The Timing of the Tasmiyah (Recitation of Allah’s Name)
In the law of hunting, the tasmiyah — “بِسْمِ اللهِ، اللهُ أَكْبَر” (Bismillāh, Allāhu Akbar) — must be recited immediately before the act of dispatch, that is, before releasing the trained hunting animal or shooting the weapon. This recitation substitutes the tasmiyah normally pronounced at the time of manual slaughter (dhakāh). Once the animal or projectile has been dispatched with the name of Allah, the tasmiyah is not repeated when the hunter reaches the prey — unless the animal is still alive and must be slaughtered manually.
The tasmiyah must therefore coincide with the act of dispatch, not the act of retrieval. Should it be omitted intentionally, the hunt becomes ḥarām; if omitted out of forgetfulness, it remains ḥalāl according to the majority of Ḥanafī jurists. This rule is consistent across both modes of hunting — with trained animals (kalb muʿallam) and with weapons (arrows, bullets, or similar projectiles).
Is Immediate Slaughter After Shooting Required?
When the prey dies from the wound inflicted by a trained hunting animal or a weapon over which the tasmiyah has been recited, its death itself constitutes dhakāh. In such cases, immediate slaughter upon reaching the animal is not required, as the act of hunting already fulfills the conditions of lawful slaughter.
However, if the hunter reaches the animal and finds it still alive with stable life (ḥayāh mustaqirrah), it is obligatory to perform a proper dhakāh before the animal dies from its wounds. Failure to do so renders the meat unlawful (maytah). On the other hand, if the remaining life is unstable or faint (ḥayāh khafiyyah) — similar to the minimal life that remains in a slaughtered animal — such life is not considered in hunting.
As Fākihat al-Bustān explains:
“The minimal life, that is, unstable life, is not considered in the case of hunting. For in hunting, a legal dhakāh in judgment has already occurred, and hence this remaining life is disregarded.”
Therefore:
- If the prey displays stable life, it must be slaughtered.
- If it only displays unstable, faint movement, no additional slaughter is needed.
- The act of hunting itself constitutes a dhakāh ḥukmīyah — a legal form of slaughter by ruling.
Steps of a Sharʿī-Compliant Ḥalāl Hunt
The proper ḥalāl procedure for hunting, as set forth in the Ḥanafī school, consists of the following essential elements:
(a) Use a Sharʿī Means
The prey must be struck or wounded by a lawful means — either a trained hunting animal (kalb muʿallam) or a properly wounding weapon that pierces or cuts, such as a sharpened metal blade, arrow, or bullet. Any weapon that kills through blunt force, shock, or pressure without incision is impermissible.
(b) Recite the Tasmiyah
Before dispatching the trained animal or releasing the projectile, the hunter must pronounce “Bismillāh, Allāhu Akbar.” This invocation sanctifies the act, and it is this very recitation — not the later retrieval — that ensures the permissibility of the catch.
(c) Maintain Control and Identification
The hunter must not lose sight of the prey, nor allow it to mix with other animals, nor be killed by an untrained dog or another hunter’s weapon. If such confusion occurs, the meat becomes doubtful (mashbūh).
(d) Upon Reaching the Prey
When the prey is found:
- If it is dead, the meat is ḥalāl, for the death occurred through valid dhakāh.
- If it is alive with stable life, it must be slaughtered immediately by cutting between the labah (upper chest) and the laḥyayn (jaws).
- If it is barely alive, twitching faintly, it is considered already dead for the purpose of hunting, and no slaughter is required.
Some References
These rulings are reproduced from classical sources cited within Fākihat al-Bustān fī Masāʾil Dhabḥ wa-Ṣayd al-Ṭayr wa-l-Ḥayawān:
- Fākihat al-Bustān (citing al-Bazzāziyyah and at-Tātārkhāniyyah): “The minimal life, that is, unstable life, is not considered in hunting … and if the hunter finds it and does not slaughter it, it is lawful.”
- Qāḍī Khān: “In the case of hunting, a legal dhakāh already exists by ruling, so this remaining life is disregarded; whereas in a fallen animal no dhakāh has occurred, so its life is considered.”
- Fākihat al-Bustān, Dhakāh al-Majrūḥ: “If it is wounded by a trained hunting animal or a weapon over which the name of Allah was pronounced, then according to Abū Ḥanīfah its slaughter is the dhakāh itself, while according to the two companions no further dhakāh is required.”
- as-Sirāj al-Wahhāj (via Fākihat al-Bustān): “If life is known with certainty and the act of dhakāh has been performed, the meat is lawful in every case.”
Disclaimer:
The above article has been prepared/translated under the full oversight and approval of the respected Muftī Ṣāḥib. The author may have utilized AI assistance for the purposes of language refinement, structural clarity, and improved coherence in English. However, the religious content and conclusions reflect the Muftī’s authoritative guidance.