Explanation of the Book of Foods-07b
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The reader: Abu al-Walid narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us from Abu Ya'fur, who said: I heard Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with them both) say:
The Shaykh : That means, without a doubt, they ate locusts. But how are locusts eaten? Locusts do not require ritual slaughter, because the purpose of ritual slaughter is the flow of blood, and locusts do not have blood. For this reason, if you find one dead, it is permissible for you to eat it. But how is it slaughtered? We say it is roasted, or placed in boiling water and then eaten.
The student: Is it put in the refrigerator?
The Shaykh : The refrigerator? And it dies?
The student: In the oven, is that okay?
The Shaykh : In the hot oven.
The reader: They put it in, then they add salt and water after it comes out of the oven, and that is better.
The Shaykh : No, the refrigerator. It appears that it causes it pain and tortures it in its death.
The reader: It was mentioned to us previously that if he puts it in hot water...
The Shaykh : But in hot water, it dies quickly. It must be water that boils strongly; do not leave it in hot water where it suffers in its death. As for the matter of the refrigerator and the freezer, it appears that it is harmed. Cutting off the head is not an option; if its head is cut off, what comes out? If you cut off its head, there is no blood. No, no, if you cut off its head, it does not die. Cut off its head today, and come back tomorrow, and you will find it moving; it does not die. No, no, I mean, even if the quantity is, suppose, not available, although it is available, but if you cut off its head, it does not die at all. As long as it has softness and moisture, it is alive. If it has no head, when it dries out, it dies. No, it is not permissible to torture it.Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1409Sahih (Darussalam)
We went on seven or six expeditions with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and we used to eat locusts with him. Sufyan said, and Abu 'Uwanah and Isra'il from Abu Ya'fur from Ibn Abi Awfa: seven expeditions.
غزونا مع النبي سبع غزوات أو ستاً كنا نأكل معه الجراد قال سفيان وأبو عوانة وإسرائيل عن أبي يعفور عن ابن أبي أوفى سبع غزواتThe Shaykh : That means, without a doubt, they ate locusts. But how are locusts eaten? Locusts do not require ritual slaughter, because the purpose of ritual slaughter is the flow of blood, and locusts do not have blood. For this reason, if you find one dead, it is permissible for you to eat it. But how is it slaughtered? We say it is roasted, or placed in boiling water and then eaten.
The student: Is it put in the refrigerator?
The Shaykh : The refrigerator? And it dies?
The student: In the oven, is that okay?
The Shaykh : In the hot oven.
The reader: They put it in, then they add salt and water after it comes out of the oven, and that is better.
The Shaykh : No, the refrigerator. It appears that it causes it pain and tortures it in its death.
The reader: It was mentioned to us previously that if he puts it in hot water...
The Shaykh : But in hot water, it dies quickly. It must be water that boils strongly; do not leave it in hot water where it suffers in its death. As for the matter of the refrigerator and the freezer, it appears that it is harmed. Cutting off the head is not an option; if its head is cut off, what comes out? If you cut off its head, there is no blood. No, no, if you cut off its head, it does not die. Cut off its head today, and come back tomorrow, and you will find it moving; it does not die. No, no, I mean, even if the quantity is, suppose, not available, although it is available, but if you cut off its head, it does not die at all. As long as it has softness and moisture, it is alive. If it has no head, when it dries out, it dies. No, it is not permissible to torture it.