In Yemen, when two men quarrel and one overpowers the other, they go to a third man to judge between them. He says, “I rule that you give him a ram to be slaughtered at his house, and he will mention [Allah’s name] over it.”
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The questioner : This exists in Yemen. When two men quarrel and one overpowers the other, they go to a third man to judge between them. He says, “I have ruled that you must give this man, whom you overpowered, a ram to be slaughtered at the door of his house. The ram is slaughtered there to console him, and he mentions [Allah’s name] over it. Is it permissible to eat this meat or not?”
The Shaykh : He slaughters it at his house?
The questioner : Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Why doesn’t he slaughter it in his own house? The one who overpowered the other slaughters a sheep at the house of the one who was overpowered. I say, why doesn’t he slaughter it in his own house?
The questioner : Because the other one is not satisfied unless it is slaughtered at his house, so that he can say, “I spilled the blood in my house,” even if he mentions [Allah’s name] over it.
The Shaykh : So his intention is to honor him by spilling the blood only?
The questioner : Yes, he says, “I am not satisfied with you until you judge me.” They call this a judgment of boycott or...
The Shaykh : If he said, “Until you slaughter a sacrificial animal for him to please his heart,” there is no harm in that. But as for this, I do not think it is permissible, because it resembles an animal slaughtered for an idol, especially since he says to place it at the threshold.
The questioner : He slaughters it in any place behind the house; the important thing is that it is slaughtered for him. Then he brings four or five men from the group of the one who overpowered him, and they enter his house after the night prayer to talk to him, saying, “We have come to console you,” and so on...
The Shaykh : No, it appears, if Allah wills, that there is nothing wrong with it, as long as they slaughtered it in any place and then brought it to him. There is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : He says it must be at the house, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary. He says it is not necessary. Yes.
The questioner : ... avoiding superstition ...
The Shaykh : No, this is not permissible. If it is accompanied by a belief, it is not permissible. Yes, O 'Abd al-Wahhab.
The Shaykh : He slaughters it at his house?
The questioner : Yes, that is correct.
The Shaykh : Why doesn’t he slaughter it in his own house? The one who overpowered the other slaughters a sheep at the house of the one who was overpowered. I say, why doesn’t he slaughter it in his own house?
The questioner : Because the other one is not satisfied unless it is slaughtered at his house, so that he can say, “I spilled the blood in my house,” even if he mentions [Allah’s name] over it.
The Shaykh : So his intention is to honor him by spilling the blood only?
The questioner : Yes, he says, “I am not satisfied with you until you judge me.” They call this a judgment of boycott or...
The Shaykh : If he said, “Until you slaughter a sacrificial animal for him to please his heart,” there is no harm in that. But as for this, I do not think it is permissible, because it resembles an animal slaughtered for an idol, especially since he says to place it at the threshold.
The questioner : He slaughters it in any place behind the house; the important thing is that it is slaughtered for him. Then he brings four or five men from the group of the one who overpowered him, and they enter his house after the night prayer to talk to him, saying, “We have come to console you,” and so on...
The Shaykh : No, it appears, if Allah wills, that there is nothing wrong with it, as long as they slaughtered it in any place and then brought it to him. There is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : He says it must be at the house, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : No, it is not necessary. He says it is not necessary. Yes.
The questioner : ... avoiding superstition ...
The Shaykh : No, this is not permissible. If it is accompanied by a belief, it is not permissible. Yes, O 'Abd al-Wahhab.