Hadith 17. Excellence

On the authority of Abu Y’alaa Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence in all things. Thus, if you kill, kill in a good manner. If you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. Each of you should sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he is slaughtering”.

Reported in Muslim

Brief Commentary:

• The ihsan (excellence) mentioned here is its meaning from a linguistic perspective, hence it has been translated to excellence. Ihsan from a shari’ah perspective has already been discussed in hadith 2
• This hadith is a mercy for us, as if everyone fulfils it, then it would make everything easier for everyone
• The hadith said “in all things”, thus it encompasses excellence in the action itself, and excellence in the person you are doing it to
• The word “prescribed” means it takes the ruling of whatever the action is, so if the action is obligatory, then it is obligatory to have excellence in it e.g. it is obligatory to have excellence in the basic requirements of Salah. If the action is recommended, then we know excellence is recommended, e.g. it is recommended to have excellence in the extra aspects of Salah which are not obligatory, in recommended fasting, giving charity, patience, etc.
• Scholars said: “Ihsan is making the benefit reach, removal of the harm and repelling it”
• We must have excellence in the way we treat our bodies and our souls, which is unfortunately overlooked in many situations
• In this hadith, excellence was exemplified in a lowly action e.g. killing, so we know that anything higher is more worthy of excellence. This is similar to the example of being disobedient to your parents in which the prohibition mentioned in the Qur’an was just for saying “uff”, so it also encompassed anything larger than it
• Examples of actions that should be done when slaughtering:
  • The animal must not be used for target practice
  • The blade must be sharp
  • The slaughter must be done quickly
  • The blade must not be shown to the animal
  • The animal must be treated gently
  • The animal must not be slaughtered in front of other animals
• Another reason why these two examples where mentioned in the hadith: killing and slaughter, is that because in these situations someone may feel a bit of pride/arrogance/authority, so we need to purify our intention and maintain excellence in what we do
• We may not show compassion to beggars but they are of a higher status than animals and we must show compassion to animals, so humans have more of a right to be treated with compassion
• The difference between Allah and His creation is far greater than between us and beggars, yet Allah still showers His mercy upon everyone

Benefits and Action points to take from this hadith:

• Be compassionate with others for compassion is one of the greatest qualities of those who call to Allah
• Have excellence in the way you treat yourself so look after your body and keep it healthy, and do not neglect the food of the soul
• Have excellence in the way you treat your friends so call them by their best names, smile at them and be polite and caring
• Have excellence in the way you treat your elders so give them their due respect
• Have excellence in the way you interact with everyone, so be on time, fulfil your promises. If you prepare something then prepare it in the best way possible. If someone needs help, then help them out in the best way possible. Advice people in the best way possible.