The horse is permissible, because:
➊ Sayyida Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:
نحرنافرساعلي وعهدرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأكلناه۔
“We slaughtered a horse during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and then we ate it.”
❀ In the narration of Sunan al-Nasa’i
it is:
ونحن بالمدينة، فأكلناه . “We were in Madinah at that time, and then we ate it.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him)
, after mentioning this narration, says:
فهذه ادل وأقوي و أثبت، و إلى ذلك صار جمهور العلماء، مالك، والشافعي، و أحمد، و اصحابهم، و اكثر السلف والخلف۔
“This hadith is a better proof, stronger and more established. The majority of scholars, such as Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad and their companions (may Allah have mercy on them), have gone in this direction, and the view of most of the early and later scholars is the same.”
➋ It is narrated from Sayyidna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهي يوم خيبرعن لحوم الحمرالأهلية، وأذن فى لحوم الخيل .
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the meat of domestic donkeys on the day of Khaybar, and permitted the eating of horse meat.”
◈ Allama Sindhi al-Hanafi, in his commentary on this hadith, writes:
“This hadith indicates that horse meat is permissible, and this is the view of the majority.”
➌ Imam Ata’ bin Abi Rabah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
رايت أصحاب 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 و سلم عن أكل الحمار۔
“I saw the people of this mosque, i.e., the companions of (the Companion of the Prophet) Sayyidna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), eating Arab and non-Arab horses. Also, Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Sayyidna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) say: ‘We ate horses and wild donkeys during the time of Khaybar, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade us from eating domestic donkeys.'”
➍ Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade eating the meat of domestic donkeys, and he commanded eating the meat of horses.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) called its chain “qawi” (strong).
◈ Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“All its narrators are narrators of Sahih al-Bukhari, except Muhammad bin Ubayd al-Muharibi, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).”
➎ Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) says:
كان لنا فرس على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم، فأرارادت أن تموت، فذبحنها، فاكلناها۔
“During the blessed era of the Noble Messenger ﷺ, we had a horse. When it began to die, we slaughtered it and then ate it.”
➏ Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) 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 ﷺ, then we ate it, and the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet ﷺ also ate it.”
➐ Imam Ibrahim bin Yazid al-Nakha’i (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates:
نحر أصحاب عبدالله فرسا، فقسموه بينهم۔
“The students of Sayyidna Abdullah (bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him) slaughtered a horse and then divided it among themselves.”
➑ He also says:
إن الأسود كل لحم الفرس
“Imam al-Aswad bin Yazid, the Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), ate horse meat.”
➒ Imam al-Hakam bin Utaybah narrates:
إن شريحا أكل لحم فرس
“Imam Shurayh (may Allah have mercy on him) ate horse meat.”
➓ Abdullah bin Awn says:
سالت محمد عن لحوم الخيل، فلم يربها بأسا۔
“I asked Imam Muhammad bin Sirin, the Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), about horse meat, and he did not consider it to be a problem.”
⓫ Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“There is no harm in eating horse meat.”
↰ From these sahih hadiths and narrations it is established that the horse is permissible. Regarding these hadiths:
◈ Also hear the statement of Imam al-Tahawi al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) (238-321 AH):
فذهب قوم إلى هذه الآثار، فأجازوا أكل لحوم الخيل، و ممن ذهب إلى ذٰلك أبو يوسف و محمد رحمهما الله، و احتحبو 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 أولي أن يقال بها من النظر، ولا سيما إذ قد أخبر جابر بن عبدالله رضى الله عنه فى حديث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اباح لهم لحوم الخيل فى وقت منعه الايا هم من لحوم الحمر الأهلية، فدل ذلك على اختلاف حكم لحومهما۔
“A group’s view accords with these narrations, so they declared horse meat permissible. Among these people are Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani (may Allah have mercy on them both). They reasoned from the fact that these narrations are mutawatir and mutazahir (widely transmitted and mutually supporting). If this matter were settled by reason and analogy, there would be no difference between domestic horses and domestic donkeys. But when the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are authentic and reach the level of tawatur, acting upon them is preferable to analogy, especially since Sayyidna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated in a hadith that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made horse meat permissible for them at the very time he forbade the meat of domestic donkeys. This shows that there is a difference in the ruling on the meat of the two.”
Below is a brief investigative review of the arguments of those who call the horse haram or makruh:
Argument No. ➊
Regarding the word of Allah Ta’ala ﴿وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “These are for riding.”
And regarding the word of Allah Ta’ala ﴿وَالْأَنْعَامَ خَلَقَهَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ وَمَنَافِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ﴾
he said: هذا للاكل “These are for eating.”
Commentary:
This statement is extremely “da’if” (weak), because:
◈ Muhammad bin Humayd al-Razi is a “da’if” narrator.
◈ Abu Ishaq is a mudallis (concealing) and mukhtalit (confused) narrator.
◈ It contains a “rajul mubham” (unidentified man) as well.
Tafsir al-Tabari
Commentary:
The chain of this one is also “da’if”, because:
In it is Yahya bin Abi Kathir, a mudallis narrator.
Tafsir al-Tabari
Commentary:
Its chain is also “weak,” because:
◈ The narrator Sufyan bin Waki’ is “weak” according to the majority of scholars.
◈ The narrator Ibn Abi Layla is “weak” and “bad in memory” according to the majority of scholars.
Tafsir al-Tabari
Commentary:
The chain of this statement is also “weak,” because:
◈ The narrator Qais bin Rabi’ is “weak” according to the majority of scholars.
◈ Ibn Abi Layla is “weak” and “bad in memory.”
↰ It is thus established that this statement attributed to Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) is “weak” through all of its chains.
Benefit No. ①
Imam Hakam bin Utaybah, a Tabi’i, said that the prohibition of horses is established from the Book of Allah, and he presented this noble verse as evidence.
Benefit No. ②
When Imam Mujahid, a Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the meat of horses, he recited this noble verse; it is as if he considered its meat disliked.
Benefit No. ③
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
احسن ما سمعت فى الخيل والبغال والحمير أنها لا تؤكل
“The best thing I have heard about horses and mules is that they will not be eaten.” Then he recited this verse.
↰ However, deriving the prohibition or dislike of horse meat from this verse is open to question, as:
◈ Imam al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
والصواب من اقول فى ذلك عندنا ما قاله اهل القول الثاني۔۔۔۔ و فى إجماع الجميع على أن ركوب ما قال تعالىٰ ذكره : (و منها تاكلون) جائز حلال غير حرام، دليل واضح على أن أكل ما قال : (لتر كبوها) جائز حلال غير حرام الا بما نص على تحريمه أو وضع على تحريمه دلالة من كتاب أو وحي إ لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأما بهذه الآية فلا يحرم أكل شيء، وقد وضع الدلالة على تحريم لحوم الحمر الأ هلية بوحيه إ لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم و على البغال بما قد بينا فى كتابنا، كتاب الأطعمة بما أغني عن اعادته فى هذا الموضع من مواضع البيان عن تحريم ذلك، و إ نما ذكرنا ليدل على أنه لا وجه لقول من استدل بهذه الآية على انه لا وجه لقول من استدل بهذه الآية على تحريم لحم الفرس۔۔۔۔
“Regarding this, the view of the second group is correct in our opinion (i.e., the horse is halal)… because there is a consensus of all Muslims that it is permissible to ride those animals whose meat is eaten, and it is not haram. This is clear evidence that what is created for riding is also halal and permissible to eat, except for those things whose prohibition has been established by explicit text in the Book and Sunnah. As for this noble verse, it does not establish the prohibition of anything. The prohibition of domestic donkeys and mules has been indicated through the revelation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, which we have explained in our book, Al-At’imah, and there is no need to repeat it, as this place is not for explaining its prohibition. What we have said is only to show that there is no basis for using this verse as evidence for the prohibition of horses…”
◈ Hafiz al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
الصحيح الذى يدل عليه النظر والخبر جواز اكل الحوم الخيل، و أن الآية والحديث لا حجة فيهما لازمة، أما الآية فلا دليل فيها على تحريم الخيل إذ لو دلت عليه لدلت على تحريم لحوم الحمر، والسورة مكية، و أى حاجة كان إلى تجديد تحريم لحوم الحمر عام خيبر و قد ثبت فى الأخبار تحليل الخيل على ما يأتي، و ايضا لما ذكر تعالىٰ الأ نعام ذكر الأغلب من منافعها و أ هم ما فيها، و هو حمل الأ ثقال والأكل، ولم يذكر الركوب ولا الحرث بها قال الله تعالىٰ : الذى جعل لكم الانعام لتركبوا منها و منها تاكلون۔ و قال فى الخيل : لتركبوها وزينة۔ فذكر أيضا أغلب منافعها والمقصود منها، ولم يذكر حمل الأ ثقال عليها، وقد تحمل كما هو مشاهد فلذلك لم يذكر الأكل، و قد بينه عليه السلام، الذى جعل إ ليه بيان ما أنزل عليه ما ياتي، ولا يلزم من كونها خلقت للركوب والزينة الاتؤكل، فهذه البقرة قد أ نطقها خالقها الذى أنطق كل شيء، فقالت إنما خلقت للحرث، فيلزم من علل أن الخيل لا تؤكل البقر لأنها خلقت للحرث، و قد أجمع المسلمون على جواز أكلها، فكذلك الخيل بالسنة الثابتة فيها۔
“The correct position, supported by both reason and transmission, is that horse meat is halal, and there is no conclusive evidence in this verse or the hadith against it. As for the verse, there is no evidence in it because this verse is Meccan. If this verse indicated prohibition, what need was there to restate the prohibition in the year of Khaybar? Then, the hadiths mention the permissibility of horses, as we will explain. Similarly, when Allah mentioned the benefits of livestock, He mentioned the important and predominant benefits, namely eating and carrying loads, and did not explicitly mention riding and plowing, although these are sometimes also used for riding and plowing. The words of Allah the Exalted are:
﴿الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامَ لِتَرْكَبُوا مِنْهَا وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ﴾
“It is Allah who made livestock for you, so that you may ride some of them and eat some of them.”
Regarding horses, He said:
﴿لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً﴾
“So that you may ride them, and as an adornment.”
↰ Here too, Allah mentioned the important and predominant benefits of horses; the carrying of loads was not mentioned, although they are sometimes loaded, as is observed. In exactly the same way, eating was not mentioned for them. The Prophet ﷺ, to whom the explanation of the Qur’an has been entrusted, has explained it, as will be stated later. The fact that horses were created for riding and adornment does not necessarily mean that their meat may not be eaten. This is the cow, which was made to speak by the One who gave speech to everything, and it said (as stated in a hadith) that it was created for plowing. The reasons by which it is shown that horses will not be eaten would, by the same reasoning, show that cows will not be eaten, since they were created for plowing, although the Muslims have consensus that eating them is permissible. Likewise, regarding horses, there is an established Sunnah that eating them is permissible.”
An objection and its answer:
Hafiz al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
فإن قيل : الرواية عن جابر بأنهم أكلوها فى خيبر حكاية حال و قضية فى عين، فيحتمل أن يكونو ذبحو الضرورة، ولا يحتج بقضايا الأحوال، قلنا : الرواية عن جابر و إخباره بأنهم كانو يأكلون لحوم الخيل على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم، يزيل ذلك الحتمال، ولئن سلمناه فمعنا حديث اسماء، قالت، نحرنا فرسا على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : و نحن بالمدينة، فأكلناه، رواه مسلم۔ و كل تأويل من غير ترجيع فى مقابلة النص، فإنما هو دعوي، لا يلتفت إليه، ولا يعرج عليه، وقد روي الدار قطني زيادة حسنة ترفع كل تاويل فى حديث اسماء : كان لنا فرس على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أرادت أن تموت، فذبحناها، فاكلناها، فذبحها إنما كان لخوف الموت عليها، لا لغير ذلك من الأحوال۔
“If it is objected that the hadith of Sayyidina Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) about eating horses at Khaybar is a report of a situation and a specific incident, and it is possible that the Companions slaughtered the horse out of necessity, and so evidence is not taken from incidents that occur in specific circumstances: our answer is that the narration of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) and his report that they used to eat horse meat in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ removes that possibility. And even if we accept that possibility, we have the hadith of Sayyida Asma (may Allah be pleased with her), who narrated that we slaughtered a horse in the blessed time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Madinah, and then ate it. This is a hadith of Sahih Muslim.”
Any interpretation made against a clear text without any basis for preference is merely a claim. It will not be given any attention and will not be given any weight. Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned a fine addition in this hadith, which removes every interpretation that could be applied to the hadith of Sayyidah Asma (may Allah be pleased with her). Sayyidah Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) has stated that during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we had a horse. When it began to die, we slaughtered it and then ate it. Therefore, its slaughter was only out of fear that it would die, and not for any other reason.”
Argument No. ②
Sayyidina Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم نهي عن أكل لحوم الخيل والبغال والحمير، و كل ذي ناب من السباع۔
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the eating of the meat of horses, mules, and domestic donkeys, and of every animal with fangs among the predators.”
Commentary:
This hadith is “da’if” (weak).
◈ Allama Sindhi al-Hanafi writes without any objection or dispute:
اتفق العلماء على أنه حديث ضعيف، ذكره النووي۔
“The scholars are agreed that this hadith is weak; Hafiz al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned this.”
↰ The chain of this hadith depends on the narrator Salih bin Yahya bin al-Miqdam. Concerning him:
◈ Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
فیہ نظر “There is discussion concerning this narrator.”
◈ Hafiz Musa bin Harun al-Hammal (may Allah have mercy on him) (214–294 AH) says:
لايعرف صالح بن يحيي، ولاأبوه إلابجده، وهذا حديث ضعيف۔
“The narration of Salih bin Yahya and his father is known only through this one (Salih’s grandfather Miqdad bin Ma’dikarib, may Allah be pleased with him), and this hadith is weak.”
◈ Allama Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) called him “majhul” (unknown).
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) also called him “majhul” (unknown).
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) called him “layyin” (soft, i.e. somewhat weak).
◈ Only Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned him in his book al-Thiqat
, and said: یخطیء
↰ Therefore this narrator is “majhul” (unknown).
↰ Review further statements of the imams of hadith concerning this hadith:
◈ Hafiz al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
الحديث غيرثابت، وإسنادہ مضطرب۔
“This hadith is not established, and its chain is mudtarib (disturbed).”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
هذا حديث لاتقوم به حجته لضعف إسناد۔
“This hadith cannot be used as evidence, because its chain is weak.”
◈ Imam al-Uqayli (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
إسنادهما أصلح من هذا الإسناد۔
“The chains of these two (the hadiths of Sayyidina Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) and Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) permitting the horse) are better than the chain of this hadith.”
◈ Allama Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) called it “mawdu'” (fabricated).
◈ Hafiz al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
إسناده ضعيف۔ “Its chain is weak.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
حديث خالد لايصح، فقد قال أحمد : إنه حديث منكر، وقال أبوداؤد : إنه منسوخ۔
“The hadith of Sayyidina Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) is not sahih; Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said that this hadith is munkar, and Imam Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him) says that it is mansukh (abrogated).”
Argument No. ③
Sayyidina Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
فحرم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم الحمرالإنسية ولحوم الخيل والبغال۔
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited domestic donkeys and the meat of horses and mules.”
Commentary:
This hadith is “da’if” (weak), because:
◈ The narration of Ikrimah bin Ammar (thiqah) from Yahya bin Abi Kathir is mudtarib (disturbed) and weak; this narration also comes through him.
◈ Imam al-Tahawi al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
أهل الحديث يضعفون حديث عكرمة عن يحيي، ولايجعلون فيه حجة۔
“The muhaddithun have declared the hadith of Ikrimah from Yahya to be weak, and they do not take evidence from it.”
◈ Imam Yahya bin Sa’id al-Qattan
, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
, Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi
, Imam al-Bukhari
and others, may Allah have mercy on them all, call Ikrimah’s narration from Yahya bin Abi Kathir “mudtarib” and “da’if.”
↰ Imam Yahya bin Abi Kathir is a “mudallis,” and he narrates with “an” (from) without any explicit statement of hearing; therefore this narration is “da’if.”
Conclusion:
The horse is halal, because there is no proof in the Qur’an and hadith for its prohibition; on the contrary, there are strong hadiths establishing its permissibility.
◈ Mr. Ashraf Ali Thanawi Deobandi writes:
“Eating horse is permissible, but not preferable.”
◈ Mr. Mufti Kifayatullah Dehlawi Deobandi, in answer to a question, writes:
Question: The water left over by which animals is pure?
Answer: “The water left over by humans and permissible animals is pure, such as cows, goats, pigeons, horses!”
