Explanation of the author's statement: The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah, and the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am 6:162-163] the verse, and His saying: [Al-Kawthar 108:2]".
The Shaykh : ... and with that I have been commanded.
The student: And I am the first of the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Yes
The reader: "It was narrated from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: It was narrated by Muslim. And from Tariq ibn Shihab, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was narrated by Ahmad".
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah. Slaughtering means slaughtering livestock for other than Allah. The letter "lam" here indicates the cause and the intention, meaning that one slaughters for other than Allah, intending by his slaughter other than Allah. Slaughtering for other than Allah is divided into two categories:
The first is that one slaughters something for other than Allah as an act of drawing near and honoring. This is disbelief that expels one from the religion.
The second is that one slaughters for other than Allah out of joy and respect. This does not expel one from the religion, but it is among the customary matters that may be required at times and not required at other times. Which category does the author intend here, the first or the second? He intends the first. Slaughtering for other than Allah, we say, is divided into two categories. One is that it is done in the way of what?
The student: Drawing near and honoring.
The Shaykh : Drawing near and honoring. This is shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion; major shirk that expels one from the religion.
And the second is that it is done in the way of joy and respect. This is permissible and there is no harm in it in principle. It may be prohibited, and it may be recommended. For example, if one slaughters for a Jew or a Christian out of respect and to be friendly, this is forbidden. But if one slaughters for a Muslim out of respect, or for a nobleman if he arrives or something similar, it is in the way of hospitality. An example of this is if the ruler arrives in a town and we slaughter for him as an act of drawing near and honoring, it is considered major shirk, and these slaughtered animals are forbidden. The sign of this is that we slaughter them in his presence and then place them there. But if we slaughter for him out of respect and hospitality, and it is cooked and eaten, this is a matter of honoring and is not shirk.
And his saying: "for other than Allah". Other than Allah, who does this include? It includes the prophets, the angels, the awliya (close friends of Allah), the righteous, and others. Whoever slaughters for other than Allah as an act of drawing near and honoring falls under this term, whatever the reason may be.
And the author's saying: "The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah". Scholars use this type of title for matters in which they do not assert a specific ruling. As for matters in which they do assert a ruling, they say "The chapter on the prohibition of such-and-such" or "The chapter on the permissibility of such-and-such." Does the author (may Allah have mercy on him) not consider slaughtering for other than Allah to be forbidden? No, there is no doubt that he considers slaughtering for other than Allah to be forbidden and shirk in the way of drawing near and honoring. But he intended to train the student in deriving the ruling from the evidence. That means, I will give you the evidence, and you judge. This is a type of academic training where the teacher or author presents an open ruling and then brings the evidence in order to leave the judgment to whom? To the student, who judges based on the evidence presented to him.
"Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (163) No partner has He
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُSo pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْThe Shaykh : ... and with that I have been commanded.
The student: And I am the first of the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Yes
The reader: "It was narrated from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told me of four words: May Allah curse the one who slaughters for other than Allah, may Allah curse the one who curses his parents, may Allah curse the one who shelters an innovator, and may Allah curse the one who alters the landmarks of the earth.
حدثني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بأربع كلمات : لعن الله من ذبح لغير الله، لعن الله من لعن والديه، لعن الله من أوى محدثا، لعن الله من غير منار الأرضA man entered Paradise because of a fly, and a man entered the Fire because of a fly. They said: How is that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Two men passed by a people who had an idol, and no one would pass by it without offering something to it. They said to one of them: Offer something. He said: I have nothing to offer. They said to him: Offer something, even a fly. So he offered a fly, and they let him go, and he entered the Fire. And they said to the other: Offer something. He said: I would never offer anything to anyone other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So they beheaded him, and he entered Paradise.
دخل الجنة رجل في ذباب ودخل النار رجل في ذباب. قالوا : وكيف ذلك يا رسول الله ؟ قال : مرّ رجلان على قوم لهم صنم، لا يجوزه أحد حتى يُقَرب له شيئا، فقالوا لأحدهما : قرب قال : ليس عندي شيء أقربه. قالوا له : قرّب ولو ذبابا. فقرب ذبابا، فخلوا سبيله، فدخل النار. وقالوا للآخر : قرب. فقال : ما كنت لأقرب لأحد شيئاً دون الله عز وجل فضربوا عنقه، فدخل الجنةThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah. Slaughtering means slaughtering livestock for other than Allah. The letter "lam" here indicates the cause and the intention, meaning that one slaughters for other than Allah, intending by his slaughter other than Allah. Slaughtering for other than Allah is divided into two categories:
The first is that one slaughters something for other than Allah as an act of drawing near and honoring. This is disbelief that expels one from the religion.
The second is that one slaughters for other than Allah out of joy and respect. This does not expel one from the religion, but it is among the customary matters that may be required at times and not required at other times. Which category does the author intend here, the first or the second? He intends the first. Slaughtering for other than Allah, we say, is divided into two categories. One is that it is done in the way of what?
The student: Drawing near and honoring.
The Shaykh : Drawing near and honoring. This is shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion; major shirk that expels one from the religion.
And the second is that it is done in the way of joy and respect. This is permissible and there is no harm in it in principle. It may be prohibited, and it may be recommended. For example, if one slaughters for a Jew or a Christian out of respect and to be friendly, this is forbidden. But if one slaughters for a Muslim out of respect, or for a nobleman if he arrives or something similar, it is in the way of hospitality. An example of this is if the ruler arrives in a town and we slaughter for him as an act of drawing near and honoring, it is considered major shirk, and these slaughtered animals are forbidden. The sign of this is that we slaughter them in his presence and then place them there. But if we slaughter for him out of respect and hospitality, and it is cooked and eaten, this is a matter of honoring and is not shirk.
And his saying: "for other than Allah". Other than Allah, who does this include? It includes the prophets, the angels, the awliya (close friends of Allah), the righteous, and others. Whoever slaughters for other than Allah as an act of drawing near and honoring falls under this term, whatever the reason may be.
And the author's saying: "The chapter on what has come regarding slaughtering for other than Allah". Scholars use this type of title for matters in which they do not assert a specific ruling. As for matters in which they do assert a ruling, they say "The chapter on the prohibition of such-and-such" or "The chapter on the permissibility of such-and-such." Does the author (may Allah have mercy on him) not consider slaughtering for other than Allah to be forbidden? No, there is no doubt that he considers slaughtering for other than Allah to be forbidden and shirk in the way of drawing near and honoring. But he intended to train the student in deriving the ruling from the evidence. That means, I will give you the evidence, and you judge. This is a type of academic training where the teacher or author presents an open ruling and then brings the evidence in order to leave the judgment to whom? To the student, who judges based on the evidence presented to him.