Page 122 - Arabian Studies (II)

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114 Arabian Studies II

words for everyday things as in the English ‘sail’ for a hawk’s wing.
We question the usefulness of underlining the well-documented
pragmatism of the Arab by pointing out that a mews is bayt al-tuyur.
Those Arabic terms which we have listed are those understood by all
falconers of the Peninsula. For each there may be many local
variants, and ours are not the definitive or only acceptable words.
They are few in number because it has been our experience that the
bedouin have not listed every feature of the hawk and its training
with a term, as has been done in the West. We have only recorded
what we know to be current.
The harsh conditions of the true bedouin existence have not
permitted the sophistication of hunting as a sport in the exact sense
of the word. The style of the flight is important, but in the last
analysis, the fruit of it is more so. Thus the very exhilarating flight of
the merlin at the lark — both birds are found in the desert — has
never been exploited because the returns are not, for the hunter,
adequate.

Legal Problems in Islam Concerning Hunting

It is made clear in the Qur’an, V.4/5,11 that dogs are permitted for
use in hunting.
‘They ask you [the Prophet] what has been made lawful to them;
say, Good things have been made lawful for you, also what predators
you have trained as hounds; you train them in part what God has
trained you, so eat what they catch for you, mentioning God’s name
over it.. .’ On the other hand, it is made equally clear that neither
carrion nor the blood of any animal can be lav/ful fare. The Qur’an,
V.3/4, reads: ‘Forbidden to you are anything dead and the blood (of
an animal).. ..’ To be precise, any flesh is unlawful if the animal has
not had its throat cut in the correct manner. The pronouncement
must be made: ‘In the name of God; God is greatest’, as the knife
I ; cuts the throat flush to the jaws of the victim. The carotid artery, the
jugular vein, the oesophagus and the trachea must all be severed. 1 2
But both the hawk and the hound can despatch some of their
victims - for example, the hare - in an instant and this meant
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something of a problem for the hunters of the early Islamic
community. The following are some questions and answers on this
subject taken from the Hadith literature. The Prophet was ques­
tioned about hunting with dogs. His answer was: ‘Whatever it takes
for you, eat. But if you find another dog with your own and you are
afraid that it has assisted in killing the game, then do not eat it. You
mentioned God’s name only over your own dog, not over any