The Prophet of Allah,(PBUH) prohibited cas- trating cattle except for seeking a benefit

Under category: How He treated them?

Ibn ‘Umar narrated

that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prohibited castrating1 horses and cattle.1

Al-Qurtubi (an exegete of Prophetic narrations) commented, “Castrat- ing animals is prohibited unless it is to prevent harm that could afflict it or there is a benefit that is sought, like making its meat better tasting.”2

An-Nawawi commented, “It is prohibited to castrate non-edible animals. However, it is permissible to castrate young animals but not older ones.”3 

The evidence proving the permissibility of castrating animals for a benefit that is sought is in the following text:

Aa’ishah and Abu Hurayrah narrated:

‘“Whenever the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wanted to slaughter a sacrificial animal, he would buy two fat white rams with horns, that had been castrated. The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would slaughter one of them on behalf of those who testify to the testimony of faith (that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger and had conveyed the message of Allah), and would slaughter the other on behalf of himself and his household.”4

المراجع

  1.  Reported by Ahmad (4755).
  2. Al-Qurtubi in his book Al-Mufhim Lima Ashkal Min Talkhees Kitaab Muslim (127/12). 
  3.  Ibn Hajar in his book Fat-h Al-Baari (119/9). 
  4.  Reported by Ibn Maajah (3122).