Prohibition of Leasing Male Animals for Mating and Trading in All Prohibited Items
✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
The word عسب comes from the root عَسَبَ يَعْسِبُ (form similar to ضرب) and refers to:
فحل refers to a male animal, such as a horse, camel, goat, etc.
[القاموس المحيط: p. 938]
➊ Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (RA):
أن النبى نهى عن ثمن عسب الفحل
"The Prophet ﷺ forbade taking payment for the mating of a male animal."
[Bukhari: 2284, Abu Dawood: 3429, Tirmidhi: 1273, Nasa’i: 7/310, Hakim: 2/42, Ibn al-Jarood: 582, Bayhaqi: 5/339, Ahmad: 2/14]
➋ Narrated by Jabir (RA):
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع ضراب الجمل
"The Prophet ﷺ forbade the trade of camel mating."
[Muslim: 1565, Nasa’i: 7/310, Abu Ya‘la: 1816]
➌ Narrated by Anas (RA):
A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about taking payment for the mating of a male animal:
فرخص له الكرامة
"He ﷺ allowed ‘Karāmah’ for it."
[Tirmidhi: 1274, Nasa’i: 7/310, Bayhaqi: 5/339]
Karāmah means a gift given without a precondition in return for the benefit gained from the male animal’s mating.
[الروضة الندية: 2/195]
A narration from Abu Kabshah (RA) states that the Prophet ﷺ said:
من أطرق فرسا فأعقب كان له كأجر سبعين فرسا
"Whoever lends a horse for mating and it produces offspring, he will receive a reward equivalent to that of seventy horses."
[Ahmad: 4/23, Ibn Hibban: 4679, Tabarani al-Kabir: 853 – Al-Haythami said its narrators are trustworthy (Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 5/269)]
➊ Narrated by Jabir (RA):
It was asked from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding the fat of dead animals, as it was used to coat boats, grease hides, and people burned it for light. The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا ، هو حرام
"No, it is haram."
Then the Prophet ﷺ added:
قاتل الله اليهود إن الله لما حرم عليهم شحومها جملوه ثم باعوه فأكلوا ثمنه
"May Allah destroy the Jews. When Allah prohibited fat for them, they melted it, sold it, and consumed its price."
[Bukhari: 2236, Muslim: 1581, Ahmad: 3/324, Abu Dawood: 3486, Tirmidhi: 1297, Nasa’i: 7/309, Ibn Majah: 2167, Abu Ya‘la: 1873, Ibn al-Jarood: 578, Bayhaqi: 6/12, Sharh al-Sunnah: 4/218]
➋ Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"May Allah curse the Jews. When fat was made haram for them, they sold it and consumed its price. And when Allah makes something haram for a people to eat, He also makes its price haram for them."
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 2978, Abu Dawood: 3488, Ahmad: 1/247]
✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
Meaning of the Word "عسب"
The word عسب comes from the root عَسَبَ يَعْسِبُ (form similar to ضرب) and refers to:
- The mating of a male animal,
- The semen released by it,
- Its progeny, or
- Payment given in return for mating services.
[القاموس المحيط: p. 106, النهاية: 3/234]
فحل refers to a male animal, such as a horse, camel, goat, etc.
[القاموس المحيط: p. 938]
1. Prohibition of Taking Payment for Male Animal Mating
➊ Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (RA):
أن النبى نهى عن ثمن عسب الفحل
"The Prophet ﷺ forbade taking payment for the mating of a male animal."
[Bukhari: 2284, Abu Dawood: 3429, Tirmidhi: 1273, Nasa’i: 7/310, Hakim: 2/42, Ibn al-Jarood: 582, Bayhaqi: 5/339, Ahmad: 2/14]
➋ Narrated by Jabir (RA):
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع ضراب الجمل
"The Prophet ﷺ forbade the trade of camel mating."
[Muslim: 1565, Nasa’i: 7/310, Abu Ya‘la: 1816]
- (Majority, Al-Shawkani): Taking payment for male animal mating is haram.
- (Malik, Hasan, Ibn Sireen): Leasing a male animal for mating for a fixed period is permissible.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 3/515]
➌ Narrated by Anas (RA):
A man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about taking payment for the mating of a male animal:
فرخص له الكرامة
"He ﷺ allowed ‘Karāmah’ for it."
[Tirmidhi: 1274, Nasa’i: 7/310, Bayhaqi: 5/339]
Karāmah means a gift given without a precondition in return for the benefit gained from the male animal’s mating.
[الروضة الندية: 2/195]
Encouragement to Lend Male Animals Without Payment
A narration from Abu Kabshah (RA) states that the Prophet ﷺ said:
من أطرق فرسا فأعقب كان له كأجر سبعين فرسا
"Whoever lends a horse for mating and it produces offspring, he will receive a reward equivalent to that of seventy horses."
[Ahmad: 4/23, Ibn Hibban: 4679, Tabarani al-Kabir: 853 – Al-Haythami said its narrators are trustworthy (Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 5/269)]
2. Prohibition of Trading in All Prohibited Items
➊ Narrated by Jabir (RA):
It was asked from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding the fat of dead animals, as it was used to coat boats, grease hides, and people burned it for light. The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا ، هو حرام
"No, it is haram."
Then the Prophet ﷺ added:
قاتل الله اليهود إن الله لما حرم عليهم شحومها جملوه ثم باعوه فأكلوا ثمنه
"May Allah destroy the Jews. When Allah prohibited fat for them, they melted it, sold it, and consumed its price."
[Bukhari: 2236, Muslim: 1581, Ahmad: 3/324, Abu Dawood: 3486, Tirmidhi: 1297, Nasa’i: 7/309, Ibn Majah: 2167, Abu Ya‘la: 1873, Ibn al-Jarood: 578, Bayhaqi: 6/12, Sharh al-Sunnah: 4/218]
➋ Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (RA):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"May Allah curse the Jews. When fat was made haram for them, they sold it and consumed its price. And when Allah makes something haram for a people to eat, He also makes its price haram for them."
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood: 2978, Abu Dawood: 3488, Ahmad: 1/247]
