34/7. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1946a — Halal Food: Knowing Food Before Eating
The permissibility of eating the Dabb (mastigure)
Hadith About Knowing Food Before Eating: The Lizard Report
Sahih Muslim : 1946a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1946a
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، وَحَرْمَلَةُ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَرْمَلَةُ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ بْنِ سَهْلِ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ سَيْفُ اللَّهِ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، دَخَلَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مَيْمُونَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ خَالَتُهُ وَخَالَةُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا ضَبًّا مَحْنُوذًا قَدِمَتْ بِهِ أُخْتُهَا حُفَيْدَةُ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ مِنْ نَجْدٍ فَقَدَّمَتِ الضَّبَّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَانَ قَلَّمَا يُقَدَّمُ إِلَيْهِ طَعَامٌ حَتَّى يُحَدَّثَ بِهِ وَيُسَمَّى لَهُ فَأَهْوَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ إِلَى الضَّبِّ فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ النِّسْوَةِ الْحُضُورِ أَخْبِرْنَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَا قَدَّمْتُنَّ لَهُ . قُلْنَ هُوَ الضَّبُّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ فَقَالَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ أَحَرَامٌ الضَّبُّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " لاَ وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِأَرْضِ قَوْمِي فَأَجِدُنِي أَعَافُهُ " . قَالَ خَالِدٌ فَاجْتَرَرْتُهُ فَأَكَلْتُهُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنْظُرُ فَلَمْ يَنْهَنِي .
Khalid bin Al-Walid Narrated from:
Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported that Khalid b. Walid who is called the Sword of Allah had informed him that he visited Maimuna, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and she was the sister of his mother (that of Khalid) and that of 'Ibn Abbas, and he found with her a roasted lizard which her sister Hufaida the daughter of al-Harith had brought from Najd, and she presented that lizard to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).It was rare that some food was presented to the Prophet (ﷺ) and it was not mentioned or named. While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was about to stretch forth his hand towards the lizard, a woman from amongst the women present there informed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what they had presented to him. They said: Messenger of Allah, it is a lizard.Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) withdrew his hand, whereupon Khalid b. Walid said: Messenger of Allah, is a lizard forbidden? There upon he said: No, but it is not found in the land of my people, and I feel that I have no liking for it. Khalid said: I then chewed and ate it, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was looking at me and he did not forbid (me to eat it).
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1946aIn-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 64USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 21, Hadith 4791
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1946a
This detailed lizard meat hadith shows two clear points. First, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was usually told what a food was before he ate it. Second, when the roasted lizard was named, he withdrew his hand, not because he declared it haram, but because it was not found in the land of his people and he did not like it. Khalid ibn Walid then ate it while Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم looked on and did not forbid him. For readers searching Sahih Muslim 1946a, Prophet knew food before eating, or dabb halal hadith, this report is useful because it gives both the food setting and the exact answer to the question about prohibition.
What we learn from this hadith
- Food was named for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم before eating in this report.
- He withdrew his hand after learning it was lizard.
- He said it was not forbidden.
- He did not forbid Khalid when Khalid ate it.
