Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

salam

here i wanna know that can we muslims

eat rabbit or hare

as it is said that its good for health but i wanna know can i eat it or is it not permissable

reply soon

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Answer:

Rabbits halaal

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 3-4:

3 Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah, that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any forced by hunger with no inclination to transgression Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

4 They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food): say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by Allah; eat what they catch for you but pronounce the name of Allah over it: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account.

5 This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you, and yours is lawful unto them.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157:

157 Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet (Mohamed (saws)) whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures); in the law and the Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 83 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

A man asked the Messenger of Allah (saws): ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water?’ The Messenger of Allah (saws) replied: ‘Its water is pure and (even) what dies in it is lawful food.’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.435B Narrated by Az Zuhri

The Prophet (saws) prohibited the eating of beasts having fangs.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4089 Narrated by Al-Irbad ibn Sariyyah

On the day of Khaybar Allah's Messenger (saws) forbade every carnivorous beast which had a fang, every bird which had a claw, and the flesh of domestic asses.’

Thus, in light of the above Aayahs of the Holy Quran and the various authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws), the list of the haraam foods in Shariah is as follows:

1. The flesh of any animal that dies of itself or is not duely slaughtered (including fall, strangling, gored to death, etc.)
2. The flesh of swine
3. The food on which any name other than Allah Subhanah’s has been invoked
4. The flesh of the lawful animal that is slaughtered by any other than the believers, Jews or Christians.
5. The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any animal which hunts with its fangs. (eg. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, etc.)
6. The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to eat the meat of any bird which hunts with its claws. (eagles, crows, etc.)
7. All the impure animals and insects. (rats, cockroaches, pests, etc.)
8. The Messenger of Allah (saws) also forbade the believers to eat domestic donkeys.

Your Question: here i wanna know that can we muslims eat rabbit or hare

as it is said that its good for health but i wanna know can i eat it or is it not permissable

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have not provided the believers with a list of ‘halaal’ or permissible foods, for that list is indeed endless! To determine whether the flesh of any animal is ‘halaal’ or ‘haraam’, one only needs to look into the ‘haraam’ list provided by Allah and His Messenger (saws), and if one does not find that food in the list of the ‘haraam’, it will be considered ‘halaal’ and permissible for the believers as food.

The rabbit or hare is not mentioned in the list of ‘haraam’ animals, thus provided they are duely slaughtered, their flesh would be absolutely ‘halaal’ and lawful for the believers to consume as food.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan