Forbidden Parts of a Halal Animal?

Author: Abu Abdullah

The blood that flows at the time of slaughter is unanimously considered haram (forbidden). Apart from this, all parts and organs of a halal (permissible) animal are considered halal. However, according to Hanafi, Deobandi, and Barelvi scholars, there are seven parts of a halal animal that are considered haram.

◈ Ibn Abidin Hanafi writes:"The seven parts of a sheep (goat, ram, sheep, or lamb) that are considered strictly disliked (makruh tahrimi) are: 1. The private part 2. Testicles 3. Glands 4. Blood that flows at the time of slaughter 5. Gall bladder 6. Bladder 7. The male organ." [Al-'Uqud al-Durriyah by Ibn Abidin: 56]

◈ Rashid Ahmad Gangohi Deobandi states:"Seven parts of a halal animal are forbidden to eat: 1. The male organ 2. The female private part 3. The bladder 4. Glands 5. The spinal cord 6. Testicles 7. The gall bladder." [Tazkirat al-Rashid: 1/174]

◈ Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi writes:"Certain parts of a halal animal are haram, such as blood, gall bladder, private parts, testicles, etc." [Tafsir Nur al-Irfan by Naeemi: 547]

◈ Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi also mentioned the same. [Fatawa Razawiyya: 20/234]

Now, a brief investigative review of their arguments is presented:

Evidence 1:

It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked seven parts of a sheep: 1. The gall bladder 2. The bladder 3. The rear private part 4. The front private part 5. Testicles 6. Glands 7. Blood (that flows at the time of slaughter)." [Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Tabarani: 9480]

Commentary:

The chain of this narration is fabricated because:

The teacher of Imam Tabarani, Ya'qub ibn Ishaq, needs verification and authentication.

The main narrator, Yahya ibn Abdul Hamid al-Hamani, is considered "weak" by the majority of hadith scholars.

◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulqin says:"The majority of hadith scholars consider him weak."

[Al-Badr al-Munir by Ibn al-Mulqin: 3/227]

Abdur Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam is also considered "weak" and "abandoned" by the majority. Regarding him:◈ Hafiz Haythami says:"Most hadith scholars consider him weak."

[Majma' al-Zawaid by Haythami: 2/20]

Evidence 2:

Mujahid bin Jabr Tabi'i says:"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked seven parts of a sheep: 1. Blood (that flows at the time of slaughter) 2. The private part 3. Testicles 4. Glands 5. The male organ 6. The bladder 7. The gall bladder." [Musannaf Abdur Razzaq: 4/55, Hadith: 8771, Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Bayhaqi: 7/10]

Commentary:

This narration is weak and invalid due to several reasons:

It is "Mursal," meaning Mujahid (a Tabi'i) is directly narrating from the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The narrator Wasil ibn Abi Jamil is "weak." About him, Imam Yahya ibn Ma'in says:"He is nothing (in hadith)."

[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 9/30]

Imam Darqutni says: "He is weak." [Sunan al-Darqutni: 3/76]Moreover, Imam Ibn Shahin and Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi have also mentioned him among the weak narrators. Apart from Imam Ibn Hibban, no one has considered him reliable, hence he is "weak."

◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan says:"The integrity of Wasil is not established." [Al-Taqdir by Al-Tahawi: 2/200]

Mujahid also narrates this from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in a connected manner.

[Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi: 5/12, Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Bayhaqi: 7/60]

However, this narration is also fabricated because the narrator Ubayr ibn Musa al-Wajihi is unanimously considered "weak," "denied hadith," and "abandoned hadith."◈ Imam Bayhaqi, after declaring this narrator "weak," writes:"The connection of this hadith is not correct." [Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Bayhaqi: 70]

This is all that some people had, and readers have seen its outcome.↰ It is established that except for the blood that flows at the time of slaughter, no other part of a halal animal is haram. The claim that seven parts are haram is baseless and invalid as there is no evidence for their prohibition.

Benefit:

As for the tripe, eating it is also permissible, but according to Hanafis and Barelvis, it is disliked:

  1. Abdul Hayy Lucknawi Hanafi says:"Eating tripe is disliked." [Majmu' al-Fatawa by Abdul Hayy: 7/397, 7/29]
  2. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi says:"Eating tripe is disliked." [Malfoozat: Part 35]
↰ Some people have declared 22 parts of a halal animal as disliked or haram. Regarding the kidney, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi Deobandi says:"Some (Hanafi Fiqh) narrations state the kidney as disliked and follow the opinion of mild dislike (Karahat Tanziyyah)."

[Tazkirat al-Rashid: Part 1, p. 147]

↰ We ask what is the evidence for the dislike of tripe and kidney?

◈ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi writes:"Our great Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Blood is haram by the command of the Quran, and the rest of the things I consider disliked."

[Fatawa Razawiyya: Part 20, p. 234]

This is hearsay. Prove this statement from Imam Abu Hanifa with a correct chain of narration, or admit that this is a clear lie against the Imam. Such statements are not surprising from those who lack evidence.

Conclusion:

In a halal animal, apart from the blood that flows at the time of slaughter, no part is haram or disliked.
 
Back
Top