42/33. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4346 — Chicken Meat and Breaking an Oath
Permissibility Ofg Eating The Flesh Of Chickens
Chicken Meat and Kafarat Al-Yamin: A Hadith on Correcting an Oath
Sunan an-Nasai : 4346
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4346
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا مُوسَى، أُتِيَ بِدَجَاجَةٍ فَتَنَحَّى رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَقَالَ مَا شَأْنُكَ قَالَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهَا تَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا قَذِرْتُهُ فَحَلَفْتُ أَنْ لاَ آكُلَهُ . فَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى ادْنُ فَكُلْ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْكُلُهُ . وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ .
Zahdam Narrated from:
Some chicken was brought to Abu Musa and a man moved away from the people. He said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "I saw it eating something that I consider filthy, and I swore I would not eat it." Abu Musa said: "Come and eat, for I saw the Messenger of Allah eating it." And he told him to offer an expiation for his vow (Kafarat Al-Yamin)
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4346In-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 84English translation : Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 4351
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4346
This hadith connects the permissibility of chicken meat with kafarat al-yamin, or expiation for an oath. A man stayed away from the chicken because he had once seen it eat something he considered dirty, and he had sworn not to eat it. Abu Musa told him to come and eat because he had seen the Messenger of Allah eat chicken. He also instructed the man to offer expiation for his oath. The narration shows that a personal feeling of disgust did not turn chicken into forbidden food. It also shows that an oath may need to be corrected through expiation rather than used to keep avoiding something the Prophet ate. The main point is practical: follow clear prophetic guidance and deal properly with an unnecessary oath.
What we learn from this hadith
- Chicken remained permissible despite the man’s personal dislike.
- Abu Musa supported his advice by mentioning the Prophet’s practice.
- The man was told to offer expiation for his oath.
- Personal disgust does not by itself make a permitted food forbidden.
