Is there a legal rule to rely on in permitting and forbidding animals, since the Qur'an and Sunnah have not clarified all animals, and is analogy by similarity considered in this matter or not?
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The questioner : He asks: Is there a legal rule to rely on in forbidding and permitting the eating of animals? The Qur'an and Sunnah have not clarified every animal. There are domesticated animals that are forbidden and some that are lawful, and the same applies to wild animals. If there is a rule or characteristics for the forbidden and the lawful, please explain them so that we may be on clear knowledge. Is analogy by similarity considered in this matter or not?
The Shaykh : The truth is that this question, and his statement that the Book and the Sunnah have not clarified this, is an error on his part. The correct view is that it has not become clear to him from the Book and the Sunnah. As for the Book and the Sunnah, Allah has clarified them; He has clarified everything in them. The Qur'an, as Allah said about it,[An-Nahl 16:89] and the Sunnah: belief in it and implementing its rulings is part of belief in the Qur'an. It completes, supplements, and details what is summarized, and explains what is ambiguous. In the Qur'an and the Sunnah there is healing, light, guidance, and straightness for whoever holds fast to them. There is no issue among the issues that occur but the Qur'an and the Sunnah contain its solution and clarification. However, some of it is clarified by specific designation, and some is clarified by general rules and guidelines. People differ greatly in this; they differ in knowledge and in understanding, just as they differ in their perception of what is in the Qur'an and the Sunnah according to the faith and piety they possess. The stronger the faith in Allah the Exalted, and the acceptance of what He brought in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and the piety to Allah the Exalted in obeying Him, the stronger the knowledge of the rulings in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. I say from this pulpit that the Qur'an and the Sunnah contain knowledge, guidance, light, and the solution to all problems, and that their system and methodology is the most complete system, the most beneficial, and the best for the servants. And he errs manifestly who turns to human-made systems and laws that err often, and if they happen to be correct, it is only because they agree with the Book and the Sunnah.
And I say to this brother that there are guidelines for what is forbidden. I say that the original ruling for everything Allah the Exalted created on this earth is that it is lawful for us, whether animal or inanimate, due to His saying the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:29] This is general; He created it for us for our benefits, whether for eating, drinking, clothing, or use, within the limits set by Allah and His Messenger. This is a comprehensive general rule taken from the Book, and also from the Sunnah, where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 3800Sahih in chain (Al-Albani) And so, let us now look at the forbidden things. Among them are dead animals, due to His saying the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:173] Among them is flowing blood, due to His saying the Exalted: [Al-An'am 6:145] Among them is the flesh of the pig, due to His saying the Exalted in this verse: [Al-An'am 6:145] These three are forbidden because they are abomination. Indeed, His saying: means this forbidden thing that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) found: The pronoun does not refer only to the flesh of the pig, as some scholars said, because the exception: [Al-An'am 6:145] means that food: [Al-An'am 6:145] .
Among them are domesticated donkeys. This is established in the two Sahihs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he ordered Abu Talhah to call out: "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger forbid you the flesh of domesticated donkeys, for they are abomination". And among them is every fanged predator, meaning everything that has fangs among predators with which it seizes, such as the wolf, the dog, and the like, for it is forbidden.
Among them is every taloned bird of prey, such as the falcon, the eagle, the hawk, and the like.
Among them is what is born from the edible and the non-edible, such as the mule. The mule is born from the donkey when it mounts the horse, the female of the horses. The horses are permissible and the donkeys are forbidden, so when it is born from the edible and the non-edible, the side of prohibition prevails, so it is forbidden. These issues exist, praise be to Allah, in the Sunnah in detail, and also in the words of the scholars. The matter is clear. If the matter is difficult for you, return to the basic rule we mentioned before, which is that the original ruling is permissibility, due to His saying the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:29] As for similarity, some scholars resorted to it and said that if we do not know the ruling of this animal, whether it is forbidden or not, we attach its ruling to what it resembles. But the apparent evidence indicates that the forbidden is known by its type or by the guidelines we mentioned, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade every fanged predator and every taloned bird.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The truth is that this question, and his statement that the Book and the Sunnah have not clarified this, is an error on his part. The correct view is that it has not become clear to him from the Book and the Sunnah. As for the Book and the Sunnah, Allah has clarified them; He has clarified everything in them. The Qur'an, as Allah said about it,
as clarification for all things
تبياناً لكل شيءAnd I say to this brother that there are guidelines for what is forbidden. I say that the original ruling for everything Allah the Exalted created on this earth is that it is lawful for us, whether animal or inanimate, due to His saying the Exalted:
It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth
هو الذي خلق لكم ما في الأرض جميعاand what he said nothing about is allowable
وما سكت عنه فهو عفوHe has only forbidden to you dead animals
إنما حرم عليكم الميتةSay, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out
قل لا أجد في ما أوحي إلي محرما على طاعم يطعمه إلا أن يكون ميتة أو دماً مسفوحاًor the flesh of swine
أو لحم خنزيرfor it is
فإنهdefilement
رجسSay, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."
إلا أن يكونa dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed,
ميتة أو دماً مسفوحاً أو لحم خنزير فإنهdefilement
رجسAmong them are domesticated donkeys. This is established in the two Sahihs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he ordered Abu Talhah to call out: "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger forbid you the flesh of domesticated donkeys, for they are abomination". And among them is every fanged predator, meaning everything that has fangs among predators with which it seizes, such as the wolf, the dog, and the like, for it is forbidden.
Among them is every taloned bird of prey, such as the falcon, the eagle, the hawk, and the like.
Among them is what is born from the edible and the non-edible, such as the mule. The mule is born from the donkey when it mounts the horse, the female of the horses. The horses are permissible and the donkeys are forbidden, so when it is born from the edible and the non-edible, the side of prohibition prevails, so it is forbidden. These issues exist, praise be to Allah, in the Sunnah in detail, and also in the words of the scholars. The matter is clear. If the matter is difficult for you, return to the basic rule we mentioned before, which is that the original ruling is permissibility, due to His saying the Exalted:
It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth
هو الذي خلق لكم ما في الأرض جميعاThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.