Abu Dawud

The urine of animals whose meat is lawful (makul al-lahm) is pure.

Although the preferred opinion is indeed this, nevertheless, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars on this issue.

(Malikis, Hanbalis) The urine of animals whose meat is lawful (makul al-lahm) is pure. This is also the position of Imam Nakha‘i, Imam Awza‘i, Imam Zuhri, Imam Muhammad, Imam Zufar, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, Imam Ibn Mundhir, and Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahumullah ajma‘in. [المغني 490/12] 1

Their evidences are as follows:

➊ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instructed the ‘Uraniyyin to drink the milk and urine of camels (as a remedy). [بخاري 233] 2

➋ The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam permitted prayer in sheepfolds (even though most of the area there is necessarily contaminated by their urine and feces). [ترمذي 348] 3

➌ There is no cure in unlawful things, as is the statement of Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu that «إن الله لم يجعل شفائكم فيما حرم عليكم» “Indeed, Allah the Exalted has not placed your cure in things He has made unlawful for you.” [بخاري قبل الحديث 5614] 4

And it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that «نهي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن كل دواء خبيث» “The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade every foul medicine (from being used).” [أبوداود 3870] 5

The ‘Uraniyyin used camel urine as a remedy by the command of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and were cured, which is clear evidence of its permissibility and purity, because there is no cure in what is unlawful.

(Shafi‘is, Hanafis) Whether the urine is from an animal or a human, it is absolutely impure and filthy. [الدر المختار 295/1] 6

(Ibn Hajar rahimahullah) He has also transmitted this view from the majority. [فتح الباري 291/1]

Their evidences are as follows:

➊ The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “These two graves are being punished... One of them is being punished because «فكان لا يستتر من البول» he did not protect himself from (the splashes of) urine.” [بخاري 216] 7

The response to this is that the urine mentioned in this hadith refers only to human urine, not to the urine of all animals, as Imam Bukhari rahimahullah writes that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said regarding the person in the grave: “He did not protect himself from his own urine.” And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not mention anything other than human urine. [بخاري قبل الحديث 217] 8

(Preferred Opinion) The position of the Hanbalis and Malikis is preferred, because the default ruling regarding everything is purity, unless there is a legal proof establishing its impurity. [نيل الأوطار 100/1] 9

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1 [المغني 490/12، القوانين الفقهية ص/33، كشاف القناع 220/1، الشرح الصغير 1 /47]

2 [بخاري 233، كتاب الوضوء : باب أبوال الإبل والدواب والغنم، مسلم 1671، أبو داود 4364، نسائي 160/1، ترمذي 72، ابن ماجة 2578، ابن ابي شيبة 75/7، أحمد 107/3، ابن حبان 1386، دارقطني 131/1، بيهقي 4/10]

3 [صحيح : ترمذي 348، كتاب الصلاة : باب ما جاء فى الصلاة فى مرابض الغم . . .، مسلم 817]

4 [بخاري قبل الحديث 5614، كتاب الأشربة : باب شراب الحلواء والغسل]

5 [صحيح : صحيح أبو داود 3278، كتاب الطب : باب الأدوية المكر وهة، أبوداود 3870، ترمذي 2045، ابن ماجة 3459، أحمد 305/2]

6 [فتح القدير 146/1، الدر المختار 295/1، مراقي الفلاح ص/25، مغني المحتاج 79/1، المبسوط۔ 54/1، الهداية 36/1]

7 [بخاري 216، 218 كتاب الوضوء : باب من الكبائر أن لا يستر من بوله، مسلم 292، أبو داود 20، ترمذي 70، نسائي 28/1، ابن ماجة 347، بيهقي 104/1، ابن خزيمة 56، ابن حبان 3118، ابن الجارود 130]

8 [بخاري قبل الحديث 217 كتاب الوضوء : باب ما جاء فى غسل البول]

9 [نيل الأوطار 100/1، الروضة الندية 73/1، فتح الباري 384/1]

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10. It is not correct to declare the urine of all non-makul al-lahm animals as impure

➊ Because there is no clear evidence for this.

➋ And the narration that is presented in this regard: «لا بأس ببول ما أكل لحمه» “There is no harm in the urine of animals whose meat is lawful (makul al-lahm),” is weak and not a valid proof, because in its chain of transmission is Suwar ibn Mus‘ab, who is weak, as Imam Bukhari rahimahullah declared him munkar al-hadith and Imam Nasa’i rahimahullah declared him matruk. [ضعيف : دارقطني 128/1] 1

Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah writes that this report is false and fabricated. [المحلي بالآثار 180/1]

Therefore, the preferred opinion is that one should suffice with certainty only regarding the impurity of human urine and feces. As for the rest of the animals, if there is a clear text establishing the ruling of purity or impurity regarding their urine or feces, then they should be included under that ruling. If no such evidence is found, then returning to the default (purity) is more correct and closer to analogy. [نيل الأوطار 101/1] 2

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1 [ضعيف : دارقطني 128/1، ميزان الاعتدال 246/2]

2 [نيل الأوطار 101/1، السيل الجرار 311/1، الروضة الندية 74/1]

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Benefits and Issues:
By "khabith" (impure), what is meant are prohibited (haram) things; using them for treatment is forbidden (haram).
It should be noted that in the case of the disease of dropsy (istisqa), the urine of camels was prescribed as medicine by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself; therefore, it cannot be counted among impure (khabith) medicines.

Explanation: 1؎:
By "impure medicine" (khabeeth dawa) is meant all those things which are impure (najis), filthy (napaak), and unlawful (haram), and those from which human nature recoils in aversion.