Ahmed Deif

As we learned from the bees before, this time we gonna learn from the dog. However, its not any dog, but it is the hunting one. In surat “Al-Ma’eda” (the table) verse no. 4, Allah (SWT) talks about the legitemacy of eating from what a trained hunting dog hunts. Although it could appear a normal Fiqh verse dealing with the fiqh of food, however, Ibn Al-qyem points 3 lessons to be learned:

1- The value of knowledge…..The only difference between the hunting dog and the normal dog is that the first is “tought or passed through a learning process” and the outcome is a huge difference: one of them his hunt or prey is HALAL and the other one his is HARAM….because of this knowledge (as refered to in the verse)

2- Sincerity…..When the hunting dog hunts for his master, his hunt is accepted and “halal” but when it hunts for itself (even if it is a similar prey), the hunt is not accepted and it is haram.

3- “Adab” or dicipline and politness…..Although the dog is an agressive animal and has a strong desire to eat its prey especially at time of hunger, however, out of faithfulness and politness, it can’t eat the prey of its master….why? because it remebers that he is the one who protected it, who gave it food, shelter and took care of it……So how about you son of Adam, can’t you give up some of your desires to please your Lord who created you, protected you, showered His mercy and bounties on you,….??

Thanks our teacher for these valuble lessons.