Slaughter by throat-stabbing (nahr)

النَّحْر

Nahr, in the lexicon, is to stab a camel in its throat-hollow, where the windpipe shows above the chest. Most jurists hold that a camel is to be slaughtered by nahr and other animals by dhabh, on the example of the Prophet ﷺ who slaughtered camels by nahr and two rams by dhabh. If one slaughters what is to be nahr or nahrs what is to be slaughtered, most jurists hold the animal lawful, while the Malikis allow it only in necessity. The days of nahr are three by the majority (the day and the two after), and four by the Shafi'is, citing the hadith that all days of tashriq are days of slaughter. The best practice is to stand the camel with its left foreleg tied; the Malikis have the slaughterer face the qibla, stand by the right side, hold the upper lip and stab the throat-hollow saying the name of God. 1 2 3 4

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
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Worship and the pillars

Summary

Nahr, in the lexicon, is to stab a camel in its throat-hollow, where the windpipe shows above the chest. Most jurists hold that a camel is to be slaughtered by nahr and other animals by dhabh, on the example of the Prophet who slaughtered camels by nahr and two rams by dhabh. If one slaughters what is to be nahr or nahrs what is to be slaughtered, most jurists hold the animal lawful, while the Malikis allow it only in necessity. The days of nahr are three by the majority (the day and the two after), and four by the Shafi'is, citing the hadith that all days of tashriq are days of slaughter. The best practice is to stand the camel with its left foreleg tied; the Malikis have the slaughterer face the qibla, stand by the right side, hold the upper lip and stab the throat-hollow saying the name of God. 1 2 3 4

People and things also explored

The ruling on one who abandons prayer· Ada' (performance of an obligation within its time)· Adhan (the call to prayer: its ruling, wording, conditions, recommended features and the muezzin)· Bone (adhm): purity, use and retaliation· The adornment of desires and the goods of this world· The people of the bench (ahl al-suffa)· The earth made a place of prayer and purity· Spending in the way of God (infaq)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.15542
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.15543
  3. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.15544
  4. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.15545
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Slaughter by throat-stabbing (nahr)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/nahr/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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The ruling on one who abandons prayer

Al-Sallabi quotes Ali: whoever does not pray is an unbeliever. He then reports from al-Nawawi the dispute over one who neglects prayer while believing it obligatory: the majority (Malik, al-Shafi'i) hold him a sinner to be asked to repent, others hold him an unbeliever, a view ascribed to Ali; Abu Hanifa and the Kufans hold him not an unbeliever but to be disciplined.