Comprehensive Chapter on Animals that are not Edible

أَبُو سَعِيدٍ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ- الْكُوفَةُ جُمْجُمَةُ الْعَرَبِ وَ رُمْحُ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى وَ كَنْزُ الْإِيمَانِ فَخُذْ عَنْهُمْ أُخْبِرُكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص مَكَثَ بِمَكَّةَ يَوْماً وَ لَيْلَةً يَطْوِي‌[3] ثُمَّ خَرَجَ وَ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ فَمَرَرْنَا بِرِفْقَةٍ جُلُوسٍ يَتَغَدَّوْنَ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْغَدَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَعَمْ أَفْرِجُوا لِنَبِيِّكُمْ فَجَلَسَ بَ

1. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from Bistam ibn Murrah from Ishaq ibn Hassan from Haytham ibn Waqid from Ali ibn al-Hassan al-‘Abdiy from abu Harun from abu Sa‘id al-Khudriy who was asked about the following: “Abu Harun once asked abu Sa‘id al-Khudriy, ‘What do you say about this fish

كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ وَ مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ حَرَامٌ.

’Of the beasts that which have canine teeth and of birds those which have claws are not lawful for food.’”

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ: كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ وَ مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ حَرَامٌ وَ قَالَ ع لَا تَأْكُلْ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ شَيْئاً.

‘Of the beasts that which have canine teeth and of birds that which have claws are not lawful for food.’ He (the Imam) has said, ‘Do not use any of the beasts for food.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ يَعْنِي مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ ع أَ يَحِلُّ أَكْلُ لَحْمِ الْفِيلِ فَقَالَ لَا قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ قَالَ ع لِأَنَّهُ مَثُلَةٌ وَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْأَمْسَاخَ وَ لَحْمَ مَا مُثِّلَ بِهِ فِي صُوَرِهَا.

He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lawful for food.’ I then asked, ‘Why is it so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It has deformities and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made what is metamorphosed unlawful for food as well as the flesh of what is deformed in its shape.”’

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَكْلِ الضَّبِّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الضَّبَّ وَ الْفَأْرَةَ وَ الْقِرَدَةَ وَ الْخَنَازِيرَ مُسُوخٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about eating lizards. He (the Imam) said, ‘Lizards, rats, apes and pigs are metamorphosed.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ لَحْمِ الْكَلْبِ فَقَالَ هُوَ مَسْخٌ قُلْتُ هُوَ حَرَامٌ قَالَ هُوَ نَجَسٌ أُعِيدُهَا عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ هُوَ نَجَسٌ.

‘It is metamorphosed.’ I asked, ‘Is it unlawful for food?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is Najis (unclean). I repeat it three times for you and each one says it is Najis (unclean).”’

أَنَّهُ كَرِهَ أَكْلَ كُلِّ ذِي حُمَةٍ[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), disliked using poisonous things for food.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْغُرَابِ الْأَبْقَعِ‌[2] وَ الْأَسْوَدِ أَ يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُمَا فَقَالَ لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْغِرْبَانِ زَاغٍ وَ لَا غَيْرِهِ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about using crows of several colors and black ones, for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘None of the crows are lawful for food, zagh or others.’”

الطَّاوُسُ لَا يَحِلُّ أَكْلُهُ وَ لَا بَيْضُهُ.

‘It is not lawful to use it or its eggs for food.’”

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْهَا وَ عَنْ أَكْلِهَا يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ وَ إِنَّمَا نَهَى عَنْ أَكْلِهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ لِأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ حَمُولَةَ النَّاسِ‌[1] وَ إِنَّمَا الْحَرَامُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي الْقُرْآنِ.

’The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited it on the day of Khaybar. He (the Messenger of Allah) did so on that day because people used it for transportation. Unlawful is what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made unlawful i

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَانُوا أَجْهَدُوا فِي خَيْبَرَ فَأَسْرَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي دَوَابِّهِمْ فَأَمَرَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بِإِكْفَاءِ الْقُدُورِ وَ لَمْ يَقُلْ إِنَّهَا حَرَامٌ وَ كَانَ ذَلِكَ إِبْقَاءً عَلَى الدَّوَابِّ.

’Muslims during the days of Khaybar faced difficulties and they rushed their stumpers. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, commanded that the cooking pots must be emptied (of cooking donkey flesh) and did not say it is unlawful for food.

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ لُحُومِ الْخَيْلِ فَقَالَ لَا تَأْكُلْ إِلَّا أَنْ تُصِيبَكَ ضَرُورَةٌ وَ لُحُومِ الْحُمُرِ الْأَهْلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّهُ مَنَعَ أَكْلَهَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about the flesh of horses. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not use it for food unless it is a matter of necessity, as well as the flesh of the domestic donkeys. He (the Imam) said, ’It is in the book of Ali, Alayhi al-Salam, that he (the Imam) prohibited using it for food.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ لُحُومِ الْحَمِيرِ فَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ أَكْلِهَا يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَكْلِ الْخَيْلِ وَ الْبِغَالِ فَقَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْهَا فَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِلَّا أَنْ تُضْطَرُّوا إِلَيْهَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about the flesh of donkeys. He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited using it for food on the day of Khaybar.’ I asked him (the Imam) about using horses and mules

الْفِيلُ مَسْخٌ كَانَ مَلِكاً زَنَّاءً وَ الذِّئْبُ مَسْخٌ كَانَ أَعْرَابِيّاً دَيُّوثاً وَ الْأَرْنَبُ مَسْخٌ كَانَتِ امْرَأَةً تَخُونُ زَوْجَهَا وَ لَا تَغْتَسِلُ مِنْ حَيْضِهَا وَ الْوَطْوَاطُ[2] مَسْخٌ كَانَ يَسْرِقُ تُمُورَ النَّاسِ وَ الْقِرَدَةُ وَ الْخَنَازِيرُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْتَدَوْا فِي السَّبْتِ وَ الْجِرِّيثُ وَ الضَّبُّ فِرْقَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا حَيْثُ نَزَلَتِ ال

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The Elephant is metamorphosed, he was a king who fornicated. The wolf is metamorphosed. He was an A’rabi and a pimp. The Fox is metamorphosed. She was a woman who cheated her husband and would not take Ghusl (bath) because of her Hayd (menses). The Bat is metamorpho

سُئِلَ‌ الرِّضَا ع عَنِ الْغُرَابِ الْأَبْقَعِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَا يُؤْكَلُ وَ قَالَ وَ مَنْ أَحَلَّ لَكَ الْأَسْوَدَ.

“Al-Rida’ (a.s.), was asked about the crow of several colors; if it can be use for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘Who is he that has made the black lawful for you for food?”’

الطَّاوُسُ مَسْخٌ كَانَ رَجُلًا جَمِيلًا فَكَابَرَ امْرَأَةَ رَجُلٍ مُؤْمِنٍ تُحِبُّهُ فَوَقَعَ بِهَا ثُمَّ رَاسَلَتْهُ بَعْدُ فَمَسَخَهُمَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ طَاوُسَيْنِ أُنْثَى وَ ذَكَراً وَ لَا يُؤْكَلُ لَحْمُهُ وَ لَا بَيْضُهُ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘The Peacock is metamorphosed. He was a beautiful man. He treated with disregard the woman of a believing man. The woman loved him and he fell on her, then continued and was metamorphosed by Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, in the form of male and female. It is not edible,