Meat being halal when hunting with guns.
Q. I would like to know when hunting with guns, if the animal is shot and killed or just shot, is this permissible and is the meat of the animal halal by just saying Bismillah before shooting? If not, how can the animal’s meat be considered as being halal?
A. In the case mentioned, it is not permissible to say ‘Bismillah’ before shooting. If this is done and the animal is shot and killed, then it will not be halal.
In order that the animal’s meat be halal, one can shoot the animal with the intention of not killing (the animal). When the animal falls/is stopped, a Muslim should say Bismillah and slaughter the animal by cutting the required vessels in the throat. The animal however, must be alive at the time of cutting the vessels of the throat. In this way, the meat will be halal.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan