Is an animal permissible to eat if it sheds blood and is killed by that bleeding, or if it falls into a well and cannot be ritually slaughtered?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Hunting and Slaughter

Book 56 · Issue 3 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If an animal sheds its blood and that causes its death, it is permissible to eat. Likewise, if it falls into a well and the person is unable to perform the proper ritual slaughter (tadhkiyah), and instead wounds it wherever possible to kill it, it is permissible to eat. This ruling is held by the majority of jurists, including companions like Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, and Aisha, and scholars such as Masruq, al-Aswad, al-Hasan, Ata, Tawus, Ishaq, al-Sha'bi, al-Hakam, Hammad, al-Thawri, Abu Hanifa, al-Shafi'i, and Abu Thawr.

Supporting text

The exception is if the animal's head is submerged in water, in which case it is not eaten because the water assists in killing it. Malik, Rabi'a, and al-Layth hold that it is only permissible if ritually slaughtered. Imam Ahmad suggested that Malik may not have heard the narration of Rafi' ibn Khadij.