Textual Studies of the Hadith - National Open University of Nigeria

ISL222 TEXTUAL STUDIES OF THE HADITH
3.1 Hadiths 17, 18, 19 and 20
3.1.1 Hadith 17 Text, Translation, Commentary and Lessons
َرَشَع ُعِباﱠسلا ُثيِد َحْلا
َﷲ ﱠنِإ ) : َلاَق َمﱠلَسَو ِهْيَلَع ُﷲ ىﱠلَص ِلوُسﱠرلا ِنَع ،ُهْنَع ُﷲ َيِضَر سْوَأ ِنْب داَدَش ىَلْعَي يِبَأ ْنَع
ﱠدِحُيِلَو ،َةَحْبﱠذلا اوُنِس ْحَأَف ْمُت ْحَبَذ اَذِإَو ،َةَلْتَقْلا
اوُنِسْحَأَف ْمُتْلَتَق اَذإَف ،ٍءْيَش ﱢلُك ىَلَع َناَسْحلإْا َبَتَك
.[ 1955 : مقر ] ملسم هاور .( ُهَتَحيِبَذ ْحرُيِلَو ِ ،ُهَتَرْفَش ُمُكُدْحَأ
Translation
Hadith 17
From Abu Ya‘lā shaddād ibn Aws may Allah be pleased with him, who
related from the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, who said “Surely Allah has prescribed the best
bahaviour with regard to everything. Therefore, if you kill, make it a
good killing, if you slaughter make it a good slaughter, and let each one
of you sharpen the edge of his knife properly and make the slaughtered
die easily.
Muslim related it.
Commentary
This hadith explains the limits of punishment in Islam. According to it,
we should be sober, considerate and compassionate in the execution of
punishment against offenders. Of course, this does not mean that culprits
must go scot-free. On the contrary, this hadith wants punishment to be
neatly carried out so as not to expose the offenders to severe sufferings
before death. For example, armed robbers, rapists, and fornicators do not
deserve mercy. Yet their killings must be good. Similarly, compassion
should be extended towards animals due for slaughter. The edge of the
knife with which it would be slaughtered must be sharpened to enable
the animal die quickly.
Lessons
The following lessons are derivable from the hadith:
1. Allah has enjoined good behavior concerning everything.
2. Justice needs to be tempered with sympathy and kindness.
3. Lawful animals should be slaughtered quickly with sharp knife so
that the animal slaughtered will not be made to suffer.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1
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