral.
The questioner : No
The Shaykh : Yes, and by Allah, we have been asked about this many times. We say that if the taxidermy—and I do not know how this craft is done—if the taxidermy does not result in the torture of the animal, then it is permissible; there is nothing in the Shari'ah that prevents it. But if the taxidermy of the animal results in its torture, it is well known that the torture of animals is prohibited in the Shari'ah. This is among the virtues of our complete Shari'ah, as you know. It has reached the point of caring about the slaughter of animals so that some are not slaughtered in front of others. Do you want to kill them twice? This is a prohibition against torturing the animal. Ah, but if there is no torture in the taxidermy, and I do not find, to my knowledge, in the texts of the Sunnah, let alone the Book, anything that prevents it.
The questioner : Okay, let us add a second issue in this same topic. I seem to lean toward, or go to, we need an issue in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
The Shaykh : I have a comment on your saying "I lean toward," but it is not going well.
The questioner : It is not going well. May Allah reward you with good. No, I held back my tongue for this reason. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the meaning of what I recall, hunted game and said
No one of you should hunt except with his right.
لا يصيد أحدكم إلا بحقهThe Shaykh : Ah, this is the hadith about the hunting of sparrows. Ah.
The questioner : So if we open the door to taxidermy, animals and birds would be killed without their right, and it would be from the perspective of blocking the means that one does not taxidermy, or that taxidermy is prohibited. This is from the perspective of not committing this prohibited act. What is your opinion, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : This is killing the animal without a cause. I believe that this is not prescribed. But the issue differs somewhat. This taxidermy, no matter how widespread it becomes, will not reach the point where this type of animal is exterminated, as long as the meat-eating animals are not exterminated despite the abundance of their slaughter and killing, because they reproduce. Is the speech clear?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I mean, what is hunted for the sake of taxidermy is few, most of what is hunted is for lawful food. Therefore, this is not applicable. So the issue now, and this is the end of the matter in my answer,
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If we say this is not permissible, then that is not permissible absolutely. But if we say this is not permissible because it necessitates the extermination of animals, this is not applicable, because the meat-eating animal is not exterminated because it exists in contrast to extermination for reproduction. And conversely, if it is said that there is no evidence for my methodology, and the original ruling for things is permissibility, as is well known from the principles of jurisprudence, then this little killing for this purpose, I do not see it as contradicting the Shari'ah.
The questioner : Okay, is the hadith that came, "except with his right," intended from the perspective of not being exterminated, or from the perspective of another wisdom?
The Shaykh : First, this is a question about wisdom, and Allah knows it best. Second, I have a question in my mind: the hadith of killing except with his right seems to have weakness, meaning
The questioner : In the hadith, O our Shaykh, as you mentioned, without a cause.
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : As for the issue of the right, I am in doubt about it.
The Shaykh : In any case.
The questioner : As for ... a cause is broader than eating being the only cause.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, and here is a question.
Source
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