The Prohibition of Domestic Donkey Meat

This narration from Sahih Muslim (Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten, Hadith 561 d) establishes the clear prohibition (tahrim) of consuming the flesh of domesticated donkeys. The specification "domestic asses" indicates that wild donkeys (which are game animals) remain permissible, as established in other authentic narrations.

Contextual Significance

The mention of the Day of Khaibar is profoundly significant. This was a moment of severe hardship where the Muslim army faced food scarcity. Despite this genuine need (hajah), the Prophet (ﷺ) maintained the prohibition, demonstrating that this ruling is absolute and not subject to abrogation or temporary suspension due to difficulty.

The phrase "in spite of the fact that people needed that" emphasizes the strength of the prohibition. It was not a mere recommendation but a firm divine law that takes precedence over circumstantial needs, except in cases of life-threatening necessity (darurah).

Scholarly Consensus and Wisdom

There is consensus (ijma') among the majority of scholars from the four schools of jurisprudence on the impermissibility of eating domestic donkey meat based on this and other corroborating hadith.

The wisdom (hikmah) behind this prohibition, as explained by classical scholars like Imam An-Nawawi, includes considerations of purity, the noble nature of these animals as beasts of burden, and their proximity to human habitation. This ruling distinguishes the Muslim dietary laws and reinforces the concept of divinely ordained boundaries.