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[Q-ID0527] What is the Islamic ruling on eating Porcupine (سیہ / النيص)?

QUESTION:

What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: What is the ruling/view of the أَحْنَاف / Ahnaaf (Hanafi’s) regarding porcupine? Also, is there any Madhab (School of Thought) which grants permissibility to consume it?

Questioner: Zuhaiyb from Pakistan

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

According to أحناف (Hanafi’s), it is impermissible to consume/eat porcupine as this is a filthy/foul animal as mentioned in the Blessed Hadith:

عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ نُمَيْلَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ أَكْلِ الْقُنْفُذِ، فَتَلَا {قُلْ لَا أَجِدُ فِيمَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا} الْآيَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ شَيْخٌ عِنْدَهُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ: ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ «خَبِيثَةٌ مِنَ الْخَبَائِثِ» فَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: «إِنْ كَانَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَذَا فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ مَا لَمْ نَدْرِ”

Translation: On the authority of Esaa son of Numaylah, who narrated (this) from his father, He (Hazrat Numaylah) said: ” I was in the company of Hazrat Ibn Umar رضي الله تعالى عنهما and he was questioned regarding porcupine, then he recited this Ayat:

“… قُلْ لَا أَجِدُ فِيمَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا“

Translation: “Say (O Dear Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ ), I do not find in what was sent down to me any eatable (food) prohibited…”

[Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 145]

Near him was an elderly man who said:

I heard Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah رضي الله تعالى عنه say; “This animal, it was mentioned in the court of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ  and He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ said:

“It is one from the many animals that are unclean/filthy.”

So Ibn Umar رضي الله تعالى عنه stated:

“If the Messenger of Allah صلّی اللّہ علیہ وآلہ وسلّم  really did say this, then that is definitely what it is and we do not know.”

[سنن ابی داؤد باب فی اکل حشرات الارض  رقم 3799]

As well as this, Allah عزّوجلّ explains the qualities of the Messenger of Allahصلّی اللّہ علیہ وآلہ وسلّم  in the Majestic Qur’aan:

” وَیُحَرِّمُ عَلَیۡہِمُ الْخَبٰٓئِثَ“

 Translation: “And He (The Noble Prophet) will prohibit the foul (things) for them.”

[Surat ul A’raaf: 157]

In conclusion, according to us (أَحْنَاف), On the basis of this animal being classified as filthy/impure/foul, it is (لا يجوز) impermissible for us to consume it.

Whereas, according to the شَوافِع (Shaafi’is), there is permission/approval (رُخْصَتْ) to consume it.

As cited in the Explanation of the Book Hidaayah, namely Binaayah:

القنفذ عندنا حرام ومالك وأحمد، ورخص فيه الشافعي رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فكأنه ما جعله من الخبائث ولا من السباع. قلنا: إن أبا هريرة رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ ذكر القنفذ لرسول الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  فقال: صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – وهو حسبه من الخبائث”

(البنایہ شرح ہدایہ، ج11، ص601)

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Bilal Shabir

Read the original Urdu answer here:  [Q-ID0527] What is the Islamic ruling on eating Porcupine?

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