Sunan Ibn Majah

Sunan Ibn Majah 3170

Arabic hadith text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَشْعَثِ، عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كَتَبَ الإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَإِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ وَإِذَا ذَبَحْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الذَّبْحَ وَلْيُحِدَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَفْرَتَهُ وَلْيُرِحْ ذَبِيحَتَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Wahhāb narrated to us: Khālid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ narrated to us, from Abū Qilābah, from Abū al-Ashʿath, from Shaddād ibn Aws, that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: God, Mighty and Sublime, has prescribed excellence in all things. When you kill, kill well; and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you sharpen his blade and spare the animal suffering.