The Case of the Tails of Sheep Cut off into two and the Animal Hunted

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ يَوْماً عَنْ قَطْعِ أَلَيَاتِ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِقَطْعِهَا إِذَا كُنْتَ تُصْلِحُ بِهَا مَالَكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ع إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّ مَا قُطِعَ مِنْهَا مَيْتٌ لَا يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ.

“Once a man asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), when I was with him (the Imam), about the tails of sheep being cut off. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not unlawful if it serves your interest. 5 He (the Imam) then said, ’It is in the book of Ali (a.s.), that whatever is cut off from sheep, is dead and must not be used to benefit

فِي أَلَيَاتِ الضَّأْنِ تُقْطَعُ وَ هِيَ أَحْيَاءٌ إِنَّهَا مَيْتَةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’If the tails of sheep are cut off when the sheep is alive, the tail is dead like being slaughtered improperly.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع فَقُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَبَلِ تَثْقُلُ عِنْدَهُمْ أَلَيَاتُ الْغَنَمِ فَيَقْطَعُونَهَا فَقَالَ حَرَامٌ هِيَ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَنَصْطَبِحُ بِهَا فَقَالَ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّهُ يُصِيبُ الْيَدَ وَ الثَّوْبَ وَ هُوَ حَرَامٌ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, people who live in the mountains cut off the tails of their sheep because they become very large.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not lawful (inedible).’ I then asked, saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service

نَعَمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا يَلِي الرَّأْسَ ثُمَّ يَدَعُ الذَّنَبَ.

“About the case of a man who strikes a deer with his sword until it is cut into two: if he can use it for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can use it for food, only the piece with the head and leave the tail.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ رُبَّمَا رَمَيْتُ بِالْمِعْرَاضِ فَأَقْتُلُ فَقَالَ إِذَا قَطَعَهُ جَدْلَيْنِ‌[2] فَارْمِ بِأَصْغَرِهِمَا وَ كُلِ الْأَكْبَرَ وَ إِنِ اعْتَدَلَا فَكُلْهُمَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about my hunting with a flareless arrow and it kills. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is cut into two pieces then throw away the smaller piece and use the larger one for food. If both are equal then use both.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِهِمَا[3] مَا لَمْ يَتَحَرَّكْ أَحَدُ النِّصْفَيْنِ فَإِنْ تَحَرَّكَ أَحَدُهُمَا لَمْ يُؤْكَلِ الْآخَرُ لِأَنَّهُ مَيْتَةٌ.

“About the case of a deer or wild donkey hunted with sword; if it is cut in pieces, he (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful to use both pieces for food if one of them is not still moving, but if one piece moves, the other piece then is not edible because it is dead.’”

يَأْكُلُهُمَا جَمِيعاً فَإِنْ ضَرَبَهُ وَ أَبَانَ مِنْهُ عُضْواً لَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنْهُ مَا أَبَانَ [مِنْهُ‌] وَ أَكَلَ سَائِرَهُ.

“About the case of a man who hunts a prey and cuts it into two pieces, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He can use both of them for food but if he cuts a part only he then must not eat what is cut off but he can eat the rest.’”