What is the ruling on eating what is called the saqnaqur?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Noble Shaykh, what is the ruling on eating what is called the saqnaqur?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The saqnaqur.
The Shaykh : The saqnaqur, and what is this?
The questioner : It is a creature found in the sand.
The Shaykh : Yes, it appears to be one of the forbidden insects because it is impure. As the brother mentioned, it is a small creature that burrows into the sand and does not have a known burrow. If a person pursues it, it burrows into the sand. For this reason, some people call it al-dasiyyah (the burrower) because it burrows into the sand. This is among the forbidden things. However, we must know that in what Allah the Exalted has made lawful for us, there is sufficient provision for it. That is, even if someone were to ask, "What is the evidence for its prohibition?" a person would not be able to bring evidence for the prohibition of this specific creature. Perhaps someone might say, "The original ruling is permissibility," as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:29] It would be said: Out of scrupulousness and avoiding doubtful matters, you should leave it and take what Allah has made lawful for you in a way that is free from doubt or ambiguity. We say: Instead of this, seek out the zab (a type of edible insect) and eat it, because the zab is lawful. Yes.
Noble Shaykh, what is the ruling on eating what is called the saqnaqur?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The saqnaqur.
The Shaykh : The saqnaqur, and what is this?
The questioner : It is a creature found in the sand.
The Shaykh : Yes, it appears to be one of the forbidden insects because it is impure. As the brother mentioned, it is a small creature that burrows into the sand and does not have a known burrow. If a person pursues it, it burrows into the sand. For this reason, some people call it al-dasiyyah (the burrower) because it burrows into the sand. This is among the forbidden things. However, we must know that in what Allah the Exalted has made lawful for us, there is sufficient provision for it. That is, even if someone were to ask, "What is the evidence for its prohibition?" a person would not be able to bring evidence for the prohibition of this specific creature. Perhaps someone might say, "The original ruling is permissibility," as Allah the Exalted said: