When is an animal considered sufficiently alive for lawful slaughter after sustaining a fatal injury?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Hunting and Slaughter
Primary text
For an animal to be permissible upon slaughter, it must possess stable life that allows the slaughtering process to be carried out. Imam Ahmad stated that if an animal moves its tail, blinks its eyes, and blood flows, it is hoped that its consumption is permissible. This aligns with the views of 'Aqil ibn 'Umayr and Tawus, who only stipulated movement. This view is also associated with the school of Abu Hanifah. If the animal moves weakly (طرفَت بعينها أو حركت يدها أو رجلها أو ذنبها بضعف) and blood flows profusely (نهر الدم), there is no issue according to a statement by Isma'il ibn Sa'id quoting Ahmad. The correct position is that if the animal has a remaining lifespan such that death by slaughter is faster than its natural expiration, it is lawful; and if death is not certain, such as in the case of a sick animal, it becomes lawful upon movement and blood flow.
Supporting text
Some scholars argue that if the animal can live for most of the day, it is lawful by slaughter, but this temporal definition is considered distant and contradicts the apparent meaning of the texts. Furthermore, if the animal reaches a point where it is known it will not live, like when its intestines have fully emerged and separated, it is not permissible by slaughter, as confirmed by Ibn Abi Musa and Imam Ahmad.