When you let loose your trained dog (after a game) and you mention the name of Allah, then eat what it catches for you
Authentic hadithعن عديّ بن حاتم رضي الله عنه قال: قلتُ: يا رسول الله، إني أُرسلُ الكلاب المعلَّمة، فيُمسِكنَ عليّ، وأذكرُ اسم الله؟ فقال: "إذا أرسلتَ كلبَكَ المعلَّمَ، وذكرتَ اسمَ الله، فكُلْ ما أمسكَ عليك"، قلت: وإن قتلنَ؟ قال: "وإن قَتلْنَ، ما لم يَشْرَكْها كلبٌ ليس منها"، قلتُ له: فإني أرمي بالمِعْراض الصيدَ فأُصُيبُ؟ فقال: "إذا رميتَ بالمعراضِ فخزَقَ فكلْهُ، وإن أصابَه بعَرْضٍ فلا تأكلْهُ". وحديث الشعبي، عن عدي نحوه، وفيه: "إلا أن يأكل الكلب، فإن أكل فلا تأكل؛ فإني أخاف أن يكون إنما أمسك على نفسه، وإن خالطها كلاب من غيرها فلا تأكل؛ فإنما سميت على كلبك، ولم تسم على غيره". وفيه: "إذا أرسلت كلبك المكلب فاذكر اسم الله، فإن أمسك عليك فأدركته حيا فاذبحه، وإن أدركته قد قتل ولم يأكل منه فكله، فإنَّ أخْذَ الكلبِ ذَكَاته". وفيه أيضا: "إذا رميت بسهمك فاذكر اسم الله". وفيه: "فإن غاب عنك يوما أو يومين -وفي رواية: اليومين والثلاثة- فلم تجد فيه إلا أثر سهمك، فكل إن شئت، فإن وجدته غريقا في الماء فلا تأكل؛ فإنك لا تدري الماء قتله، أو سهمك؟
‘Adiyy ibn Hātim (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I send my trained dogs, mention Allah's name, and they catch the game for me." So he said: "When you let loose your trained dog (after a game) and you mention the name of Allah, then eat what it catches for you." Then I said: "Even if they (the dogs) kill it (the game)?" He said: "Even if they kill it, so long as no other dog, which is not one of them, participates with them." I said: "What if I throw a blunt edged spear at the game and I hit it?" He said: "If you strike it and it pierces it, then eat from it; but if it strikes the game with the blunt end, then do not eat it." The Hadīth narrated by Ash-Sha‘bi from ‘Adiyy is similar but it mentions: "...except if the dog eats from it, then do not eat it, for I am worried that the dog caught it for itself. If other dogs mix with yours, then do not eat from it; because you only mentioned Allah's name when sending your dog, not the other dogs." It also mentions: "If you send your trained dog, then mention Allah's name. If he catches it (the game) alive, then slaughter it, but if it is killed and the dog does not eat from it, then eat from it; because when the dog catches it, it is similar to slaughtering." It also mentions: "Mention the name of Allah when you shoot your arrow." It also mentions: "If the game disappeared a day or two (two or three in another narration), and you found the trace of your arrow only, then eat from it as you like. But if you found it drowned in water, do not eat from it; because you do not know if it died from the water or your arrow.”
Explanation
‘Adiyy ibn Hātim asked the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about hunting with his trained dogs. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him to eat whatever the dogs catch as long as he mentions Allah's name on letting them loose after the game, and as long as no other dog hunts with them. If he finds another dog, then he should not eat from it because he only mentioned the name of Allah on sending his dog, not someone else's dog. Moreover, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that if he threw his spear and it pierced the animal and spilled its blood, then he could eat from it so long as he mentioned Allah's name. If the spear, however, stroke the animal with its blunt side, and it died, then he should not eat from it. In this case, the animal died from being hit, like an animal that dies from falling down or from being hit by horns. Also, if one sends his trained dog and the game is found alive, without being killed by the dogs, then it is necessary to slaughter it at that moment. Eating it is permissible even if other dogs are found with it. He also asked him about hunting with an arrow if he mentions Allah's name, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that it is permissible for him to eat the game that he hits by his arrow. If he finds it a day or two later with nothing but the trace of his own arrow, then it will be permissible for him to eat from it. However, if he finds it drowned in water, then he should not eat from it because he does not know whether it died from drowning or from his arrow.
Source · Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).