In the present age, some people, feigning ignorance, claim that the Qur’an and Hadith do not mention the permissibility of buffalo, and that it is our “fiqh” which has declared it permissible. The question arises: who gave this imitative fiqh the right to decide what is lawful and unlawful? Allah the Exalted says:
(وَلَا تَقُوْلُوْا لِمَا تَصِفُ اَلْسِنَتُکُمُ الْکَذِبَ ھٰذَا حَلٰلٌ وَّ ھٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوْا عَلَی اللّٰہِ الْکَذِبَ اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یَفْتَرُوْنَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ الْکَذِبَ لَا یُفْلِحُوْنَ)
“Do not say, about what your tongues falsely describe: ‘This is lawful and this is unlawful,’ so that you may fabricate lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will not succeed.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), in his commentary on this verse, writes:
“ویدخل فی ھذا کلّ مبتدع، من ابتدع بدعۃ، لیس فیھا مستند شرعی، أو حلّل شیأا ممّا حرّم اللّٰہ، أو حرّم شیأا ممّا أباح اللّٰہ بمجرّد رأیہ وتشھیہ۔”
“Everyone who innovates an innovation for which there is no legislated evidence, or who declares lawful what Allah has made unlawful, or unlawful what Allah has made lawful, by merely his own opinion and whim, falls under this command.”
From this it is established that the ruling of lawful and unlawful is only that which Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have laid down.
It should also be made clear that the Prophet ﷺ brought the complete religion. He ﷺ, by the command of Allah, has stated comprehensive principles regarding what is lawful and unlawful, in the light of which we can decide whether something is lawful or unlawful.
Proof No. 1:
Allah the Exalted says:
(اُحِلَّتْ لَکُمْ بَھِیْمَۃُ الْأَنْعَامِ)
“Livestock animals have been made lawful for you.”
Among these animals, those which are unlawful are excluded on the basis of other evidences, as is also indicated in this verse.
Imam Qatadah ibn Di’amah, the tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says in his commentary on this verse:
“الأنعام کلّھا۔”
“All of the livestock (have been made lawful).”
Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, of the Ahl al-Sunnah, also chose this opinion.
Ibn Atiyyah says:
“ھذا قول حسن۔”
“This opinion is very excellent.”
Mufti Muhammad Shafi’ Deobandi, in his commentary on this noble verse, writes:
“The word ‘an’am’ is the plural of ni’m, meaning domestic animals such as camels, cows, buffaloes, goats, etc., whose eight types are mentioned in Surah al-An’am. These are called ‘an’am’. The word ‘bahimah’ was general, and the word ‘an’am’ specified it. The meaning of this verse is that the eight types of domestic animals have been made lawful for you. Under the word ‘uqud’ it has just been explained that all contracts are included, and among them is the contract which Allah has taken from His servants regarding adherence to what is lawful and unlawful. In this sentence, that specific contract is mentioned: that Allah has made lawful for you the camel, goat, cow, buffalo, etc. They may be eaten after being slaughtered in the lawful manner.”
Proof No. 2:
The Shariah has given no clear ruling about buffalo, and there is no text prohibiting it, so it will be regarded as lawful because:
The saying of Allah the Exalted:
(قُلْ لَّا اَجِدُ فِیْ مَآ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلٰی طَاعِمٍ یَّطْعَمُہ، اِلَّا اَنْ یَّکُوْنَ مَیْتَۃً اَوْدَمًا مَّسْفُوْحًا)
“Say: I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden to an eater who eats it, except that it be carrion or flowing blood (blood that flows at the time of slaughter).”
Hafiz Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
“فھذا یدلّ علیٰ ما لم یوجد تحریمہ، فلیس بمحرّم۔”
“This verse is evidence for the principle that (in the Shariah, regarding food, drink and clothing) whatever has no mention of its prohibition is not unlawful.”
Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:
“کان أھل الجاھلیۃ یأکلون أشیاء ویترکون أشیاء تقذّرا، فبعث اللّٰہ تعالیٰ نبیّہ وأنزل کتابہ، وأحلّ حلالہ وحرّم حرامہ، فما أحلّ فھو حلال وما حرّم فھو حرام، وما سکت عنہ فھو معفوّ، وتلا: (قُلْ لَّا اَجِدُ فِیْ مَآ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیَّ مُحَرَّمًا) الی آخر الآیۃ۔”
“The people of jahiliyyah used to eat some things and leave others out of disgust. Allah sent His Prophet, the noble Messenger ﷺ, and revealed His Book. He made lawful what He made lawful, and made unlawful what He made unlawful, and what He remained silent about is pardoned (lawful).”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, explains in his commentary on this verse:
“والمقصود من سیاق ھذہ الآیۃ الکریمۃ الرّدّ علی المشرکین الّذین ابتدعوا ما ابتدعوہ من تحریم المحرّمات علی أنفسھم بآرائھم الفاسدۃ من البحیرۃ والسّائبۃ والوصیلۃ والحام ونحو ذلک، فأمر رسولہ أن یخبرھم أنّہ لا یجد فیما أوحاہ اللّٰہ الیہ أنّ ذلک محرّم، وانّما حرّم ما ذکر فی ھذہ الآیۃ من المیتۃ والدّم المسفوح ولحم الخنزیر وما أھلّ لغیر اللّٰہ بہ، وما عدا ذلک فلم یحرّم، وانّما ھو عفو مسکوت عنہ، فکیف تزعمون أنتم أنّہ حرام، ومن أین حرّمتموہ ولم یحرّمہ؟ وعلی ھذا فلا ینفی تحریم أشیاء أخر فیما بعد ھذا، کما جاء النّھی عن لحوم الحمر الأھلیّۃ ولحوم السّباع وکلّ ذی مخلب من الطّیر علی المشہور من مذاھب العلماء۔”
“The purpose of this verse is to refute the polytheists, who by their corrupt opinions innovated the declaring of bahirah, sa’ibah, wasilah and ham as unlawful. Allah commanded His Messenger to inform them that there is no prohibition of those things in what Allah revealed to him; rather, what is forbidden in this verse is carrion, flowing blood, the flesh of swine, and that over which other than Allah has been invoked. Other than these, nothing has been forbidden; rather, it is pardoned and silence has been kept about it.”
Further Proof:
The saying of Allah the Exalted:
(وَمَا لَکُمْ اَلَّا تَاْکُلُوْا مِمَّا ذُکِرَاسْمُ اللّٰہِ عَلَیْہِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَکُمْ مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَیْکُمْ اِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ اِلَیْہِ)
“And what is the matter with you that you do not eat of that over which the name of Allah has been mentioned, while He has already explained to you what He has forbidden to you, except what you are compelled to eat?”
Hafiz Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“فعنفھم علی ترک الأکل ممّا ذکر اسم اللّٰہ علیہ معلّلا بأنّہ قد بیّن لھم الحرام، وھذا لیس منہ، فدلّ علی أنّ الأشیاء علی الاباحۃ والّا لما ألحق اللّوم بمن امتنع من الأکل ممّا لم ینصّ علی حلّہ بمجرأد کونہ لم ینصّ علی تحریمہ۔”
“Allah rebuked those who refrain from eating what has had the name of Allah mentioned over it, and the reason He gave is that the unlawful things have been clearly stated, and this is not among them. From this verse it is established that the principle regarding things is permissibility. Otherwise, Allah would not have blamed those who abstained from eating a thing for which there was no text on its lawfulness or unlawfulness.”
Proof from Hadith:
It is narrated from Sayyidina Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“انّ أعظم المسلمین جرما من سأل عن شیء لم یحرّم، فحرّم من أجل مسألتہ۔”
“The greatest sinner among Muslims is the one who asked about something that was not forbidden, and it became forbidden because of his asking.”
Proof No. 3:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“کلّ ذی ناب من السّباع، فأکلہ حرام۔”
“Every beast of prey that has fangs is forbidden to eat.”
The buffalo cannot be declared forbidden under this principle, because it is not among the beasts of prey with fangs. There is also no evidence for its prohibition, so it is permissible.
Proof No. 4:
There is consensus and agreement on the permissibility of the buffalo. No one has declared it forbidden, and this is a strong proof, because the consensus of the Ummah is one of the evidences of the Sharia.
Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“وأجمعوا علی أنّ حکم الجوامیس حکم البقر۔”
“All Muslims agree that the ruling on the buffalo is the same as that of the cow.”
Hafiz Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“لا خلاف فی ھذا نعلمہ، وقال ابن المنذر: أجمع کلّ من یحفظ عنہ من أھل العلم علی ھذا، ولأنّ الجوامیس من أنواع البقر۔۔۔”
“We know of no disagreement on this, and Ibn al-Mundhir has related the consensus of the people of knowledge upon it, and also the buffalo is a type of cow.”
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“الجوامیس بمنزلۃ البقر، حکی ابن المنذر فیہ الاجماع۔”
“The buffalo is like the cow; Ibn al-Mundhir has related the consensus on this.”
Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say:
“الجوامیس بمنزلۃ البقر۔”
“The buffalo is just like the cow.”
Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“الجوامیس صنف من البقر۔”
“The buffalo is a type of cow.”
Caution:
To those who say that the permissibility of the buffalo is not established from the Quran and Hadith, we urge them to reflect on the evidences mentioned above and on the authentic consensus. And if they cannot present a proof with a sahih chain that their claimed imam, whom they follow, permitted the buffalo, then…
Conclusion:
The buffalo is permissible according to the principle and rule of the Sharia. Whoever claims that Allah and His Messenger ﷺ did not declare it permissible is in fact fabricating a lie against Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
