Excerpted from the book “Aḥkām wa Masā’il – In the Light of Qur’ān and Sunnah” authored by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbānī
If chickens are fed with feed containing pig derivatives (e.g., from a brand like "Bramekar"), is it permissible for Muslims to consume their meat? Similarly, what is the ruling regarding animals that are deliberately fed harām substances, or those that eat impure things such as filth, insects, or garbage when left unsupervised?
When discussing ḥalāl (permissible) and ḥarām (forbidden), it must be remembered that:
✔ Only that which is declared ḥalāl in the Qur’ān and Sunnah is ḥalāl,
✔ And only that which is declared ḥarām through divine evidence is ḥarām.
Human desires or preferences play no role in determining ḥalāl and ḥarām.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ﴾
“And do not say, concerning the lies your tongues utter: ‘This is lawful and that is unlawful,’ fabricating lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.”
[An-Naḥl: 116]
This teaches us two important principles:
① The authority to declare something ḥalāl or ḥarām belongs solely to Allah, not to any person or scholar.
② Ḥalāl and ḥarām are not subject to human logic or reasoning. They are based solely on revelation and divine guidance.
For instance, the Prophet ﷺ declared domesticated donkeys to be ḥarām, while wild donkeys are ḥalāl. Despite their similarity in appearance and behavior, one is permissible and the other forbidden solely based on revelation — not logic.
[Bukhārī: 5521–5529, Muslim: 1407, Irwā’ al-Ghalīl: 8/137]
The ḥalāl nature of chicken is established from authentic Sunnah:
زَهْدَمُ الجَرِيّ رحمه الله said:
“I came to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī while he was eating chicken. He said, ‘Come and eat, for I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ eating it.’”
[Tirmidhī: 1826, Bukhārī: 3133, Muslim: 1649/9]
This ḥadīth is recorded in multiple ḥadīth collections and is evidence of the permissibility of chicken.
Moreover, it is reported that a man refused to eat chicken at the home of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه, saying, “I saw it eating filth.” In response, Abū Mūsā said: “I saw the Prophet ﷺ eat it.”
Imām ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله writes:
“This ḥadīth proves the permissibility of eating chicken — whether domesticated or wild — by consensus, except for some who avoided it out of extreme caution. Some excluded al-jallālah (those animals that eat impurities), but Abū Mūsā did not seem to be concerned about that.”
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī: 5/564–565]
Hence, the food an animal consumes does not independently determine its permissibility. Many animals that eat clean food — like monkeys or foxes — remain forbidden due to explicit sharʿī evidence.
Even if a piglet is raised on clean food, it remains ḥarām, as its prohibition is absolute and clear.
Some scholars have discussed the term al-jallālah and its ruling:
There are three scholarly opinions:
① Permissible — Even if the animal eats impurities. (Imām Mālik and Imām al-Layth ibn Saʿd)
② Makrūh (disliked) — If the flesh becomes altered due to excessive consumption of filth. (Some Shāfiʿīs)
③ Ḥarām (prohibited) — According to many Ḥanbalīs and a group of Shāfiʿīs, including al-Baghawī, al-Ghazālī, Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd, and others.
[Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/648]
Abdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
وَأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَىٰ عَنْ لَبَنِ الْجَلَّالَةِ
“The Prophet ﷺ prohibited drinking the milk of al-jallālah.”
[Abū Dāwūd: 3786, Tirmidhī: 1825 – ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, Ibn Ḥibbān: 5399]
Abdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Khaybar prohibited the consumption and riding of al-jallālah and eating their meat.”
[Nasā’ī: 4452, Abū Dāwūd: 3811]
Not necessarily. Scholars like Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما used to:
“Confine a jallālah chicken for three days before consuming it.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 5/148, Ḥadīth: 24608; Irwā’ al-Ghalīl: 8/101]
This was done so its body would purge the filth and lose the foul odor.
Imām Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī رحمه الله wrote:
“If al-jallālah were truly najis (impure), confinement would not purify it. Just as a person who drinks alcohol is not judged as physically impure.”
[al-Mughnī: 13/328–329]
If the animal’s flesh and odor are unaffected by filth — permissible to consume.
If the animal’s flesh is affected — confine it and feed it clean food until its body is cleansed.
Most scholars agree: chicken remains permissible even if it sometimes eats filth.
Imām al-Baghawī, al-Khaṭṭābī, Ibn Ḥajar, and others support this view.
[Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 11/253–254, Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/648, ʿUmdat al-Qārī: 12/127]
If it is known that chicken feed contains:
These remain ḥarām for humans, but the chickens are not mukallaf (legally accountable). Nonetheless, caution should be exercised.
Buyers should avoid such feed due to this authentic narration:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لعن الله اليهود حرمت عليهم الشحوم فباعوها وأكلوا أثمانها...
“Allah cursed the Jews: Fat was made ḥarām for them, yet they sold it and consumed its price. Indeed, when Allah forbids the consumption of something, He also forbids its price.”
[Musnad Aḥmad: 2221, Abū Dāwūd: 3488]
Also:
إن الله حرم الخمر وثمنها، وحرم الميتة وثمنها، وحرم الخنزير وثمنه
“Indeed, Allah has forbidden alcohol and its price, the dead animal and its price, and the pig and its price.”
[Abū Dāwūd: 3485]
❖ Muslim poultry farmers should avoid purchasing feed containing known ḥarām ingredients.
❖ Alternative clean protein options (like fishmeal) should be used.
❖ Whoever fears Allah, Allah will provide him a way out and sustain him.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
“And whoever fears Allah — He will make a way out for him, and provide for him from where he does not expect.”
[Aṭ-Ṭalāq: 2–3]
✦ Question:
If chickens are fed with feed containing pig derivatives (e.g., from a brand like "Bramekar"), is it permissible for Muslims to consume their meat? Similarly, what is the ruling regarding animals that are deliberately fed harām substances, or those that eat impure things such as filth, insects, or garbage when left unsupervised?
✦ Answer:
When discussing ḥalāl (permissible) and ḥarām (forbidden), it must be remembered that:
✔ Only that which is declared ḥalāl in the Qur’ān and Sunnah is ḥalāl,
✔ And only that which is declared ḥarām through divine evidence is ḥarām.
Human desires or preferences play no role in determining ḥalāl and ḥarām.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ﴾
“And do not say, concerning the lies your tongues utter: ‘This is lawful and that is unlawful,’ fabricating lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.”
[An-Naḥl: 116]This teaches us two important principles:
① The authority to declare something ḥalāl or ḥarām belongs solely to Allah, not to any person or scholar.
② Ḥalāl and ḥarām are not subject to human logic or reasoning. They are based solely on revelation and divine guidance.
For instance, the Prophet ﷺ declared domesticated donkeys to be ḥarām, while wild donkeys are ḥalāl. Despite their similarity in appearance and behavior, one is permissible and the other forbidden solely based on revelation — not logic.
[Bukhārī: 5521–5529, Muslim: 1407, Irwā’ al-Ghalīl: 8/137]✦ The Basic Ruling on Chicken
The ḥalāl nature of chicken is established from authentic Sunnah:
زَهْدَمُ الجَرِيّ رحمه الله said:
“I came to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī while he was eating chicken. He said, ‘Come and eat, for I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ eating it.’”
[Tirmidhī: 1826, Bukhārī: 3133, Muslim: 1649/9]This ḥadīth is recorded in multiple ḥadīth collections and is evidence of the permissibility of chicken.
Moreover, it is reported that a man refused to eat chicken at the home of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه, saying, “I saw it eating filth.” In response, Abū Mūsā said: “I saw the Prophet ﷺ eat it.”
✦ What About Chickens That Eat Filth?
Imām ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله writes:
“This ḥadīth proves the permissibility of eating chicken — whether domesticated or wild — by consensus, except for some who avoided it out of extreme caution. Some excluded al-jallālah (those animals that eat impurities), but Abū Mūsā did not seem to be concerned about that.”
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī: 5/564–565]Hence, the food an animal consumes does not independently determine its permissibility. Many animals that eat clean food — like monkeys or foxes — remain forbidden due to explicit sharʿī evidence.
Even if a piglet is raised on clean food, it remains ḥarām, as its prohibition is absolute and clear.
✦ The Ruling on
Some scholars have discussed the term al-jallālah and its ruling:
There are three scholarly opinions:
① Permissible — Even if the animal eats impurities. (Imām Mālik and Imām al-Layth ibn Saʿd)
② Makrūh (disliked) — If the flesh becomes altered due to excessive consumption of filth. (Some Shāfiʿīs)
③ Ḥarām (prohibited) — According to many Ḥanbalīs and a group of Shāfiʿīs, including al-Baghawī, al-Ghazālī, Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd, and others.
[Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/648]✦ Prophetic Prohibition of al-Jallālah
Abdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
وَأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَىٰ عَنْ لَبَنِ الْجَلَّالَةِ
“The Prophet ﷺ prohibited drinking the milk of al-jallālah.”
[Abū Dāwūd: 3786, Tirmidhī: 1825 – ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, Ibn Ḥibbān: 5399]Abdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Khaybar prohibited the consumption and riding of al-jallālah and eating their meat.”
[Nasā’ī: 4452, Abū Dāwūd: 3811]✦ Does This Mean Such Animals Are Always Prohibited?
Not necessarily. Scholars like Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما used to:
“Confine a jallālah chicken for three days before consuming it.”
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 5/148, Ḥadīth: 24608; Irwā’ al-Ghalīl: 8/101]This was done so its body would purge the filth and lose the foul odor.
Imām Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī رحمه الله wrote:
“If al-jallālah were truly najis (impure), confinement would not purify it. Just as a person who drinks alcohol is not judged as physically impure.”
[al-Mughnī: 13/328–329]✦ Summary of Scholarly Views
If the animal’s flesh and odor are unaffected by filth — permissible to consume. If the animal’s flesh is affected — confine it and feed it clean food until its body is cleansed. Most scholars agree: chicken remains permissible even if it sometimes eats filth.Imām al-Baghawī, al-Khaṭṭābī, Ibn Ḥajar, and others support this view.
[Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 11/253–254, Fatḥ al-Bārī: 9/648, ʿUmdat al-Qārī: 12/127]✦ Concerning Chicken Feed Made with Ḥarām Ingredients
If it is known that chicken feed contains:
- Pig derivatives
- Dead animal remains
- Blood, etc.
These remain ḥarām for humans, but the chickens are not mukallaf (legally accountable). Nonetheless, caution should be exercised.
Buyers should avoid such feed due to this authentic narration:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لعن الله اليهود حرمت عليهم الشحوم فباعوها وأكلوا أثمانها...
“Allah cursed the Jews: Fat was made ḥarām for them, yet they sold it and consumed its price. Indeed, when Allah forbids the consumption of something, He also forbids its price.”
[Musnad Aḥmad: 2221, Abū Dāwūd: 3488]Also:
إن الله حرم الخمر وثمنها، وحرم الميتة وثمنها، وحرم الخنزير وثمنه
“Indeed, Allah has forbidden alcohol and its price, the dead animal and its price, and the pig and its price.”
[Abū Dāwūd: 3485]✔ Final Advice
❖ Muslim poultry farmers should avoid purchasing feed containing known ḥarām ingredients.
❖ Alternative clean protein options (like fishmeal) should be used.
❖ Whoever fears Allah, Allah will provide him a way out and sustain him.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
“And whoever fears Allah — He will make a way out for him, and provide for him from where he does not expect.”
[Aṭ-Ṭalāq: 2–3]