Question:
Is it permitted to put an animal that is suffering to “sleep”?
Answer:
Imam Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) from the Hanafi School states:
“It is permitted to slaughter a cat or dog for a benefit. And it is better to slaughter a dog if it is close to death.” Imam Ibn Abidin comments, “… for in slaughtering the dog, one is relieving it from pain. Tahtawi said that this ruling is not restricted to a dog.” (Radd al-Muhtar ala ’l-Durr al-Mukhtar 6/474, Kitab al-Sayd)
It is stated in Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya:
“If a donkey becomes ill such that one is unable to benefit from it, then there is nothing wrong with slaughtering it to end its suffering.” (Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya 5/361)
In the Maliki School, Imam al-Dardir (Allah have mercy on him) states in his commentary of Mukhtasar al-Khalil:
“It is permitted to slaughter a donkey or mule if one loses hope in its recovery [due to its illness], rather it is recommended to end its suffering.” (Sharh Mukhtasar al-Khalil with Hashiyat Dasuqi 2/108)
Hajj Gibril Haddad
