The aggressive animal: If it is killed to repel its harm, is it lawful?
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The questioner : If an aggressive animal is killed to repel its harm, is it permissible to eat it?
The Shaykh : What do you say about this sound and unusual question? It asks: If I kill an aggressive animal to defend myself, may I eat it? The answer will come after the adhan, if Allah wills. Did you understand the question? If it is killed to repel its harm, is it lawful? We say that if it is killed without a lawful Islamic slaughter, it is forbidden. A man once had a bull with horns charge at him, and the bull pinned him against the wall of the courtyard. What did the man do? The bull had pinned him against the wall, but the man was strong, so he grabbed the bull's head and turned it as a driver turns a steering wheel. When he did that, the bull's spine broke and it fell dead. This is not lawful. Why? Because it was not slaughtered according to the lawful Islamic method. However, if it is slaughtered according to the lawful Islamic method, as Ja'far ibn Malik did, it is lawful. Ja'far ibn Malik was seized by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi. You know al-Hajjaj's stories; he was severe and harsh. He imprisoned him, then people came to intercede for him. Al-Hajjaj said, "I will not release him unless he defeats a lion." So they brought a great lion and starved it for fifteen days. Then they released it upon Ja'far ibn Malik in an enclosed area. When the lion saw him, it said, "This is the prey," and let out a great, fierce roar. Then it jumped, trying to strike the man. The man was on the ground, but he had with him... He said, "I will give him a sword in one hand and tie his other hand so it cannot move." That was Ja'far ibn Malik. So the lion jumped, roaring, roaring, roaring. Yes, and there was Ja'far, who had grabbed the sword from under the lion's chest. He stabbed that lion. The lion was coming with force, and this man was stabbing with force, so the sword sank into the lion's throat. The lion fell dead. Glory be to Allah! A person does not let a lion grab him while it is roaring; he turns and runs. But this man, glory be to Allah the Great. Some people have hearts of stone. So, what do you say about the lion? Is it lawful or not? Because he struck it in the slaughter area?
The audience: Forbidden.
The Shaykh : Is it forbidden in any case?
The audience: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, suppose this was a camel, and he struck it in the throat and let the blood flow and mentioned the name of Allah?
The attendees: It is lawful.
The Shaykh : It is lawful, because he intended the slaughter while defending himself. But if the intention of slaughter was absent from his mind and he intended only to defend himself, then it is forbidden. So note this issue: the intention of slaughter is necessary. If you threw a knife like this at something and it hit a sheep in its slaughter area and let the blood flow, is it lawful?
The audience: No.
The Shaykh : No. And that is why the slaughter of a madman is not valid. Why? Because he does not have the intention. And the slaughter of a drunkard is not valid because he does not have the intention. Well, so we understood your answer now. What was the answer?
The questioner : The answer is: if it was a lawful Islamic slaughter.
The Shaykh : If he repelled it without a lawful Islamic slaughter, killing it without a lawful Islamic slaughter, it is forbidden. And if he killed it with a lawful Islamic slaughter, intending the slaughter, it is lawful. And if he did not intend the slaughter?
The questioner : Forbidden.
The Shaykh : Then it is forbidden.
The Shaykh : What do you say about this sound and unusual question? It asks: If I kill an aggressive animal to defend myself, may I eat it? The answer will come after the adhan, if Allah wills. Did you understand the question? If it is killed to repel its harm, is it lawful? We say that if it is killed without a lawful Islamic slaughter, it is forbidden. A man once had a bull with horns charge at him, and the bull pinned him against the wall of the courtyard. What did the man do? The bull had pinned him against the wall, but the man was strong, so he grabbed the bull's head and turned it as a driver turns a steering wheel. When he did that, the bull's spine broke and it fell dead. This is not lawful. Why? Because it was not slaughtered according to the lawful Islamic method. However, if it is slaughtered according to the lawful Islamic method, as Ja'far ibn Malik did, it is lawful. Ja'far ibn Malik was seized by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi. You know al-Hajjaj's stories; he was severe and harsh. He imprisoned him, then people came to intercede for him. Al-Hajjaj said, "I will not release him unless he defeats a lion." So they brought a great lion and starved it for fifteen days. Then they released it upon Ja'far ibn Malik in an enclosed area. When the lion saw him, it said, "This is the prey," and let out a great, fierce roar. Then it jumped, trying to strike the man. The man was on the ground, but he had with him... He said, "I will give him a sword in one hand and tie his other hand so it cannot move." That was Ja'far ibn Malik. So the lion jumped, roaring, roaring, roaring. Yes, and there was Ja'far, who had grabbed the sword from under the lion's chest. He stabbed that lion. The lion was coming with force, and this man was stabbing with force, so the sword sank into the lion's throat. The lion fell dead. Glory be to Allah! A person does not let a lion grab him while it is roaring; he turns and runs. But this man, glory be to Allah the Great. Some people have hearts of stone. So, what do you say about the lion? Is it lawful or not? Because he struck it in the slaughter area?
The audience: Forbidden.
The Shaykh : Is it forbidden in any case?
The audience: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, suppose this was a camel, and he struck it in the throat and let the blood flow and mentioned the name of Allah?
The attendees: It is lawful.
The Shaykh : It is lawful, because he intended the slaughter while defending himself. But if the intention of slaughter was absent from his mind and he intended only to defend himself, then it is forbidden. So note this issue: the intention of slaughter is necessary. If you threw a knife like this at something and it hit a sheep in its slaughter area and let the blood flow, is it lawful?
The audience: No.
The Shaykh : No. And that is why the slaughter of a madman is not valid. Why? Because he does not have the intention. And the slaughter of a drunkard is not valid because he does not have the intention. Well, so we understood your answer now. What was the answer?
The questioner : The answer is: if it was a lawful Islamic slaughter.
The Shaykh : If he repelled it without a lawful Islamic slaughter, killing it without a lawful Islamic slaughter, it is forbidden. And if he killed it with a lawful Islamic slaughter, intending the slaughter, it is lawful. And if he did not intend the slaughter?
The questioner : Forbidden.
The Shaykh : Then it is forbidden.