I said to the Prophet, "We will be facing the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives (for slaughtering)' He said, "If you slaughter the animal with anything that causes its blood to flow out, and if Allah's Name is mentioned on slaughtering it, eat of it, unless the killing instrument is a tooth or nail. I will tell you why: As for the tooth, it is a bone; and as for the nail, it is the knife of Ethiopians." The quick ones among the people got the war booty while the Prophet (ﷺ) was behind the people. So they placed the cooking pots on the fire, but the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the cooking pots to be turned upside down. Then he distributed (the war booty) among them, considering one camel as equal to ten sheep. Then a camel belonging to the first party of people ran away and they had no horses with them, so a man shot it with an arrow whereby Allah stopped it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Of these animals there are some which are as wild as wild beasts. So, if anyone of them runs away like this, do like this (shoot it with an arrow).
Hadith Commentary: Hunting, Slaughtering
From Sahih al-Bukhari 5543: This comprehensive narration addresses multiple jurisprudential matters concerning hunting, slaughtering, and war booty distribution during military expeditions.
Permissible Slaughtering Instruments
The Prophet (ﷺ) established that any instrument causing blood flow while mentioning Allah's Name makes the animal lawful for consumption, except teeth and nails. The wisdom behind this prohibition lies in the nature of these instruments: teeth are bones, and nails were the traditional cutting tools of Ethiopians, both considered impure and potentially causing unnecessary suffering to the animal.
Distribution of War Booty
The Prophet's action of overturning cooking pots demonstrates the importance of proper distribution before consumption. His equitable distribution considering one camel equivalent to ten sheep establishes principles of fair apportionment in communal acquisitions.
Handling Escaped Animals
When the camel escaped, the Prophet permitted shooting it with arrows, recognizing that some domesticated animals can become as wild as beasts. This ruling provides practical guidance for situations where animals cannot be captured through conventional means, ensuring minimal loss of valuable resources.
Jurisprudential Principles
This hadith establishes that the essence of proper slaughtering is causing blood flow while invoking Allah's Name. It demonstrates the Prophet's practical wisdom in managing communal resources and provides flexible solutions for unexpected situations during military campaigns, all while maintaining Islamic ethical standards.