The Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten - Sahih Muslim

Hadith Reference: Sahih Muslim 1933 a

Textual Ruling

The prohibition against consuming fanged beasts of prey is established through multiple authentic narrations, including the hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Every fanged beast of prey is unlawful to eat."

Scholarly Commentary

This prohibition encompasses all carnivorous animals possessing canine teeth used for hunting and tearing flesh, such as lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, and similar creatures. The wisdom behind this prohibition lies in their predatory nature and consumption of raw flesh, which is considered impure (khabīth).

The majority of scholars from the Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools maintain this prohibition based on the clear textual evidence. The underlying cause ('illah) is their fanged nature and predatory character, which renders them inherently unclean for consumption.

Juridical Application

This ruling applies regardless of whether the animal is domesticated or wild, as long as it possesses the characteristic of being a fanged predator. The prohibition extends to all parts of the animal, not merely its flesh.

Exceptions to this general rule are not recognized in the mainstream scholarly positions, making such consumption categorically forbidden (haram) in Islamic law.