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Ruling on Eating Horse
Meat
Praise be to Allaah.
The majority
of scholars are of the view that it is permissible to eat horses,
because of the sound ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that.
It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: On the day of Khaybar, the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eating the flesh of domestic
donkeys, but he granted a concession with regard to horses.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3982; Muslim, 1941.
It was narrated that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: At the time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we slaughtered a horse and
ate it. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5191; Muslim, 1942.
It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: We traveled with the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we used to eat the flesh
of horses and drink their milk. Narrated by al-Daaraqutni and
al-Bayhaqi. Al-Nawawi said: with a saheeh isnaad.
Other
scholars – including Abu Haneefah and his two companions – are of the
view that it is makrooh to eat horse meat. They quoted a Qur’aanic verse
and a hadeeth as evidence for that.
The verse is
as follows (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (He has created) horses, mules and donkeys,
for you to ride and as an adornment” [al-Nahl 16:8]
They said:
He did not mention eating them, but He mentioned eating an’aam animals
(camels, cattle etc) in a previous verse (verse 5).
The scholars
responded to that by noting that mention of riding and adornment does
not mean that their benefits are limited to that, rather these two are
singled out for mention because they are the uses to which horses are
put in the majority of cases. This is like the verse in which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): “Forbidden
to you (for food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not
slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine” [al-Maa’idah 5:3]. Here
flesh is mentioned because that is what is usually eaten in most cases.
The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the fat, blood and all other
parts of the pig are also forbidden, and they said: hence Allaah does
not mention carrying load on horses, although He says with regard to
an’aam animals (camels etc), “And they carry your
loads” [al-Nahl 16:7]. This does not imply that it is haraam to
carry loads on horses. End quote from al-Majmoo’.
The hadeeth that they quote is that
which was narrated from Khaalid ibn al-Waalid, that he said:
The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the flesh of horses,
mules and donkeys, and every wild animal that has fangs.”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah.
This
hadeeth is da’eef (weak), and was classed as such by al-Albaani in
Da’eef Abi Dawood.
Al-Haafiz Moosa ibn Haroon said:
This is a weak hadeeth. Al-Bukhaari said: This hadeeth is subject
to further investigation.
Al-Bayhaqi
said: This is a mudtarab (faulty) isnaad, and in addition to that
it contradicts the ahaadeeth of trustworthy narrators, which say that
the meat of horses is permitted. Al-Khattaabi said: There is something
wrong with its isnaad. Abu Dawood said: This hadeeth is
mansookh (abrogated). Al-Nasaa’i said: The hadeeth which says
that it is permissible is more sound. It is more likely, if this is
saheeh, that it has been abrogated, because of what it says in the
saheeh hadeeth, “Permission was given to eat the flesh of horses,”
indicates that.
End quote
from al-Majmoo’, 9/7-5 |
