On the authority of Abu Yala Shaddaad ibn Aus (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said, “Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill in a good manner. If you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. Each of you should sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he is slaughtering.” Recorded by Muslim.

General Comments about This Hadith: In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated a principle that one would want to have permeate every aspect of his person’s life. Every act he performs should be done with ihsaan. Even the executing of a soul or the slaughtering of an animal should be done with ihsaan.

1. “Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence in all things”

These words may either mean, “Allah has prescribed ihsaan in all actions” or “Allah has prescribed ihsaan towards all things.” Both of these meanings are possible and both of them seem to be proper. The word kataba, as mentioned earlier, means that the act is an obligation. Hence, Allah is ordering that there be ihsaan in all things and toward all things. This order has also been made in the Quran. Allah says,

“Verily, Allah enjoins al-adl (‘justice’) and al-Ihsaan, and giving help to kith and kin, and forbids all evil lewd deeds and sinful acts and all kinds of oppression. He admonishes you, that you may take heed” (al-Nahl 90).

There are a number of narrations concerning the meaning of the words al-adl and al-ihsaan in this verse. What al-adl seems to imply is justice and equity, giving everyone his due rights and not wronging or oppressing anyone. Al-Ihsaan, then, goes beyond that. It is to respond to a kind act with even more goodness or to respond to evil with forgiveness. Al-Raazi states that this is also in relation to the acts of worship. To perform the obligatory deeds is a kind of adl but to go beyond that to perform the voluntary deeds is al-Ihsaan. Furthermore, to perform the deeds in the best fashion and with the utmost quality is going beyond the minimum necessary and is also considered ihsaan.

As was alluded to in the commentary on the hadith of Jibreel, Ihsaan is a very vast concept and is difficult to translate into English. It embodies both the concept of perfecting a deed in itself as well as doing excellence towards others. (In the transitive case, it will be used in connection with a Y.) The following is an excerpt from Lane’s discussion of the meaning of this word,

He did that which was (meaning good, comely or pleasing; he acted well); he did a good deed; [to cause someone harm] … it surpasses [ adl, being just and equitable] inasmuch as it means the giving more than one owes, and taking less than is owed to one, whereas the latter means the giving what one owes, and taking what is owed one. You say

(I acted, or behaved, with goodness, well, or in a good or comely or pleasing manner, towards him; did good to him; benefited him; conferred a benefit, or benefits, upon him) is also explained as meaning (i.e. the being sincere, or without hypocrisy; or the asserting of oneself to be clear of believing in any beside God)… as denoting watchfulness and good obedience; and as meaning the continuing in the right way, and following the way which those (of the righteous) who have gone before have trodden.

In this particular hadith, it seems that Allah is requiring both types of ihsaan. However, the more apparent meaning, as is clear from the examples given in this hadith, is the concept of performing an act in the best way possible. But this also implies doing well to others, beyond the minimum expected, as this is the best way to treat others.

The order of Ihsaan is sometimes an obligatory order and sometimes a recommended order. For example, the order to have ihsaan towards one parents or one’s visitors is an obligatory type of ihsaan. The order to give voluntary charity is also an order for ihsaan but, obviously, in this case, it is only a recommended form and not a required one.

This hadith demonstrates that it is obligatory to have ihsaan in every deed. Ibn Rajah states that this obligation, again, differs depending on what is being described. For example, one must perform the obligatory acts with both inward and external attention. To perform such acts in a complete sense is an obligatory type of ihsaan. However, to go beyond that to the recommended aspects and deeds is merely a recommended form of ihsaan.

The important point that should be emphasized is that ihsaan is sought after. Allah has requested it and it is very pleasing to Him. Hence, regardless of which level it is, obligatory or recommended, every true believer should seek the quality of ihsaan in all of his deeds. If he feels that he has performed some deeds but their quality is missing or he has not gone beyond the minimum requirements, he should not feel satisfied. He should realize that there is a level of ihsaan that is beyond that which he should strive for in all of his deeds.

Al-Ihsaan is not simply in matters of worship. Instead, this concept should rule a person’s behavior in every realm of his life. When dealing with others, the principle of ihsaan should dominate how he works and deals with others. He must fulfill their rights, this is the obligatory level of ihsaan. However, he should also try to go beyond that and be, for lack of a better phrase, “better than them”. He should treat them beyond the minimum that is required of him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him), in this hadith, has demonstrated that even when killing another human being or when slaughtering an animal, one should have this concept in mind. One should kill in the best way possible, without causing any undue suffering to the one he is killing. Allah knows best, but it seems that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned these two cases simply as examples where ihsaan must be kept in mind. If ihsaan is to be kept in mind in those kinds of cases, for example, when one is executing a murderer, what about when one is dealing with his wife, family, friends, associates and others. Obviously, ihsaan must be even more so relevant in those situations.

2. “Thus, if you kill, kill in a good manner”

This portion of the hadith is talking about the legal execution of human beings. When a person is about to be executed for a crime that he has committed, such as murder or apostasy, then, even then, one should carry out the deed in the most benevolent manner possible. One should bring the person to his death in the quickest way possible without any form of torturing or suffering.

According to most scholars, the best way to execute a person is by striking his neck off with a sword. This has been the manner prescribed by Allah in the Quran (Muhammad 4; al-Anfaal 12). Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has prohibited any kind of mutilation. (Recorded by alBukhari.)

This brings up a question related to the law of retribution and capital punishment. If a person murders another person in a specific way, is he now to be put to death in the same manner or is he to be put to death by the sword regardless of how he committed the murder? On this point there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. The view of Malik, al-Shafi’ee and Ahmad is that he is to be killed in the same manner in which he did the killing if the relatives desire that. This opinion is supported by the following incident, as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari,

Anas narrated that a Jew killed a girl so that he may steal her ornaments. He struck her with a stone. She was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while she was still alive. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked her, “Did so and so strike you?” She gestured with her head, “No.” He asked her a second time and she again gestured with her head, “No.” He asked her a third time and she gestured, “Yes.” So the Prophet (peace be upon him) had the Jewish man killed with two stones.

The view of the Hanafis, Abu Thaur and one narration from Ahmad is that the only form of execution is with the sword. Actually, there is a hadith with this meaning but it is not an authentic hadith.

A third narration comes from Ahmad which states that a person is supposed to be killed in the same way that he murdered unless he mutilated a person or burned a person to death. These latter two are not to be done because they have been explicitly prohibited by the Prophet (peace be upon him). In those cases, the person is to be beheaded by the sword. This last opinion is, perhaps, the only opinion that takes into consideration all of the different evidences related to the question at hand.

A Possible Question: Given that one is supposed to execute in the best manner, someone might ask about the adulterer. According to the shareeah, he or she is to be stoned to death, doesn’t that go against the principle mentioned in this hadith? Ibn Uthaimeen answered this question in the negative. He stated that there are two possible explanations for this. The first explanation is that what is meant by ihsaan is what is correct according to the shareeah.

Hence, the shareeah categorizes this manner of execution as ihsaan. A second possible explanation is that this is an exception to the general ruling that is proven by the sunnah. This exception is special in the case of a person who has a spouse and then still goes out and commits the heinous crime of adultery. This person is to be taken and stoned with small rocks until he (or she) dies. In fact, the people throwing the rocks should try to avoid hitting him in places that cause sudden death. Instead, they should aim for all the parts of the body. The wisdom behind this is that the body that enjoyed that lustful, forbidden act is the same body that is to be punished all over for that act. This is part of the wisdom of this Divine shareeah.

Finally, it should be noted that if a person is legally executed, such as in the case of murder or adultery, he still has the funeral prayer performed for him and the people should still pray for him and ask for mercy and forgiveness for him and all Muslims. However, if he is legally executed as a result of apostasy, then no funeral prayer is to be said for him as it is forbidden for Muslims to ever pray for his forgiveness after he has died. (This is clearly demonstrated in surah al-Tauba verse 113.)

3. “If you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner … “

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has stated that even when slaughtering an animal, one must do so in the best manner possible. The shareeah has prescribed the most compassionate manner of slaughtering. It is a manner in which the animal is killed promptly and suffers the least. In order for an animal to be properly slaughtered, the animal must be slaughtered in such a way that it allows the blood to gush forth from the body. This condition is based on the hadith,

“Whatever causes the blood to flow and has had Allah’s name mentioned [upon it], you may eat.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and others.) There is a difference of opinion among the four schools of fiqh as to exactly what must be cut while slaughtering an animal. The difference involves the following parts around the animal’s throat:
al-wajdain – the two external jugular veins
al-hulqoom – the windpipe
al-maree – the esophagus

All of the schools agree that it is best to cut all four of these. However, there is a different concerning the minimum of these that must be cut. According to the Shafi’ ees, for a legal slaughtering, one must cut the windpipe and the esophagus. The majority opinion among the Hanbalis is the same as that of the Shafi’ees. However, there is also one narration that all four of the above must be cut on an animal. A third narration from Ahmad states that at least one of the jugular veins must be cut along with the windpipe and esophagus. The most famous opinion from Malik is that the jugular veins and windpipe must be cut. Another narration from him says that all four must be cut while a third narration says that only the two jugular veins need to be cut. Abu Hanifah states that minimum requirement is to cut at least three of the four bodily parts mentioned above

In his Ph.D. dissertation, al-Tiraiqi has discussed all of the views, each with its evidence, in some detail. He came to the following conclusion, The strongest opinion is that one must cut the windpipe, esophagus and at least one of the jugular veins. This is because cutting the windpipe and esophagus ends the life of the slaughtered animal. One of the jugular veins must be cut in order for the blood to gush forth, otherwise it will coagulate. Everyone of the parts has a different purpose from the other parts. The windpipe is the source of life while the esophagus is the place for food and drink. And the jugular veins is where the blood flows. If just one of the jugular veins is cut, the goal is met. If the windpipe is not cut than one does not achieve the goal that is met when it is cut.

Hence, one is supposed to kill the animal in the most humane way by striking its windpipe, esophagus and jugular veins. This will bring about a quick death to the animal and it will also cause the blood to gush forth from the animal.

The scholars have also mentioned other aspects that one should tend to while slaughtering an animal. The person should sharpen his knife. In this way, the cut is quick and swift. The animal will not feel the knife cutting through its skin that much as would be the case if the knife were dull. The knife should be thrust with force so that all of the necessary parts may be cut in one swift movement.

The scholars also state that the animal should be taken in a calm fashion to the place of the slaughtering.2 It is considered improper to slaughter other animals in view of the animal one is about to slaughter. Indeed, one should not even sharpen the knife in front of the animal. One time a person had put his animal down on the ground and was sharpening his knife in front of the animal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw him and said,

“Do you want it to die two deaths? Why didn’t you sharpen your knife before you laid [the animal] down?”

In general, one should be merciful to all creatures, humans and animals. If a person hopes to have Allah being merciful to him, he should then be merciful to Allah’s cretures. This was specifically mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). A person once told the Prophet (peace be upon him) that when he slaughters a sheep, he shows mercy to it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him,

“And even a sheep, if you show mercy to it, Allah has mercy on you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated it twice. In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

“Whoever shows mercy, even while slaughtering a sparrow, Allah will have mercy on him on the Day ofResurrection.” These are all aspects of slaughtering in the best manner possible, as ordered by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this hadith.

4. The Mercy Found in Islamic Slaughtering

Al-Jumuah magazine reported that two professors, Professor Schultz and Hazim, “conducted an experiment to compare the Islamic slaughtering with the stunning required in the so-called humane slaughter.” The results of their experiment were reported as follows:

Islamic Method: 1. During the first three seconds after slaughtering, the EEG [electroencephalograph] did not record any change, thus indicating that the animal did not feel any pain during or immediately after the incision.

2. For the following three seconds, the EEG recorded a condition of deep sleep-unconsciousness. This is due to the large quantity of blood gushing out of the body.

3. After this total of six seconds, the EEG recorded zero level, showing no feeling of pain at all. 4. As the brain message (EEG) dropped to zero level, the heart was still pounding and the body convulsing vigorously (a reflex action of the spinal cord) driving maximum blood out of the body.

Stunning: 1. The animals were apparently unconscious soon after stunning but the EEG showed severe pain immediately after stunning. 2. The heart of the stunned animal stopped beating earlier than the one slaughtered the Islamic way thus resulting in the retention of more blood in the meat.

The Significance of The Two Examples Mentioned in This Hadith: Al-Sanaani states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated the least imaginable examples that one would think of when thinking of ihsaan: even while killing an animal or a human one must exhibit ihsaan. However, there may be a deeper reason as to why the Prophet (peace be upon him) explicitly mentioned these two examples.

One of the points to note is that both of these examples are cases in which the person has the upper hand over another. That is, one is about to execute or kill something. Obviously, this is a position of “authority and power”. Hence, it is noteworthy that explicitly in those settings the Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed that the person must have ihsaan. He cannot let his ego or power be his motivating factor. Even in those cases, he must act with
kindness and excellence. In other settings, where he is not in such a place of
dominance, it is even more so befitting that he acts with excellence and ihsaan toward others.

Al-Haitami points out that in Jaahiliyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), they would mutilate and torture people when executing them. Similarly, they would also do the same when killing animals. Indeed, they would kill the animal in any way whatsoever. This is also part of the reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned these examples in this hadith.

5. The Treatment of Animals

There are many hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that prove that Muslims must treat animals in a kind and merciful manner, for one is held responsible for the way he treats animals. A person’s treatment of animals can be a source of reward from Allah or a source of punishment.

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered ihsaan to be shown to the animal even when one is about to kill it. This means, even if the goal is to kill the animal, one should not want to bring about harm to the animal. If that is the case when the animal is about to be slaughtered, what about the general case where there is no need to harm the animal in any way? It is clear from many hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that animals are not to be harmed. They are not to be killed unless there is need to do so. Indeed, not only are they not to be harmed but they are to be shown mercy and companion, as this hadith proves.

A hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim shows how much Allah is pleased with kind behavior towards animals. The hadith states:

“While a man was walking on the road, he became extremely thirsty. He came across a well and went down into it and drank some water. Then he came out and he found a dog panting. The dog was licking mud due to his extreme thirst. The man said, ‘That dog is experiencing the same kind of thirst that I was experiencing.’ So he went back down in the well and filled his shoe with water. Then he held it in his mouth and gave water to the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him.” The people said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), is there any reward for us in [our treatment of] animals?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered, “There is a reward [for serving] everything with a moist liver [that is, every living creature].”

On another occasion, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “While a dog was going around a well and was about to die of thirst, a prostitute from the Tribes of Israel saw it. She then took off her shoe and gave it some water. So Allah forgave her for that [good deed].” (Recorded by alBukhari.)

Another hadith shows that a person can be sent to Hell because of his mistreatment of an animal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A woman entered the Hell-fire because of a cat that she tied down. She neither fed it nor let it free to eat the insects of the earth.” (Recorded by alBukhari.)

One time the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered one of the gardens of the Ansaar to relieve himself. A camel saw him and started weeping with a yearning sound. The Prophet (peace be upon him) went to it and wiped its head until it became silent. Then he went to find the owner of the camel. The owner came and the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him,

“Do you not fear Allah with respect to this beast which Allah has put into your possession? It has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it with heavy burdens which tire it out.”

One time the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw an emaciated camel (and in another narration, a camel who had been tied to a certain location all day long without any break) and he said, “Fear Allah with respect to these dumb beasts. Ride them when they are in good condition and feed them when they are in a good condition.” One can realize how merciful Muslims are supposed to be to animals when he considers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) even forbade staying on a horse’s or camel’s back when there is no need to. He said,

“Do not treat the backs of your animals like pulpits. Surely, Allah has made them subject to you to carry you to a town that you would not have been able to reach [on foot] except with difficulty and hardship. And He made for you the earth [like a floor to travel on]. So fulfill your needs [and do not burden them further] . ” – AbuDawood.

On another occasion, the Companions saw a mother bird with two young ones. They took the two young birds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) came upon them and found the mother bird flapping its wings. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: “Who has grieved this one due to her offspring? Return its offspring to her.”

Part of good behavior towards animals is that one does not use them for target practice. The Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed anyone who used a live animal as a target and he prohibited the tying down of animals to use them for target practice. (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) He also forbade branding on or around the face.

Al-Bugha and Mistu said that a beast of burden should not be made to carry more than it can handle. Also, one should not ride an animal unless there is a need to do so. Similarly, an animal should not be milked to the point that its offspring may be harmed. It is actually narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattaab had a camel owner beaten because he made his camel carry more that it was capable of. (Recorded by ibn Saad in al-Tabaqat.)

After quoting a number of examples of how kind and gentle the Sala! were to animals, al-Albaani stated, These are some of the reports that I have been able to come across. They show the great concern that the early Muslims under the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) had in taking care of animals. In reality, [what al-Albani presented] is just a drop in the bucket of what exists. This shows that it is actually Islam that gave mankind the principle of kindness and prohibited cruelty to animals. This is opposed to those people ignorant of Islam who think that the European disbelievers were the ones who came up with that principle. Indeed, these are from the manners passed down from the earliest Muslims.

It is permissible, though, to kill harmful animals. A fiqh maxim states that it is permissible to kill animals that, as part of their nature, cause harm and destruction. Therefore, if an animal is not naturally harmful, it is not allowed to be killed unless it actually is causing harm. For example, if ants invade a house, then it is allowed to kill those ants- although otherwise it would not be allowed to kill them. Furthermore, they are to be killed only when that is the only way to remedy the situation.

Even in this case, one should kill the animal in the best way possible. The life of the animal should be taken immediately without causing it any suffering. For example, it is not proper to set a trap for a mouse that does not kill the mouse but lets the mouse die out of starvation while it is caught in the trap. If someone sets such a trap, he must check it repeatedly to make sure no mouse is caught. If a mouse is caught, he must take it out and kill it promptly. Ibn Uthaimin says that he fears that the one who allows the mouse to starve to death while caught in the trap falls under the meaning of the hadith, quoted earlier,

“A woman entered the Hell-fire because of a cat that she tied down. She neither fed it nor let it free to eat the insects of the earth.” (Recorded by alBukhari.)

6. Other Points Related to This Hadith

(1) One should exhibit ihsaan toward all of Allah’s creatures, including His angels and even the vegetation of this earth. With respect to His angels, for example, one should not do acts that cause harm to them nor should one perform deeds that are displeasing to them. As for the vegetation, one should do what it takes to make them grow. In fact, it is considered reprehensible to neglect watering a parcel of land until its vegetation dies.

(2) Ihsaan is even to be demonstrated toward the disbelievers, most notably by praying to Allah to guide them to the Straight Path.

(3) This hadith gives a strong indication as to what the personality and deeds of a Muslim should be. There should be ihsaan in everything that he does. That is, he is a person of quality and dignity. When he does something, he does it well and is not satisfied with anything other than a quality job. He knows that Allah has prescribed ihsaan in all deeds and for all things. In the West, they talk about “taking pride in one’s work.” This concept, without the improper manifestations of “pride”, is what a Muslim should be all about- for the sake of Allah and pleasing Allah. He should be able to look at everything he does and say, “I did that and I did that well, to the best of my ability. And I did it well for the sake of Allah.”

Unfortunately, this is something that is missing from the MuslimUmmah today. Whether one is talking about the way Muslims deal with each other or the quality of the work that they do, for many Muslims today, this concept of ihsaan is something very foreign. They do not treat each other with politeness and kindness. They do not do their work in the best way possible and make sure that it is of a quality nature. It seems that many of them have even lost their self-respect and dignity. If this hadith were to be understood and applied properly throughout the Muslim world, orie would find the lives and plight of the Muslims to be very different, Allah willing.

According to al-Haitami, the deed that is performed in this manner, even if it is a small deed, will have a much greater reward with Allah due to the intention and ihsaan behind it. One should not discount or be lazy concerning any act that he performs. He should always do every act in the most complete manner possible.

(4) There is a level of ihsaan which is obligatory in every deed, namely that the deed be done according to the shareeah and with the proper intention. This is necessary for it to lead to rewards from Allah. But even beyond that, every true believer should demonstrate ihsaan in every deed he performs.

(5) When a person slaughters an animal, he should realize that it is a creation and a possession of Allah that he is slaughtering. One cannot act in any way he wishes toward that animal. He may only act in the way that its true Owner allows and requires. Therefore, he should slaughter the animal in the way that is most beloved to its real Owner.

(6) Shaikh Abdullah Jibreen was asked about testing drugs on animals before giving them to humans. His reply was that the basic ruling is that one is not allowed to harm an animal, and then he quoted the hadith under discussion here. He said that if those drugs cause some illness or defect in the animal, it is not allowed to test them on animals, due to the harm that it creates for the animal. He says that if the testers are certain that the drug will not harm the animal’s life after testing or if the animal has some illness that this drug is being used to cure, and one fears trying it on a human, then one may first use it on an animal if he is certain that no harm will come to the animal.

If that is the ruling with respect to drugs, obviously bringing harm to animals for the sake of cosmetics or something less important than drugs would not be considered permissible in Islam. It is not allowed to harm the creatures that Allah has created except when necessary, as allowed and sanctioned by the shareeah, such as the case of slaughtering them for the sake of food and subsistence.

With respect to jihad and the killing of the enemy, the Muslims should not use the kinds of weapons that cause mass destruction and misery– and which also kills those who are not combatants in the war. This is not the best way to kill or fight. However, if the enemy uses such weapons against the Muslims, then they may use them in response. Perhaps, also, if the leader of the Muslims finds it to be a necessity, he may also resort to it. Allah knows best.

Summary of the Hadith:
• Allah has prescribed excellence and goodness towards everything and in every act.
• Even while carrying out an execution, it should be done in the best way possible.
• One must slaughter an animal with gentleness and compassion.