Things that can be Used from a Dead Animal and things that Cannot be Used

كُنْتُ جَالِساً فِي مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ص إِذَا أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ فَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَنْتَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ[1] فَقُلْتُ مَا حَاجَتُكَ فَقَالَ لِي أَ تَعْرِفُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ ع فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَمَا حَاجَتُكَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ هَيَّأْتُ لَهُ أَرْبَعِينَ مَسْأَلَةً أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْهَا فَمَا كَانَ مِنْ حَقٍّ أَخَذْتُهُ وَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ بَاطِلٍ تَرَكْتُهُ قَالَ

“Once I was in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, when a man came and offered Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace) and asked, ‘Who are you, O servant of Allah?’ I replied, ‘I am a man from al-Kufah.’ I then ask

خَمْسَةُ أَشْيَاءَ ذَكِيَّةٌ مِمَّا فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ الْخَلْقِ الْإِنْفَحَةُ وَ الْبَيْضَةُ وَ الصُّوفُ وَ الشَّعْرُ وَ الْوَبَرُ لَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِ الْجُبُنِّ كُلِّهِ مِمَّا عَمِلَهُ مُسْلِمٌ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ وَ إِنَّمَا يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُؤْكَلَ سِوَى‌ الْإِنْفَحَةِ مِمَّا فِي آنِيَةِ الْمَجُوسِ وَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَتَوَقَّوْنَ الْمَيْتَةَ وَ الْخَمْرَ[1].

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus from ‘A’immah, ‘Alayhim af-Salam, who has said the following: “’A’immah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said, ‘Five advantageous things to people are clean. Of such things, one is rennet, eggs, wool, hairs, and fur and it is not unlawful to ea

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَبِي يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ اللَّبَنِ مِنَ الْمَيْتَةِ وَ الْبَيْضَةِ مِنَ الْمَيْتَةِ وَ إِنْفَحَةِ الْمَيْتَةِ فَقَالَ كُلُّ هَذَا ذَكِيٌّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَشَعْرُ الْخِنْزِيرِ يُعْمَلُ حَبْلًا وَ يُسْتَقَى بِهِ مِنَ الْبِئْرِ الَّتِي يُشْرَبُ مِنْهَا أَوْ يُتَوَضَّأُ مِنْهَا قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ‌[2]. - وَ زَادَ فِيهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاط

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and my father was asking him (the Imam) questions about milk from a dead animal, eggs from dead chickens and rennet from dead animals. He (the Imam) said, ‘All of these things are clean.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then asked him (the Imam) about the hairs of pigs from which

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِزُرَارَةَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ اللَّبَنُ وَ اللِّبَأُ[3] وَ الْبَيْضَةُ وَ الشَّعْرُ وَ الصُّوفُ وَ الْقَرْنُ وَ النَّابُ وَ الْحَافِرُ وَ كُلُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يُفْصَلُ مِنَ الشَّاةِ وَ الدَّابَّةِ فَهُوَ ذَكِيٌّ وَ إِنْ أَخَذْتَهُ مِنْهَا بَعْدَ أَنْ تَمُوتَ فَاغْسِلْهُ وَ صَلِّ فِيهِ.

‘The milk, that kind of milk which is drawn first, eggs, hairs, wool, horns, teeth, hooves and everything separated from sheep and the stumper is clean but if you take such things after the animal dies then wash it and perform Salat (prayer) with it.’”

إِنْ كَانَتِ الْبَيْضَةُ اكْتَسَتِ الْجِلْدَ الْغَلِيظَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهَا.

‘If the egg is covered with its thick crust , then it is not unlawful.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ جُلُودِ الْمَيْتَةِ الَّتِي يُؤْكَلُ لَحْمُهَا إِنْ ذُكِّيَ فَكَتَبَ لَا يُنْتَفَعُ مِنَ الْمَيْتَةِ بِإِهَابٍ وَ لَا عَصَبٍ وَ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ مِنَ السِّخَالِ مِنَ الصُّوفِ إِنْ جُزَّ وَ الشَّعْرِ وَ الْوَبَرِ وَ الْإِنْفَحَةِ وَ الْقَرْنِ وَ لَا يُتَعَدَّى إِلَى غَيْرِهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ‌[1].

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), asking about the skins of dead animals which are of the edible kind if slaughtered properly. He (the Imam) wrote in answer, ‘It is not permissible to benefit from the skins of dead animals or sinew (but you can benefit) from items from lambs, like wool even if they are pulled out,

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الْمَيْتَةُ يُنْتَفَعُ مِنْهَا بِشَيْ‌ءٍ فَقَالَ لَا قُلْتُ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص مَرَّ بِشَاةٍ مَيْتَةٍ فَقَالَ مَا كَانَ عَلَى أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الشَّاةِ إِذَا لَمْ يَنْتَفِعُوا بِلَحْمِهَا أَنْ يَنْتَفِعُوا بِإِهَابِهَا قَالَ تِلْكَ شَاةٌ كَانَتْ لِسَوْدَةَ بِنْتِ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ص وَ كَانَتْ شَاةً مَهْزُولَةً لَا يُنْتَفَعُ بِلَحْمِهَا فَتَرَكُوه

“I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, is it permissible to benefit from dead animals?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not permissible.’ I then said, ‘It is narrated to us from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family wor