Islamset - Consumption of Meat: Forbidden meat, Animals whose meat is permissible for consumption, Meat permitted by the majority of jurists,

Health

Islamic

Perspective

[Contents ]-[ Foreword ]-[ Terms ]-[ General principles ]-[ Methods of slaughter]
[ Consumption of meat ]-[ Stunning of animals ]-[ Stunning and pain ]

Islamic Ruling on the Consumption of Meat (1)

Forbidden meat

Meat which is indisputably forbidden

Pigs meat(2,3).
Meat of dead animals (mayta)(2,3), i.e. that have died a natural death and were not slaughtered using the Islamic method. This category includes parts cut off prior to proper slaughter or after slaughter but before complete death(4).
Spilt blood (damm)(5,6) which is shed from the animal as a result of slaughter
or Injury .
Animals over whose slaughter another name, other than God's was invoked
(lam yuzakar ismul-Lahi alayh)(5,6), such a.s names of idols or other deities.

Strangled or suffocated animals (munkhaniqa)(6), whether the strangulation is self-inflicted or caused by an external agent.
Animals killed as a result of beating (mawquza)(6) or being struck with a heavy object, such as a piece of iron, lead or stone (with the exception of game animals and birds which are hunted using arrows, bullets and the like).

Animals killed due to falling from a height (mutaraddiya)(6) or into a pit or ditch or the like.
Animals killed as a result of being butted (natiha)(6) or rammed (by other animals) .
Animals (other than game animals or birds) killed, and partly devoured, by beasts or birds of prey (ma akala assabuu)(6).
Animals sacrificed to idols or dedicated t:o someone or something other than God (ma zubiha 'ala annusub)(6).
Animals slaughtered by polytheists, agnostics, atheists, Magians, apostates or other non-believers. Excepted are those slaughtered by Jews and Christians(7).
All harmful meat(8).

In all of the above cases, prohibition applies to all parts and derivatives of the animal, such as fat, suet and bone.

Meat held to beforbidden by the majority of Muslim jurists

Mules and domestic donkeys(9).
Predatory animals including canines(10), suc:h as lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, leopards cheetahs, bears, dogs and cats. The imam Malik, however, is of the opinion that eating the flesh of these animals is censurable (makrou,h) rather than forbidden(11).
Birds of prey(10), such as hawks, falcons, vultures, eagles, sparrowhawks, peregrines and the like. The imam Malik takes the opposite view and allows eating the meat of these birds(11).
Pests such as mice, scorpions and beetles(12). The Imams Malik and al-Awzaie, however, are of the opinion that eating the meat of these animals is merely censurable(11).
Elephants, though some jurists consider eating elephant meat permissible.

Animals whose meat is permissible for consumption

Animals on which there is unanimity

Sheep, goats, camels, buffaloes(13) and all non-predatory terrestrial animals, whether domesticated, such as deer and bison, or non-domesticated, such as hedgehogs and moles, as well as domesticated fowl, such as pigeons, hens, turkeys, ducks and all non-predatory birds, such as sparrows, provided they are hunted or slaughtered using an approved method, as outlined earlier.
Fish and locusts(14).
Animals killed following strangulation ( or suffocation), beating, falling, butting (or ramming) or devouring by predatory beasts, and that have been slaughtered, using an approved method, while still alive(15).
All types of meat a Muslim is compelled to eat in order to survive, provided that the amount consumed is the minimum needed to sustain life(16).
All the insides of a slaughtered animal, including a foetus that has developed flesh(17). If the foetus is found to be still alive, then it should itself be slaughtered using one of the approved methods.
Meat of animals slaughtered by Jews or Christians(18), except for those categorically forbidden per se, such as pigs, or by virtue of their state, such as carrion, or due to a defect in the slaughter method that would render the animal's meat as carrion.

Meat permitted by the majority of jurists

All aquatic animals(19), Hanafi scholars however, prohibit everything other than fish and floating fish, while Hanbali scholars prohibit sharks and porpoises.
Lizard(20).
Horses. The im4m Abu Hanifa and some Maliki scholars considered them merely censurable(21).
Rabbits and hares, Hanafi scholars considered them merely censurable(22).
Hyenas(23).
Amphibians, such as crocodiles, frogs, turtles, seals, crabs, beavers and the like, which some scholars considered permissible, but not others.

Muslims are, therefore, given the choice of following any of those schools, especially when they can support their choice with the required argument.

This section is from report number WHO-EM/FOS/l-A, of the joint Muslim World League World Health Organization meeting on Islamic Requirements for Animal based Foods, held in Jeddah Rabie al-Awwal1406 AH/December 1985.
God says in the Quran: Say [you, Muhammad): lfind nothing in what has been revealed to me that forbids men to eat of any food except carrion, ."pill blood, swine flesh, for these are unclean, or an abomination over which a name other than that of God lu1d been invoked (6:145), and he also says: He [God) has forbidden you carrion, blood, "wine flesh and that (meat) over which a name other than that of God has been invoked. ( 6: 173 )
God says in the Quran: You are forbidden [the consumption) ofcarrion, blood, swineflesh, that [meat) f over which a name other than that of God has been invoked, [the meat of) strangled animals, those that have fallen, been beaten or rammed [or gorged by olher animals) to death, those mangled [or devoured) by beasts ofprey, .\"ave those I-\'hich you ,\"laughter in time; and those sacrificed to idols. (5:3)
God says in the Quran: and once they [,\"laughtered cam�'l.\") have fallen dead on their .\"ides, eat their meat. (22:36) The Prophet (pbuh) said ..Whatever part of an animal is severed while it is still alive is carrion 1 (and therefore not permissible)". (Reported by Abu Dawood and al- Tirmizi.)
God says in the Quran: Say [you. Muhammad]: lfind nothing in what ha.\, been revealed to me that forbids men to eat of any food except carrion, .\,pilt blood. are unclean, or an abomination over which a name other than that of God had been invoked (6: 145), and he also says: He [God] has forbidden you carrion, blood. .\,wine flesh and that [meat] over which a name other than that of God has been invoked. (6: 173)
God says in the Quran: You are forbidden [the coll.umption] of carrion. blood ,wine flesh, that (meat) over which a name other than that of God has been invoked. [the meat of] .\'trangled animal.That have fallen. been beaten or rammed [or gorged by other animal.\] to death, those mangled [or devoured] by beasts of prey. save Iho.\,e which you .\'laughter in tune. and those sacrificed to idols. (5:3)
The Prophet told some of his followers that: .'Once you reach the lands of Nabat in Persia, eat the meat sold by Jews or Christians, but not if the animal has been slaughtered by a Magian"o (Reported by Imam Ahmad.)
God says in the Quran: And do not kill your.\,elve.\� (4:29). The Prophet said: "There shall be no infliction of harm on oneself or others". (Reported by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah.)
Anas ibn Malik was reported as saying that the Prophet one day ordered someone to announce publicly that: "God and His Messenger have forbidden OU the consumption of the flesh of tame donkeys, as it is unclean". On hearing this, people overturned their pots with the meat still cooking in them. (Reported by AI-Bukhari.). There is also the report of Jaber saying: "On the day of [the battle of] Khaybar, we slaughtered horses, mules and donkeys. but thc: Messenger of God forbade us [the meat of] mules and donkeys but not [that of] horses". (Related by Muslim.)
The Prophet said: "[The meat of] all canine animals is forbidden [tor human consumption]". (Reported by Muslim.). He was also said to have lorbidden eating the meat of canines and clawed birds [or birds of prey]. (Reported by Muslim.)
This is because they have not been specifically mentioned among those forbidden animals given in the Quran (6: I 45).
God says in the Quran: And he [ Muhammadl forbid.1" the/11 (1!1 that " foul. (7: 156)
God says in the Quran: [The meat] of[all] beast.l", e)."cefJtfor tho.l"e mentioned herein, ha.1" been made :lawful for you [to eat]. (5:1)
The Prophet said: "Two types of dead meat and two types of blood have been made lawful for your consumption: fish and locust, liver and spleen". (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah,)
God says in the Quran: Excepi that which you slaughter while still alil'e. (5:3)
God says in the Quran: Whosoel'er is forced by hunger, not intending to commit sin, to eat of what is forbidden, will find God forgiving and merciful. (5:3) (od has set out for you in full detail what has been forbidden to you, unless you are compelled thereto. (6: 119) Whoever \, compelled to eat ( forbidden meat) through necessity, neither craving nor tran. 'gressing, slzall incur no offence. (2: I 73)
The Prophet said: "The slaughter of a toetus is achieved through slaughtering its mother". (Reported by AI-Hakim.)
God says in the Quran: The food of the People of the Book Jews and Christians J ha.\, been made lawful ! for you to eat. (5:5)
God says in the Quran: What you catch from the .\'ea and the food it provide.\' have been made lawful unto you, (5:6) When asked about the sea, the Prophet said: "Its water is pure [clean] ana its [dead] creatures are lawful [for consumption]", He was also reported as saying: "Two types of dead meat and two types of blood have been made lawful for your consumption: fish and locust. .."
This is supported by the fact that Khalid ibn al-Walid ate in the presence of the Prophet has reported by all the authoritative reporters of hadith, except AI- Tirmizi.
Jaber reported that: On the day of [the battle of] Khaybar, we slaughtered horses, mules and donkeys, but the Prophet forbade [the meat of] mules and donkeys, but not [that of] horses". (Reported by Muslim.)
Anas ibn Malik was said to have reported that he caught a hare (rabbit) and took it to Abu Talhah who slaughtered it and sent him with a couple or pieces or it to the Prophet who accepted them. (Reported by Muslim.)
When Jaber was asked about eating the meat of the hyena, hie said: "Yes, it is lawful". When asked if it was considered game and whether he had heard it from the Prophet he said: "Yes".