Animal life

Animals, man, parts of animals, offal of animals, and other things that are connected to animals will all be explained in this chapter.

All the parts of man are sacred irrespective of whether he is a Muslim or a kaafir . Based on this, all the following acts are not permissible: burning a person irrespective of whether he is dead or alive, buying and selling of a corpse, keeping the skeleton of a human for medical (or other) reasons, removing an infant from the womb of a woman as long as it is alive, the drinking of breast milk for anyone other than the child during the period of breastfeeding, using breast milk externally such as in the eyes or ears. It is permissible to have forms of the human body made with wax or rubber for explanatory purposes provided that each limb is separate so that it does not fall within the confines of being a picture. It is permissible to look at the internal organs of a living person through x-rays.

Masa'il

1. It is not permissible to burn an animal that is alive. It is also not permissible to cause it unnecessary harm. For example, it is not permissible to burn a live animal by immersing it in hot oil or to fill a utensil with worms and boil them with water or any other substance in order to produce oil from them. One could kill the worms first and then place them in the oil. This would make no difference in the oil. Some people are in the habit of keeping scarlet flies in a glass container for a few days so that they may die. This is also considered to be cruel. If there is any other method of killing them immediately, that should be adopted. For example, one could place them in oil. But if there is no alternative, it will be permissible to kill them through the above-mentioned methods just as the jurists have permitted the killing of silkworms by placing them in the sun because there is no other way of killing them. Live earthworms threaded onto a fish-hook for catching fish is also considered cruel. The bait should be killed and then used for fishing.

2. Any part of a live animal which has the sense of perception cannot be cut and used for any purpose. In other words, that part which has been severed from a live animal is considered to be a maytah . For example, severing the ear of a live goat or the hard fat that is found near the knees of a horse and using such parts. (This is not permissible). If the part of a live animal has no sense of perception, and is cut off, it is regarded as pure. Such parts include the tusks of an elephant and the hair of a goat. If such a part is obtained from a halaal animal, it will be permissible to eat that part as well. But if such a part is obtained from an animal that is not eaten, it will only be permissibe to use that part externally.

3. Apart from pigs, the buying and selling of all animals is permissible if it is for some benefit. This is irrespective of whether they are marine animals or land animals, large animals or small animals. Such transactions are even permissible with regard to dogs, cheetahs, snakes, etc. Transactions with regard to dead animals are permissible on condition that they are considered to be pure, e.g. animals of the sea, worms and insects that do not have flowing blood, or animals that have flowing blood but have been slaughtered in the Islamic way. This is because all animals are considered to be pure once they have been slaughtered, except for pigs. Transactions with the meat and other parts of such animals (except pigs) will therefore be permissible if it is for external usage.

4. All marine animals are pure irrespective of whether they are large or small and irrespective of whether they have been slaughtered or not. However, according to the Hanafi mazhab, it is not permissible to eat any of the marine animals except fish. External usage of all marine animals and the products thereof will be permissible. But it should be borne in mind that it is makruh to kill frogs. However, if a frog is found dead, it will be permissible to use it externally. This refers to frogs that live in water. As for those that live on land, they have flowing blood and are therefore considered to be najis . Therefore, if a land frog is found dead, it will fall under the category of maytah . If a land frog is slaughtered, it will be considered to be pure. If it is very tiny, it will not be considered to possess flowing blood. Water frogs have webbed feet similar to that of ducks. According to the Shaafi'ee mazhab , all marine animals except the following are halaal : shells, crabs, frogs, alligators, snakes, and turtles. According to the Maliki mazhab all sea animals are halaal . Crabs retain their medicinal value even after they are burnt to ashes. Therefore, homoeopathic doctors wishing to use crabs in their medicines should use burnt crabs (or crab ash). Dried testicles of an otter (used as a drug) cannot be used internally according to all the mazhabs . The Hanafis say that it is not permissible because of two reasons: first of all it is the part of a marine animal. The second reason is that it is actually the testicles of the animal. The Hadith clearly prohibits the consumption of testicles. The other mazhabs prohibit it on account of the latter reason. Therefore, it could be used externally because it is pure according to them. It is permissible to add it in perfumes.

5. Since there is no need to slaughter a fish, it is therefore permissible to eat a fish that has been caught by a kaafir . The same applies to locusts.

6. Worms and insects and all other land animals that do not have flowing blood are considered to be pure, e.g. most of the insects such as scorpions, butterflies, small lizards which do not have flowing blood, small snakes that do not have flowing blood, etc. All such animals could be used externally in whichever way one wishes but it is haraam to use them internally. Only locusts can be consumed internally. It is not permissible for patients afflicted with small-pox to eat flies. It is not permissible to eat earthworms for the purposes of sexual potency. In order to gain benefit from such things, one should rather feed them to small chicks and thereafter eat these very chicks.

7. If substances are produced from the saliva of insects that do not have the quality of istiqzaar (natural dislike) in them, then such substances will be halaal . Such substances include: silk cocoons, etc. This is based on the permissibility of honey (which is also the product of the saliva of bees).

8. It is not permissible to eat insects that are found inside wild figs. Similarly, it is not permissible to consume vinegar or any other mixture together with any insects that may have fallen into it. Sweetmeats that contain flies cannot be eaten together with the flies. Once the flies (and other insects) are removed, they may be consumed. While filtering honey, if any young of the bees which are not born as yet, become mixed with the honey, there will be no harm in eating such honey because they (the young unborn bees) are not regarded as maytah (animals that have died a natural death), nor are they considered to be animals as yet. The same will apply to web-like substances that form in flour which have not developed into live insects as yet. Such flour together with these web-like substances can be eaten. When filtering vinegar, one should not have any doubt or misgiving that some insect or the other may have got mixed into it and become completely absorbed by it. (In other words, there is no harm in consuming such vinegar).

9. The buying and selling of maytah is invalid. Maytah is considered to be najis . It is therefore not permissible to use it internally or externally. Leeches, earthworms, and all other insects that do not have flowing blood are not regarded as najis even after they die. Engaging in transactions with them is therefore valid and it is also permissible to use them externally.

10. Apart from pigs, all animals that have flowing blood become purified once they are slaughtered in the Islamic way. This is irrespective of whether these animals are normally halaal or not. In other words, all parts of such animals that are slaughtered in the Islamic way are pure. Such parts include: the meat, fat, intestines, tripe, gizzard, bladder, nerves, etc. All these parts except for the flowing blood will be pure. Based on this, these parts can be used externally, e.g. bandaging a particular part around the head. Obviously, it will not be permissible to eat such animals except those that are permitted to be eaten. The doctors can benefit tremendously from this mas'ala . The intestines, tripe, gizzard and bladder will have to be thoroughly washed from external impurity.

11. A maytah is najis except for the following parts: hair, bones which have no meat or stickiness whatsoever on them, and the skin once it is tanned. Certain parts also fall under the purview of the skin and can therefore be purified through tanning. Such parts are: the bladder, the stomach, the gall bladder, the rind, the gizzard, the intestines and the membrane in which the foetus is enveloped. All these parts can be purified through tanning. Nerves and tendons that have been tanned, nails, hooves, horns, feathers, and the parts of a maytah which (according to our view) can be purified; means that salaat with such parts is valid, one can engage in transactions with them (buying and selling), and one can use them externally. However, it is not permissible to eat any part of a maytah irrespective of whether such an animal is halaal to eat (such as goats, bulls, camels, etc.) or whether such an animal is not halaal to eat (such as lions, dogs, etc.). As regards pigs, even all the above-mentioned parts are najis . Some jurists have stated that it is permissible to use the hair of pigs for stitching. This permissibility was based on the need of that time and no longer applies. Tanning in the above context refers to protecting those parts from decomposing and offensive odour.

12. Ivory is pure irrespective of whether it was obtained from a dead elephant or a live one. However, it is not permissible to use it internally. It can be used externally.

13. The milk of the animals whose meat is haraam is also najis and haraam . And the milk of the animals whose meat is halaal is also pure and halaal . Even if a halaal animal dies, it is permissible to extract the milk from its udders. This milk is also pure and halaal . Drinking the milk of a donkey for treating tuberculosis and ulceration of the lungs is considered to be haraam medical treatment. The milk of a horse is halaal and pure because a horse is halaal . It is only prohibited because of expediency.

14. The rule concerning the eggs of animals is the same as the meat of that animal. However, there is a difference between eggs and milk (which is still regarded as pure and halaal after the death of the animal) in that if a halaal animal dies and its eggs are removed from within, the stickiness and wetness that is found on the eggs will have to be removed.

15. Although the meat and other parts of a haraam animal become pure after it has been slaughtered, the eggs do not become pure.

16. When the rotten egg of a halaal animal turns to blood, that egg will be considered to be najis and haraam . But once the blood forms into an offspring, the latter is regarded as halaal and pure. If the offspring has already formed but life has not entered it as yet, then even in such a case it will be considered to be pure and it will be permissible to eat it because it has now formed into meat. The egg of a haraam animal is haraam and najis in the first and third cases (mentioned above). In the second case if the offspring has life, it will be pure but haraam .

17. Flowing blood is impure. Flowing blood refers to blood which has the capacity to flow. Such blood or any part thereof is najis . It is not permissible to use it internally or externally. The blood that is found at that spot on the neck where an animal is slaughtered is also flowing blood. That area cannot be regarded as pure until that blood is washed off and completely removed. The blood that remains in the veins or the skin is not regarded as flowing blood because it would lead to many complications and problems. There is also no harm in eating it. Apart from this, all other blood does not fall under the category of flowing blood and is certainly pure. But it should be borne in mind that such blood cannot be used internally, e.g. it is not permissible to drink the blood of a bug. It is not permissible to apply the blood of a pigeon on a paralysed portion of the body because it is flowing blood. However, the blood of a bug can be used for the same purpose because it is not flowing blood. Insects are considered to have blood that does not flow. All marine animals, whether large or small, are considered to have blood that does not flow. Lizards and snakes that are less than a span in length are also considered to have blood that does not flow. Pus, matter, and other liquids that flow from wounds and which break wudu fall under the category of blood. Such substances cannot be used in any way. So much so, it is not even permissible to make a dog lick off the yoghurt that is applied on a wound. There are two reasons for this prohibition: (i) The saliva of a dog is najis and we know that when something is categorized as najis , it cannot be used externally as well. (ii) The pus, blood, and other substances that are emitted from a wound are najis and it is not permissible to feed anything that is najis even to dogs.

18. Blood that has been consumed by a leech is considered to be flowing and therefore impure. However, once that blood becomes part and parcel of that leech, it will be considered to be pure on the basis of tabdeel-e-maahiyat (changing of the intrinsic nature of a substance). The means of differentiating this is that it (blood that is not flowing and therefore pure) will not come off the leech by merely rubbing it. All the waste matter of halaal birds is pure with the exception of blood. However, none of this waste matter can be used internally because of istikhbaath (natural aversion). The gizzards of halaal birds are pure but can only be eaten when their stool has been washed off. The stool of a fowl, duck and wild duck is also najis .

19. If the liquid from the bladder of a halaal bird falls in the surmah , it is considered to be pure and will be permissible to use. However, the bladder of a fowl, duck and wild duck is najis just as their dung is najis . The liquid from the bladder of haraam birds and other animals that have flowing blood is impure. The liquid from the bladder (wherever we have mentioned that it is permissible) will only be permissible if this liquid is less than the content of the other medicines. However, it will be necessary to wash the eyes thoroughly prior to offering salaat if this medicine has flowed out of the eyes. If the content of the medicines is less than that of the liquid of the bladder, it will not be permissible because it is considered to be najis just as urine is najis .

20. It is permissible to apply the bladder of a goat and its liquid onto a pimple or sore. This is based on the opinion of Imam Muhammad rahmatullahi alayh who regards the urine of a halaal animal (that can be eaten) as pure.

21. The excreta of all animals apart from halaal birds is impure. That which cannot be avoided will be overlooked, e.g. the droppings of flies and silkworms. No matter how much you try, some of the droppings will definitely remain behind on the silk. On account of general necessity, the excreta of bats is considered to be pure, i.e. it can be overlooked. In fact, some jurists have gone to the extent of saying that if the urine of cats falls on the clothes, it can be overlooked. But if their urine falls in water, the water will become najis . The excreta of snakes and leeches is najis . Shayaaf-e-magsi (a medication for eyes which contains the excreta of flies) is najis because the principle of general necessity does not apply to the eyes. However, it will be permissible to apply it to the eyes because it is mixed with other medicines which are more than it in content and which are not najis . However, if the medicine flows out of the eyes, it will be necessary to wash it off prior to offering salaat .

22. The excreta of haraam birds is also najis but it is najaasat-e-khafeefah . However, with regard to crows the ruling has been given that it can be overlooked on the principle of general necessity. When any impurity is categorized as najaasat-e-khafeefah , it does not have any influence on the prohibition of its usage. In this regard, najaasat-e-khafeefah and najaasat-e-ghaleezah are equal. Only in salaat there is a difference in that the amount that can be overlooked is the extent of a coin that is approximately 3 centimetres in diameter in respect of najaasat-e-ghaleezah , and one-quarter of a part of a garment in respect of najaasat-e-khafeefah . Water that becomes najis through a najaasat-e-khafeefah is also considered to be khafeefah . And that which becomes najis through a najaasat-e-ghaleezah is also considered to be ghaleezah .

23. The urine of a bat is considered to be pure on the basis of general necessity while others have stated that it is pure on the basis that this animal is in itself halaal .

24. Apart from birds, the saliva and perspiration of halaal animals is pure. The urine of such animals is najaasat-e-khafeefah . All the other fudalaat , such as that which is in the stomach, intestines, excreta, sperm, etc. are najis , i.e. najaasat-e-ghaleezah .

25. The rule concerning haraam animals other than birds is the following: their saliva, offal, excreta, urine, sperm, perspiration, etc. are all regarded as najaasat-e-ghaleezah . Based on this, the filth that is found in the ears of an elephant is also najis . This can only be used externally provided that it is mixed with another substance and its quantity is less than this latter substance. If this filth is used on its own, or mixed with another substance but it is more than the latter substance, then it will not be permissible to use it even for external purposes. The perspiration of an ass and a donkey is pure. Based on this, its filth is also pure. It can therefore be used externally.

26. The urine of rats is najis . However, on account of necessity, it can be overlooked. Similarly, its excreta is also najis . However, it can be overlooked provided its usage is confined to times of necessity. For example, if some of its excreta falls into some medication, one can still use that medication provided that the excreta does not integrate and get mixed up with the medicine. And provided that its quantity is not too much. It will not be permissible to use it intentionally, e.g. bandaging it around the stomach or applying it to a wound caused by a dog. But if there is no other medicine, it can be used because it has been proved to be beneficial.

27. The perspiration, filth, tears, mucus and saliva of man is pure. The saliva can be applied to herpes and to the eyes. The dirt that is emitted from the ears can be used externally. This cannot be used internally on the basis of istikhbaath . Apart from this, all the other fudalaat of man is najis and therefore cannot be used internally or externally. A small amount of vomit (i.e. an amount which does not invalidate wudu ) falls under the category of blood that does not flow. In other words, it is not impure. However, it cannot be used internally on the basis of istikhbaath .