What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding cutting the ears of sheep and goats or branding their horns to increase the price?
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The questioner : Some sheep herders cut the ears of goats and brand their horns with the intention of adornment and to raise the price, knowing that branding and cutting causes pain to the animal. What is the opinion of the Shari'ah regarding this?
The Shaykh : First: There are two observations in this question:
The first observation: Greeting with the salam, because we do not know that the Companions, when they wanted to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), would greet him with the salam unless they were present at the time of their arrival.
The second observation: Your saying, "What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in this?" because I do not want the question to be directed to a person who might err and might be correct, so it is said, "What is the opinion of the Shari'ah," because if he answers with an error, the Shari'ah becomes erroneous. Do you understand? Take two benefits or take two benefits.
As for cutting the ears, the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance used to cut the ears of animals based on a belief that, for example, if an animal was ridden for a certain number of years, they would cut its ears to indicate that it was respected and it was not permissible to eat it, or if a camel carried several pregnancies, they did the same to it, or if a camel was driven for a certain period, they did the same to it. This is undoubtedly a false belief and is not relied upon. Sometimes, cutting the ears is done to increase the price, as we hear that some animals with cut ears reach, for example, ten thousand or a thousand in value. I see that this is foolishness on the part of the buyer. For example, an animal that is worth two hundred, they cut its ears and make it worth five thousand or six thousand. Did it increase in value by cutting the ears? It did not increase. It is the same in its nature, its milk, and everything else is the same.
Therefore, we see that this is actually foolishness. However, regarding cutting the ear in itself, there is nothing wrong with it, except that it is required to anesthetize it when cutting so that it does not suffer from something that is not necessary. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs used to brand the camels of zakah with fire, and there is no doubt that they would suffer, and perhaps the wound would become infected and they would suffer more.
The Shaykh : First: There are two observations in this question:
The first observation: Greeting with the salam, because we do not know that the Companions, when they wanted to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), would greet him with the salam unless they were present at the time of their arrival.
The second observation: Your saying, "What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in this?" because I do not want the question to be directed to a person who might err and might be correct, so it is said, "What is the opinion of the Shari'ah," because if he answers with an error, the Shari'ah becomes erroneous. Do you understand? Take two benefits or take two benefits.
As for cutting the ears, the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance used to cut the ears of animals based on a belief that, for example, if an animal was ridden for a certain number of years, they would cut its ears to indicate that it was respected and it was not permissible to eat it, or if a camel carried several pregnancies, they did the same to it, or if a camel was driven for a certain period, they did the same to it. This is undoubtedly a false belief and is not relied upon. Sometimes, cutting the ears is done to increase the price, as we hear that some animals with cut ears reach, for example, ten thousand or a thousand in value. I see that this is foolishness on the part of the buyer. For example, an animal that is worth two hundred, they cut its ears and make it worth five thousand or six thousand. Did it increase in value by cutting the ears? It did not increase. It is the same in its nature, its milk, and everything else is the same.
Therefore, we see that this is actually foolishness. However, regarding cutting the ear in itself, there is nothing wrong with it, except that it is required to anesthetize it when cutting so that it does not suffer from something that is not necessary. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs used to brand the camels of zakah with fire, and there is no doubt that they would suffer, and perhaps the wound would become infected and they would suffer more.