Nasai

Imam al-Nasa'i rahimahullah states that 'Abdah ibn Sulayman has opposed Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah in this narration. The complete clarification of this opposition is present in the next narration. That is, Sufyan, narrating from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, has reported the wording "dhabahna" (we slaughtered), whereas 'Abdah ibn Sulayman has reported the wording "naharna" (we sacrificed by piercing the throat). Furthermore, 'Abdah ibn Sulayman has also added the wording "wa nahnu bil-Madinah" (while we were in Madinah).

(1) The animals that are slaughtered (zabh) can be killed by nahr, and those that are killed by nahr can be slaughtered (zabh) as well.

(2) This hadith clearly shows that the horse is a lawful (halal) animal. Those who have declared it disliked (makruh) have erred; there is no authentic and reliable evidence for its being disliked. The words of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) that “we did this in the blessed time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)” are considered to have the status of a marfu‘ hadith. Similarly, statements such as “it is from the Sunnah to do such-and-such,” or “we were commanded to do this,” or “we were forbidden from this,” or other words of similar meaning—regarding these, the decision of the noble hadith scholars (rahimahumullah) is that their ruling is the same as that of a marfu‘ hadith.

(3) The camel is killed by nahr, and the rest of the animals by slaughter (zabh). The method of slaughter (zabh) is well known; nahr is performed by stabbing a standing animal in the throat with a knife or similar instrument. When the blood has flowed sufficiently, the animal falls down, and then it is slaughtered (zabh). The prescribed (masnun) practice for the camel is nahr; however, in case of necessity, there is no harm in slaughtering (zabh) it as well. In the mentioned hadith, either nahr is used in the meaning of slaughter (zabh), and the Arabs often use one word in place of a similar word, or perhaps the horse was strong and could not be subdued, so it was treated in the same way as a camel. And Allah knows best.

Benefit:
This hadith establishes the permissibility of horse meat; the horse is lawful (halal), because Sayyidah Asma bint Abi Bakr radi Allahu anha narrates: «نحرنا فرسا على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأكلناه » “We slaughtered a horse during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then we ate it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2/829, Hadith: 5519; Sahih Muslim: 2/150, Hadith: 1942). In the narration of Sunan an-Nasa’i 4426, whose chain is authentic, it is stated: «ونحن بالمدينة ، فأكلناه» “We were in Madinah at that time, then we ate it.”

Hafiz Ibn Kathir rahimahullah [701ء ۔ 477ھ] after mentioning this narration, says: «فهذه ادل وأقوى و أثبت ، و إلى ذلك صار جمهور العلماء ، مالك ، والشافعي ، و أحـمـد ، و اصحابهم ، و اكثر السلف والخلف» This hadith is a better, stronger, and more established proof. The majority of the scholars, such as Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad, and their companions rahimahullah, have adopted this view, and this is the position of most of the early and later generations. [تفسیر ابن کثیر : 34/ 4 ، بتحقيق عبدالرزاق المهدی]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah radi Allahu anhu: «إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى يوم خيبر عن لحوم الحمر الأهلية ، وأذن فى لحوم الخيل» “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade the meat of domesticated donkeys on the day of Khaybar and permitted the eating of horse meat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari: 2/829, Hadith: 5520; Sahih Muslim: 2/150, Hadith: 1941)

Allamah Sindhi Hanafi writes in the commentary of this hadith: “This hadith indicates the permissibility of horse meat; this is the position of the majority.” [ حاشية السـنـدى على سنن النسائي : 201/7]

Imam Ata bin Abi Rabah rahimahullah says: «رايت أصـحـاب المسجد ، أصحاب ابن الزبير ياكلون الفرس والبرذون قال : و أخبرني أبو الزبير أنه سمع جابر بن عبدالله يقول : أكلنا زمن خيبر الخيل و حمير الوحش ، و نهانا النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عـن أكل الحمار » “I saw the people of this mosque, meaning the companions of (the Messenger of Allah) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair radi Allahu anhu, eating both Arabian and Najdi horses. Also, Abu’z-Zubair informed me that he heard Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah radi Allahu anhu narrate that during the time of Khaybar, we ate horses and wild (feral) donkeys, but the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade us from eating domesticated donkeys.” (Musannaf Abdur Razzaq: 8837, and its chain is authentic; Sahih Muslim: 2/150, Hadith: 1941)

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma narrates: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade the eating of domesticated donkey meat and permitted the eating of horse meat. (Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir of Tabarani: 1282; Sunan ad-Daraqutni: 1/290, 1941, and its chain is hasan). Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has called its chain “strong.” [فتح الباری لابن حجر : 1650/9] Hafiz Haythami rahimahullah writes: All its narrators are narrators of Sahih al-Bukhari except Muhammad bin Ubayd al-Harbi, and he is trustworthy. [مجمع الزاوائد : 147/5]

Asma bint Abi Bakr radi Allahu anha says: «كان لنا فرس على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فارادت أن تموت ، فذبحناها ، فاكلناها» “During the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we had a horse. When it was about to die, we slaughtered it and then ate it.” (Sunan ad-Daraqutni: 4/289, Hadith: 3739, and its chain is hasan)

Asma bint Abi Bakr radi Allahu anha narrates: « ذبحنا فرسا على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأكلنا نحن و أهل بيته» “We slaughtered a horse during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then we ate it, and the family of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also ate it.” [سنن الدار قطني : 289/4 ح : 3741 حسن]

Imam Ibrahim bin Yazid an-Nakha’i rahimahullah narrates: «نـحـر أصحاب عبدالله فرسا ، فقسموه بينهم» The students of Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu) slaughtered a horse and then distributed it among themselves. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 8/256, and its chain is authentic) He also says: «إن الأسود أكل لحم الفرس» “Imam Aswad bin Yazid, the Tabi’i rahimahullah, ate horse meat.” [مصنف ابن ابي شيبة : 256/8 ، وسنده صحيح ]

Imam Hakam bin Utaybah narrates: «إن شريحا أكل لحم فرس» Imam Shurayh rahimahullah ate horse meat. [مصنف ابن ابی شيبة : 256/8 ، وسنده صحيح]

Abdullah bin Awn says: «سالت محمد عن لحوم الخيل ، فلم يربها بأسا» “I asked Imam Muhammad bin Sirin, the Tabi’i rahimahullah, about horse meat, and he did not consider there to be any harm in it.” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 8/25, and its chain is authentic)

Imam Hasan al-Basri rahimahullah says: “There is no harm in eating horse meat.” [مصنف ابن ابی شيبة : 257/8 ، وسنده صحيح]

From these authentic hadiths and reports, it is established that the horse is lawful (halal). Regarding these hadiths, listen also to the statement of Imam Tahawi Hanafi rahimahullah (238–321 AH): «فذهب قوم إلى هذه الآثار ، فأجازوا أكل لحوم الخيل ، و مـمـن ذهـب إلـى ذلك أبو يوسف و محمد رحمهما الله ، و احتجوا بذلك بتواتر الآثار فى ذلك و تظاهرها ، ولو كان ذلك مأخوذا من طريق النظر لما كان بين الخيل الأهلية فرق ، و لكن الآثار عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا صحت و تواترت أولى أن يقال بها من النظر ، ولا سيما إذ قد أخبر جابر بن عبدالله رضعه فى حديث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اباح لهم لحوم الخيل فى وقت منعه إياهم من لحوم الحمر الأهلية ، فدل ذلك على اختلاف حكم لحومهما» “A group has adopted the position in accordance with these reports, thus they have declared horse meat to be lawful. Among them are Abu Yusuf and Muhammad bin al-Hasan ash-Shaybani rahimahullah. They have used these reports, due to their being widespread and mutually corroborative, as evidence. If this matter were to be decided by reason and analogy, there would be no difference between domesticated horses and domesticated donkeys. But when the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are authentically established and reach the level of tawatur (mass transmission), then acting upon them takes precedence over analogy, especially when Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah radi Allahu anhu has mentioned in a hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam declared horse meat lawful for them at the very time he forbade the meat of domesticated donkeys. From this, it is known that there is a difference between the meat of the two.” [شرح معاني الآثار للطحاوي 210/4]

? In conclusion: … The horse is lawful (halal), because there is no evidence in the Qur’an or Sunnah for its prohibition. On the contrary, there are numerous hadiths establishing its permissibility. Janab Ashraf Ali Thanwi Deobandi Sahib writes: “Eating horse meat is permissible, but it is not preferable.” (Bahishti Zewar by Thanwi: Part Three, page 56, issue no. 12) Janab Mufti Kifayatullah Dehlawi Deobandi Sahib, in response to a question, writes: Question: … The water left over by which animals is pure? Answer: … The water left over by domestic and lawful animals is pure, such as cow, goat, pigeon, horse! (Ta’lim al-Islam by Kifayatullah: 36) [“The Horse is Halal” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri hafizahullah, adapted]