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Fatwa CenterReciting Quran when slaughtering is not in accord with the Sunnah
Question
ASSALAMUALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAHI WA BARKATHU RESPECTED SIR 1.PLEASE EXPLAIN SAHI AL BUKHARI VOL-6 HADITH NO:207. 2. ON THE OCCASION OF EID AL ADHA I PLAN TO SACRIFICE 5 SHEEP . BEFORE THE CUTTING OF SHEEP THROAT WE READ SOME QURAN VERSE SO FOR EVERY SHEEP I HAVE TO READ THE QURAN VERSES OF I READ IT ONCE ITS ENOUGH PLEASE EXPLAIN.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
We would have liked for you to have mentioned to us the wording of the Hadeeth which you referred to in the question, or at least part of it, so that we could know exactly which Hadeeth you are referring to. The numbering of the Hadeeth which you mentioned is not enough to exactly find out which one, because the numbering varies from one copy to another as known.
Nonetheless, you may be referring to the Hadeeth which reads: “The believer gets closer (another narration reads, “one of you will come close”) to his Lord until He covers him in His screen and says: ‘Did you commit such-and-such sin?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ Then Allaah will say: ‘Did you commit such and such sin?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ So Allaah will make him confess (all his sins) and He will say, ‘I screened them (your sins) for you in the world, and today I forgive you of them.’ Then the book of his deeds will be folded. As to the others, or the disbelievers, they will be called in front of all the witnesses {"These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Unquestionably, the curse of Allaah is upon the wrongdoers.}[Quran 11:18] ”
If you are referring to this Hadeeth, it means that Allaah brings His slave close to Him on the Day of Resurrection until He covers him, that is, he conceals him from the sights and makes him confess his sins that he committed in this world and which Allaah concealed for him and no one else came to know about them. The believer confesses and admits them, then Allaah informs him that it is He Who concealed them for him in this world, and He neither exposed him nor disclosed his sins to people, and so, Allaah will forgive him of them on the Day of Resurrection and He will not punish him. Then he will be given the register of his good deeds or his book in his right hand, as in some narrations in Hadeeth books by other than Al-Bukhari. As regards the disbelievers, Allaah will not conceal their sins; rather, he will expose them and they will be called in front of all witnesses {"These are the ones who lied against their Lord." Unquestionably, the curse of Allaah is upon the wrongdoers.} [Quran 11:18]
For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 129805.
With regard to reading some verses when slaughtering, it is not in accordance with the Sunnah to read any verses of the Quran when slaughtering, not when slaughtering the first sheep or any other. It was neither reported about the Prophet 
nor his Companions that they recited verses from the Quran when slaughtering; but what was reported is saying Bismillaah and Allaahu Akbar (in the Name of Allaah and Allaah is greatest) as in the Hadeeth by Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah who said: “I witnessed with the Prophet the Adh-ha ‘Eed in the Musalla (prayer-place outside the built-up area), and when he finished his sermon, he came down from his pulpit and brought a ram and slaughtered it with his own hand and he said: ‘Bismillaah wa-llaahu Akbar’.This is on my behalf and on behalf of whoever did not sacrifice from my people.” [Abu Daawood and at-Tirmithi]
Also, Imaam Maalik reported in his Muwatta’ that when ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar cut his sacrificial animal (camel) on its hump, he said, ‘Bismillaah wa-llaahu Akbar.’
Therefore, it is not legislated, dear brother, to recite the Quran when slaughtering; it is sufficient for you to abide by the Sunnah as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever performs an act which is not in accordance with ours (our religion), it will be rejected from him.” [Muslim]
Allaah Knows best.
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