Nasai

1؎: Ḍabb: The ḍabb is a reptile similar to a lizard, also called "sousmar" (monitor lizard), and "sanda" is also a type of ḍabb, whose oil is extracted and used for the pain of arthritis or as an ointment. This animal is abundant in the region of Najd; due to its absence in Hijaz, the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not eat it, but since it was eaten at the dining spread of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it is therefore lawful (halal). The animal which the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) ate at the dining spread of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is called "ḍabb" in Arabic, and the hadith itself clarifies that it is an animal found in the region of Najd, which is undoubtedly lawful (halal). According to the Hanafi school and the Imami sect among the Shia, eating the meat of the ḍabb is forbidden (haram), and among the Zaydi sect it is considered disliked (makruh), but the correct opinion is that it is lawful (halal).

The animal found in the region of Najd differs in many respects from the ḍabb or sanda found in the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh): The animal called ḍabb is found in the Arabian desert, whereas the ḍabb or sanda found in India is generally found in pastures and areas with water.

- The Najdi ḍabb does not drink water and can remain in its burrow for a long period without eating; sometimes, after a long period of patience, it eats its own offspring, whereas the subcontinental ḍabb is found on the banks of water and drinks plenty of water.
- The Najdi ḍabb is a noble and simple-minded animal, easily hunted, whereas catching the Indian ḍabb is extremely difficult.
- The Indian ḍabb sticks out its tongue and hisses like a snake, whereas the Najdi ḍabb does not do so.
- The skin of the Najdi ḍabb was tanned and used by the Arabs to store ghee, which was called "ḍabbah," whereas such use of the Indian ḍabb's skin has never been heard of, as it is malodorous.

What is the difference between ḍabb and waral? In the Arabian desert, there is an animal similar to the ḍabb but larger, found in sandy and desert areas, called "waral." In Taj al-‘Arus it is stated: Waral is a reptile like the ḍabb, created in the form of the ḍabb, except that it is larger, found in sandy and desert areas, a large lizard-shaped animal with a long tail and a small head. Azhari says: "Waral is a well-built animal with a long tail, as if its tail is like that of a snake; sometimes its tail is more than two cubits long, while the ḍabb's tail is knotted and at most a span long. The Arabs consider the waral to be foul and detest it, so they do not eat it, whereas they are eager and fond of hunting and eating the ḍabb. The ḍabb's tail is rough, hard, and knotted, its color is greenish-yellow, and the ḍabb itself is dusty-blackish; when it becomes fat, its chest turns yellow. It eats only locusts, small insects, and green grass, and does not eat poisonous creatures like snakes, etc., whereas the waral eats scorpions, snakes, chameleons, and dung beetles. The meat of the waral is very hot (in temperament), is an antidote, and greatly increases body mass, which is why women use it, and its dung (used as kohl) sharpens the eyesight, and massaging with its fat thickens the male organ (see: Taj al-‘Arus, entry "waral," and Lisan al-‘Arab).

Due to the above differences, there is a clear distinction between the Najdi ḍabb and waral and the animal found in India called ḍabb or sanda. Nevertheless, eating the Najdi ḍabb is, according to the Prophetic hadiths and the custom of the Muslims of that region, lawful (halal), and there is no aspect of repugnance or dislike in it. As for the issue of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the Indian ḍabb, its decision should be made in light of the aforementioned differences. If the Indian ḍabb eats filth, and due to this filth its meat or body emits a foul odor, then this is a matter for scholars to consider. When the meat of cows, goats, and chickens is affected by eating filth, their consumption is prohibited; this is termed "jallalah" in technical language. Thus, any animal that eats filth, whether it is a ḍabb or any other, will also be unlawful (haram). However, the ḍabb found in the desert regions of the subcontinent will have the same ruling as the Najdi ḍabb.

Regarding ḍabb and waral, I asked my friend Dr. Muhammad Ahmad al-Manea, Professor at King Saud University, Riyadh, who teaches at the College of Agriculture and Food and is familiar with the animals of the Najd desert, and he wrote the following brief details: The animal called Najdi ḍabb is eaten, and "waral" is not eaten. The ḍabb is easily hunted, while hunting the waral is difficult. The ḍabb eats grass, and the waral eats meat. The ḍabb is not a predatory animal, whereas the waral is predatory. The ḍabb has only one color, and the waral is striped. The ḍabb's skin is rough, and the waral's skin is soft. The ḍabb's head is broad, and the waral's head is tail-like. The ḍabb's neck is short, and the waral's neck is long. The ḍabb's tail is short, and the waral's tail is long. The ḍabb is rough and spiny, and the waral is soft. The ḍabb defends itself with its tail, and the waral also defends itself with its tail and also hunts with it. The ḍabb does not eat meat at all, whereas the waral eats ḍabb and chameleons. The ḍabb is a fast animal, and the waral is even faster. The ḍabb does not have the quality of aggression, whereas the waral does; it bites with its teeth and attacks with its tail and hands. The ḍabb, when necessary, defends itself by biting, scratching with its hands, or striking with its tail, and the waral does the same. The ḍabb does not have canine teeth, whereas the waral does. The ḍabb is lawful (halal), and the waral is unlawful (haram). It is also said about the waral that it is a poisonous animal.

The purpose of this detail regarding the Arabian ḍabb, waral, and the Indian ḍabb or sanda is only to clarify the correct situation regarding this animal. In the Hanafi school, the sacrifice of the buffalo is permissible, and according to other jurists as well, its sacrifice is permissible on the basis that it is a type of cow, whereas it is well-known and observed that the cow does not go into water, while the buffalo is an animal that loves water and mud, and when it enters a pond, it is difficult to get it out. If the jurists have permitted the sacrifice of the buffalo by analogy with the cow, then, similarly, without considering some differences in the ḍabb, the animals of this genus should be considered lawful. The people of knowledge should consider this issue in the light of the Shari‘ah texts, setting aside narrow fiqh positions, and should properly understand the perspective of the practitioners of hadith.

There are many types of ḍabb, and it is possible that many things are common among them, such as its benefit for sexual strength, the medicinal benefits of its fat, etc.

Hakim Muzaffar Husain Awan writes about the ḍabb: "It is a wild animal like a mongoose, with a hard and short tail, and a body the size of a cat. Its claws have such a strong grip that it clings to a wall. Its color is yellowish-black, temperament hot and dry in the third degree... Shoes are made from its skin." (Kitab al-Mufradat: 427). It is clear that this is the description of the animal found in the subcontinent.

One type of ḍabb is the sanda, about which Hakim Muzaffar Husain Awan writes: "It is a well-known animal, resembling a chameleon or squirrel but larger. Its fat and oil are used as medicine. Its temperament is hot and moist in the first degree. Its actions and uses are as a tonic, absorber of moisture, enhancer of the male organ, and aphrodisiac." (Kitab al-Mufradat: page 275)