عَنْ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ ، قَالَ: ثِنْتَانِ حَفِظْتُهُمَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قال: «إِنَّ اللهَ كَتَبَ الْإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، فَإِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ، وَإِذَا ذَبَحْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الذَّبْحَ، وَلْيُحِدَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَفْرَتَهُ، فَلْيُرِحْ ذَبِيحَتَهُ».
Shaddād ibn Aws said: I memorized two qualities from God’s Messenger (peace be upon him); he said:
1. God has certainly prescribed proficiency in all things.
2. Therefore, when you kill, kill well;
3. and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each of you sharpen his blade and place his animal comfortably’.
Abu YaꜤlā Shaddād ibn Aws ibn Thābit ibn al-Mundhir of the Anṣār was one of the distinguished scholars among the Prophet’s companions. ꜤUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit said: ‘Shaddād ibn Aws was one endowed with scholarly knowledge and good tolerance’. Abu al-Dardāʼ said: ‘God, Mighty and Exalted, may give someone knowledge but does not grant him forbearance; or He may give him forbearance but grant him little knowledge. However, Abu YaꜤlā Shaddād ibn Aws was one to whom God granted good knowledge and fine forbearance’. He lived in the city of Homs in Syria, where ꜤUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb appointed him governor. When ꜤUthmān ibn ꜤAffān was killed, he relinquished his post. He was very devoted and God-fearing. He died in Palestine in Year 58 AH 678 CE. He was 75 years of age.
