Some people object that there is a hadith which says that one wing of the fly contains disease and the other wing contains healing.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari 3320)
How is it possible that the fly, which causes germs, is considered a cure? And how can Allah Almighty combine disease and cure in one thing?
First Point
The rulings of Shariah are from the Creator of the universe, and reason itself is a creation. How can it be correct to use reason as a standard to judge the decisions of the Creator as right or wrong? Moreover, everyone's reason is different, so whose reason will be trusted? Consequently, religious matters would become confused and chaotic. In this regard, Imam Ibn Qutaybah has said a very beautiful statement, he says:
Those who confirm religious matters only through observation have denied animals speaking, birds' glorifications, a disease in a fly's wing and a cure in the other, and due to lack of understanding of Hadith, they objected by asking how one Qirat can be equal to Aḥad? How can Bayt al-Maqdis speak? How does Satan eat and drink with his left hand? Such objectors have deviated from religion and deny the Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ and the understanding of the Companions, and whoever has rejected even one Hadith has rejected all Hadiths.
Reference: (Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith p.334)
Second Point
It is wrong to say that the Hadith about the fly was narrated only by Abu Hurairah, or to criticize the Sahihayn by declaring only Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim as authentic, because this Hadith has been narrated by multiple Companions. For example, this Hadith is narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri as found in Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah, and Musnad Ahmad.
It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Anas as found in Musnad al-Bazzar, Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat by al-Tabarani, and others.
Then further, this has also been narrated by a group of Tabi‘een from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah.
Third Point
The hadith which is being objected to on the grounds of being against reason has also been accepted by medical science, so it is surprising to consider it objectionable.
Throughout history, various treatments have been done using flies, and even today, treatment through flies is used in various types of surgeries. In fact, flies have been specially bred for such treatments. Science has also discovered germicidal bacteria in flies. Treatment with the toxic substances of bacteria is the type of treatment known in this era as antibiotics.
Reference: (Fatawa Yusuf al-Qaradawi: 1/64)
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وأما المعنى الطبي، فقال أبو عبيد: معنى امقلوه: اغمسوه ليخرج الشفاء بضمها منه، كما خرج الداء، يقال للرجلين: هما يتماقلان، إذا تغاطا في الماء.
واعلم أن في الذباب عندهم قوة سمية يدل عليها الورم، والحكة العارضة عن لسعه، وهي بمنزلة السلاح، فإذا سقط فيما يؤذيه، اتقاه بسلاحه، فأمر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقابل تلك السمية بما أودعه الله سبحانه في جناحه الآخر من الشفاء، فيغمس كله في الماء والطعام، فيقابل المادة السمية المادة النافعة، فيزول ضررها، وهذا طب لا يهتدي إليه كبار الأطباء وأئمتهم، بل هو خارج من مشكاة النبوة، ومع هذا فالطبيب العالم العارف الموفق يخضع لهذا العلاج، ويقر لمن جاء به بأنه أكمل الخلق على الإطلاق، وأنه مؤيد بوحي إلهي خارج عن القوى البشرية.
وقد ذكر غير واحد من الأطباء أن لسع الزنبور والعقرب إذا دلك موضعه بالذباب نفع منه نفعا بينا، وسكنه، وما ذاك إلا للمادة التي فيه من الشفاء، وإذا دلك به الورم الذي يخرج في شعر العين المسمى شعرة بعد قطع رؤوس الذباب، أبرأه
Reference: (Zad al-Ma‘ad by Ibn al-Qayyim 4/101)
Translation: As far as the medical reference of this hadith is concerned, the hadith commands to dip the other wing of the fly so that healing comes from including the other wing, just as the disease has been removed.
Doctors have acknowledged the poisonous power in the fly, which is why its bite causes swelling and itching. Its wings act like a weapon, so when it falls into something harmful to it, it protects itself using its wings.
Initially, many doctors did not guide towards this treatment, but it is a blessing emanating from the Seal of the Prophets. However, knowledgeable and expert physicians humbly accept it. Some doctors have stated that if a housefly is applied to a scorpion or wasp sting, it brings relief due to what is hidden in its wings.
Dr. Muhammad Mohsin Khan, the English translator of Sahih Bukhari, writes:
"Medically, it is now well-known that a fly carries some germs on its body, as the Prophet ﷺ stated 1400 years ago when humans knew very little about modern medicine. Similarly, Allah Almighty has created some organisms and other means that kill these germs, such as penicillin, fungi, and staphylococcus bacteria.
Recent experiments show that a fly carries not only disease-causing germs but also the antidote to those germs. Generally, when a fly touches a liquid food, it contaminates it with its germs, so it should be dipped into the liquid so that it also adds the antidote to those germs, which will cure the germs. I wrote a letter on this subject through a friend to Muhammad Al-Samhi, the head of the Hadith Department at Al-Azhar University, Cairo (Egypt), who has written an article on this Hadith and its medical aspects."
In this, it has been stated that microbiologists have proven that yeast cells live as parasites in the stomach of the fly, and these yeast cells enter the respiratory tubules of the fly to increase their number, and the content of these cells acts as an antidote to the germs that the fly carries around. ‘‘
Reference: (Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari)
The summary is that this hadith is not contrary to science and reason, but rather one of the methods of treatment among ancient and modern physicians.
Fourth Point
It should be noted that the command to drown flies in a vessel is only for educational purposes, not obligatory or recommended, and there is never a command in the hadith to drink this beverage, nor is there a command to eat it after dipping and removing it from the food. Rather, it depends on the temperament of the person who wants to eat or drink the substance present in the vessel. These are precautionary instructions, and whoever feels disgusted by it should not consume it. As long as they believe in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it does not affect their religion or faith.
Therefore, those who raise such objections are themselves unfamiliar with it academically and want to color their personal likes and dislikes as religion or science and reason.
