Muhammad Mutilated Animals and Garlanded Them with Shoes

When creating his new religion, Muhammad borrowed heavily from Judaism, but to win over the pagan Arabs, he also incorporated Hajj rituals into Islamic Sharia.

Hajj wasn’t just about animal sacrifice. There were other practices too:

• Cutting the humps of camels
• Smearing blood on them
• Hanging strings of shoes around their necks

These were pure pre-Islamic pagan Arab customs. Muhammad made them part of Islamic Sharia.

Sahih Muslim 1243a Ibn Abbas reported: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr at Dhul-Hulaifa, then called for his she-camel, made a cut on the right side of its hump, removed the blood, and tied two sandals around its neck. Then he mounted his camel…

So:

• Hump cut
• Blood smeared
• Two shoes tied around the neck

Is hanging shoes around an animal’s neck not an act of ignorance? Why would Allah – the creator of the entire universe – want sacrificial animals decorated with footwear?

And what kind of “wisdom” is it to injure a living creature and call it a religious symbol?

These practices were so devoid of sense that today most Muslims have abandoned them – even though they are an established Sunnah of the Prophet.

Even the great scholar Imam Abu Hanifa rejected this practice of Muhammad, calling it mutilation (مثلة / mathla) of animals.

Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 906 (Sahih – Darussalam) The Prophet garlanded sandals and marked the camel on the right side at Dhul-Hulaifa… Imam Wak’i said the Prophet did al-Isha’ar (cutting the hump), but Abu Hanifa said it is mutilation. Wak’i got furious: “I’m telling you the Prophet’s Sunnah and you quote Ibrahim Nakhi’i? You deserve to be jailed until you abandon this view!”

Muwatta Imam Malik Abdullah ibn Umar would say “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” while cutting the hump.

The Prophet’s wives themselves used to make garlands of shoes.

Sahih Muslim Aisha said: “I used to weave garlands for the sacrificial animals of Allah’s Messenger…”

Sahih Bukhari 1702 Aisha: “I used to make garlands for the Prophet’s sheep too.”

Today’s Muslims Are Ashamed

These acts are so shameful that modern Muslims have quietly dropped them – despite them being authentic Sunnah.

Apologists’ Excuse: “It Was for Identification”

They claim:

• Cutting the hump and smearing blood was to identify sacrificial animals.
• Shoe garlands were also for identification.

Answer:

• Sheep and goats were not mutilated – only given shoe garlands. So why mutilate camels when a garland was enough?
• Henna or any color could have been used for identification.
• Hanging shoes around the neck was humiliation, not identification.

Second Excuse: “Cutting the hump didn’t hurt”

They compare it to ear-tagging or hot-iron branding in the West.

Answer:

• Ear-piercing causes minimal pain.
• Hot-iron branding is painful and banned in New Zealand; in Europe only allowed with painkillers – and being phased out.
• Cutting a camel’s hump causes intense pain – that’s why Abu Hanifa and Ibrahim Nakhi’i called it mutilation.

Taking Animals 500 km Was Also Cruelty

From Medina to Mecca – 500 km. Thousands of animals were driven. Hundreds died on the way from lack of water and fodder. As Hajj grew, animals came from Africa, Iran, Central Asia – thousands died en route.

Before Prophethood, Muhammad Sacrificed to Idols

Sahih Bukhari Zaid bin Amr refused meat sacrificed by Muhammad, saying: “I do not eat what you slaughter on your stone altars.”

Conclusion

• Cutting humps
• Smearing blood
• Hanging shoes around necks These were pre-Islamic pagan rituals Muhammad turned them into Sunnah Abu Hanifa rightly called it mutilation

These are not commandments from Allah – they are cruel customs from the Age of Ignorance that Muhammad kept alive.

Even today’s Muslims have abandoned them out of shame.