Foods in Islam

Foods in Islam

Introduction:

Allah has created man, put him on the earth, and found nourishment for him with its all required elements as animals and birds. Allah has made all things on the earth, which make man healthy, lawful to him.

All dead creatures are impure, so it is prohibited to eat them, except fish and locusts.

God says ﴾Prohibited to you are dead creatures, blood﴿  

Chapter of the Table

The blood prohibited in the previous verse is the liquid blood.

●It was narrated from Abd Allah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 

“Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood have been permitted to us. The two kinds of dead meat are fish and locusts, and the two kinds of blood are the liver and spleen.”

Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah.  Book 29, Hadith 3439

●Ibn Abi Aufa reported: We went on seven expeditions with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and ate locusts.

Reference: Sahih Muslim.  Book 34, Hadith 74

◊All animals are pure except dogs and pigs and things result from them.

●It was narrated from Motraf ibn Abd-Allah (May Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, 

“When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.”

Reference: Sunan An-Nasa'i. Book 2, Hadith 12

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet   ﷺ said: 

“If somebody keeps a dog, he will lose one Qirat (carat of the reward) of his good deeds every day, except if he keeps it for guarding the fields or the herd.”

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari.  Book 41, Hadith 3

●Jabir ibn Abd-Allah reported: I heard Allah’s Apostle ﷺ, in the year of the Conquest of Makkah, saying: 

“Allah and His Apostle prohibited the trade of alcohol, dead animals, pigs, and idols.”

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari.  Book 34, Hadith 182

Lawful (Halal) animals and birds

□Cattle’s meat like camels, cows, and sheep.                                     □Antelopes (oryx).   

□Zebra.                                                  

□Buffalo.                                     

□Gazelles.

God says ﴾And the grazing livestock He has created for you, in them is warmth and benefits, and from them you eat﴿ 

Chapter of Bees. Verse NO 5

□Rabbits and poultry meat.                   

□Crane meat.                             

□Marine animals.

God says ﴾Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers, but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of consecration (Ihraam)﴿ Chapter of the Table. Verse NO 96

۞There are two opinions about horse meat:

a)    It is legal.

●Asma' reported: We slaughtered a horse and ate it during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger.

Reference: Sahih Muslim.  Book 34, Hadith 54

●Jabir reported: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ allowed us to eat the flesh of horses but he forbade the flesh of donkeys.

Reference: Sunan An-Nasa'i. Book 42, Hadith 66

b)   It is prohibited.

God says ﴾And [He created] the horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know﴿ 

Chapter of Bees. Verse NO 8

The verse has mentioned horses along with mules and donkeys which are prohibited to eat.

۞A Muslim can eat from the food of the Jews and the Christians unless he thinks that it contains something prohibited like pork fat.

God says ﴾This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them﴿ 

Chapter of the Table. Verse NO 5

─ As for their slaughtered animals upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned:

●'A'ishah reported: 

They (the people) said: “O Messenger of Allah! There are people here, recent converts from polytheism, who bring us meat and we do not know whether or not they mentioned Allah’s name over it.” 

The Messenger ﷺ said: “Mention Allah’s name and eat.”

Reference: Sunan Abi-Daoud. Book 16, Hadith 42

Prohibited (Haraam) animals and birds

□Any animal with fangs: 

a lion, a tiger, a wolf, a fox, a bear, a cheetah, a monkey, a dog, a weasel, a mouse, a cat, a bat, a snake, a lizard, an elephant, a rhino, etc.

□Domestic donkeys.

□Mule meat is prohibited because it is the offspring of male donkey and female horse.

●Abu Mas'ud AL-Ansari reported: Allah’s Apostle prohibited taking the price of a dog, the earnings of a prostitute, and the money given to a fortune-teller.”

Reference: Sahih AL-Bukhari.  Book 76, Hadith 75

●'Ali ibn Abi-Talib reported: Allah’s Messenger, on the Day of Khaibar forbade temporary marriage and eating the flesh of domestic donkeys.

Reference: Sahih Muslim.  Book 16, Hadith 38

□Any bird with talons: a falcon, an eagle, a kite, an owl, a crow, etc.

●Jabir reported: On the Day of Khaibar, the Messenger of Alllah prohibited eating domestic donkeys, the meat of mules, every predator that has fangs, and every bird that has talons.

Reference: Jami' At-Tirmidhi.  Book 18, Hadith 18

□Whatever can live both on the land and in the sea (amphibians) as crocodiles, hippos, frogs, turtles, etc.

□Insects like cockroaches, beetles, ants, bees, flies, mosquitoes, and worms.

□It is prohibited to eat any bird or animal that is not slaughtered according to Islamic law, i.e., not slaughtered by cutting the two jugular veins, the pharynx, and the esophagus.

□It is prohibited to eat any animal or bird, if it is given electric shocks or if its neck is cut, because the neck cutting does not give the body a chance to pump its content of blood.

□It is prohibited to eat any animal or bird that runs into one of the cases mentioned in the following verse

﴾Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death],﴿

Chapter of the Table. Verse NO 3

◊ Some may wonder: Christians eat pigs, the Chinese eat monkeys, and the Koreans eat dogs, so why does Islam forbid eating them?

The answer: ﴾And whatever the Messenger has given you ─ take, and what he has forbidden you ─ refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty﴿ 

Chapter of the Gathering. Verse NO 7

﴾The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, “We hear and we obey.” And those are the successful﴿ 

Chapter of Light. Verse NO 51

Allah is not obliged to present an explanatory note for everything that He orders us to do.

۞Allah is Merciful to His servants

The coerced hungry person who is about to die, in a desert or in a starvation, can eat an amount of a prohibited food that only keeps him alive, i.e., he does not eat too much of it. Necessity knows no laws.

God says ﴾But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin ─ then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful﴿ 

Chapter of the Table. Verse NO 3

۞The best sugary foods for healthy people

The Prophet ﷺ repeatedly mentioned in his traditions honey, dates, milk, and other foods which were available in that age.

●'A'ishah reported: The Messenger ﷺ used to like sweets and honey.

Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah. Book 29, Hadith 3448

●It was narrated from 'A'ishah that Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, 

“A family which has dates will not be hungry.”

Reference: Sahih Muslim. Book 36, Hadith 210

●It was narrated from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that the Prophet ﷺ said, 

“He who eats seven ('Ajwa) dates every morning, poison and magic will not harm him on that day.”

Reference: Sahih Muslim. Book 36, Hadith 213

●It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is nothing that suffices in the place of food and drink except for milk.”

Reference: Jami' At-Tirmidhi. Book 48, Hadith 86 

●'A'ishah reported: When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ died, we were satisfied by the two black things, i.e., dates and water.

Reference: Sahih AL-Bukhari. Book 70, Hadith 71

●Abu Sa'id AL-Khudri reported: 

A person came to Allah’s Apostle and told him that his brother’s bowels were loose. 

Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Give him honey.” 

So he gave him it and then came and said, “I gave him honey but it has only made his bowels more loose.” He said this three times. 

On the fourth time, the Prophet said, “Give him honey.” 

He said, “I did give him, but it has only made his bowels more loose”, whereupon Allah’s Messenger said, “Allah has spoken the truth and your brother’s bowels are in the wrong.” 

So he made him drink (honey) and he was recovered.

Reference: Sahih Muslim. Book 39, Hadith 122

Note: It is normal that honey causes the bowels to be more loose at first to get rid of the harmful things, then it treats the bowels.

People’s characters vary in accepting or refusing some foods:

●Abu-Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never found fault with food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat it; and if he disliked it, he would leave it.

Reference: Riyad As-Saaliheen. Book 3, Hadith 736    [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

●It was narrated from Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said,          

“He who has eaten onion or garlic or leek should not approach our mosque, because the angels are also offended by (the strong smells) that offend the children of Adam.”

 Reference: Riyad As-Saaaliheen. Book 18, Hadith 1703

●Jabir ibn Samurah reported: 

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was staying with Abu-Ayyub. When he ate some food, he would send what was left to him. 

So one day he sent him some food but the Prophet did not eat from it. 

So Abu-Ayyub went to the Prophet and mentioned that to him. 

The Prophet said, “It contained garlic.” 

So he said, “O Messenger of Allah! Is it unlawful?” He said, “No, I dislike it because of its odor.”

Reference: Jami' At-Tirmidhi. Book 25, Hadith 21


See also
Some of Islamic guidelines on foods and drinks