Sharʿi Ruling on Eating Predatory Animals and Birds of Prey
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Ḥaḍrat Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ فَأَكْلُهُ حَرَامٌ"
"Every predatory animal with fangs is ḥarām to eat."
[Al-Bukhārī: 5530; Muslim: 1932; Abū Dāwūd: 3802; Al-Tirmidhī: 1477; Al-Nasāʾī: 4325; Ibn Mājah: 3232; Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ: 2/496]
Stronger Opinion (Rājiḥ): Permissible to eat, based on the ḥadīth:
Ḥaḍrat Ibn Abī ʿAmmār asked Ḥaḍrat Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
"Is the hyena game?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "May I eat it?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ eat it?" He replied, "Yes."
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Al-Tirmidhī: 1791; Abū Dāwūd: 3801; Ibn Mājah: 3236; Al-Nasāʾī: 4323]
The narration with the words "ومن يأكل الضبع؟" (Who eats hyena?) is weak due to two weak narrators: ʿAbd al-Karīm Abū Umayyah and Ismāʿīl ibn Muslim.
[Ḍaʿīf: Al-Tirmidhī: 303; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: 2/646]
Ḥaḍrat Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
"نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ"
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade every bird with talons."
[Muslim: 1934; Abū Dāwūd: 3802]
Summary of Rulings:
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
1. Predatory Animals with Fangs
Ḥaḍrat Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ فَأَكْلُهُ حَرَامٌ"
"Every predatory animal with fangs is ḥarām to eat."
[Al-Bukhārī: 5530; Muslim: 1932; Abū Dāwūd: 3802; Al-Tirmidhī: 1477; Al-Nasāʾī: 4325; Ibn Mājah: 3232; Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ: 2/496]
- Nāb: A canine tooth located behind the incisors.
- Sibāʿ: Refers to animals that tear flesh.
- Meaning: Any carnivorous animal that hunts and eats with its canines, e.g., lion, wolf, leopard, etc., is included.
2. Ruling on Fox and Hyena
- Abū Ḥanīfah (رحمه الله): Ḥarām like other predators.
- Al-Shāfiʿī (رحمه الله): Only those predators that attack and tear apart are ḥarām; fox and hyena are not of this category, thus ḥalāl.
Stronger Opinion (Rājiḥ): Permissible to eat, based on the ḥadīth:
Ḥaḍrat Ibn Abī ʿAmmār asked Ḥaḍrat Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
"Is the hyena game?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "May I eat it?" He replied, "Yes." He asked, "Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ eat it?" He replied, "Yes."
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Al-Tirmidhī: 1791; Abū Dāwūd: 3801; Ibn Mājah: 3236; Al-Nasāʾī: 4323]
The narration with the words "ومن يأكل الضبع؟" (Who eats hyena?) is weak due to two weak narrators: ʿAbd al-Karīm Abū Umayyah and Ismāʿīl ibn Muslim.
[Ḍaʿīf: Al-Tirmidhī: 303; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: 2/646]
3. Birds of Prey with Talons
Ḥaḍrat Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated:
"نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ"
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade every bird with talons."
[Muslim: 1934; Abū Dāwūd: 3802]
- Mikhlab: Talon or claw similar to human nails, used to seize prey.
- Meaning: Birds that hunt and strengthen their grip with talons (e.g., eagle, falcon, hawk, kite) are included.
Summary of Rulings:- Ḥarām: Any predatory animal with fangs (lion, tiger, wolf, leopard, etc.) and any bird of prey with talons (eagle, falcon, hawk, kite, etc.).
- Permissible: Fox and hyena (based on stronger evidence).
