The Rat that Dies in Food or Drinks

إِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْفَأْرَةُ فِي السَّمْنِ فَمَاتَتْ فِيهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ جَامِداً فَأَلْقِهَا وَ مَا يَلِيهَا وَ كُلْ مَا بَقِيَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ ذَائِباً فَلَا تَأْكُلْهُ وَ اسْتَصْبِحْ بِهِ وَ الزَّيْتُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ.

‘If a rat falls in ghee and dies in it, if it is solid, it (the rat) then must be thrown away as well as whatever has come in contact with it. If it is fluid you must not use it for food but you can use it for lighting during the night and so also is the case about oil.”’

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُرَذٌ[1] مَاتَ فِي سَمْنٍ أَوْ زَيْتٍ أَوْ عَسَلٍ فَقَالَ ع أَمَّا السَّمْنُ وَ الْعَسَلُ فَيُؤْخَذُ الْجُرَذُ وَ مَا حَوْلَهُ وَ الزَّيْتُ يُسْتَصْبَحُ بِهِ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the mouse that dies in ghee or oil or honey. He (the Imam) said, ‘In the case of ghee and honey the mouse and whatever has come in contact with it can be taken out; but oil can be used only for lighting during the night.’”

إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع سُئِلَ عَنْ قِدْرٍ طُبِخَتْ فَإِذَا فِي الْقِدْرِ فَأْرَةٌ قَالَ يُهَرَاقُ مَرَقُهَا وَ يُغْسَلُ اللَّحْمُ وَ يُؤْكَلُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about rat or dog that falls in ghee and oil, then it is taken out alive. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful to use it for food.’” (In al-Tahdhib by Shaykh there is no mention of dog. It perhaps is a mistake by scribes).

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْفَأْرَةِ وَ الْكَلْبِ‌[2] يَقَعُ فِي السَّمْنِ وَ الزَّيْتِ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ حَيّاً فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِهِ.

Abu Ali Al Ashary, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, from Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Ali Bin Al Noman, from Saeed Al A’araj who said, ‘I asked Abu Abdullah asws about the mouse and the dog which fall into the butter and the oil, then come out alive from it’. So he asws said: ‘There is no problem with eating it’.