The Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten — Hadith 4904

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ، الأَصَمِّ قَالَ دَعَانَا عَرُوسٌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْنَا ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ ضَبًّا فَآكِلٌ وَتَارِكٌ فَلَقِيتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَأَكْثَرَ الْقَوْمُ حَوْلَهُ حَتَّى قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ آكُلُهُ وَلاَ أَنْهَى عَنْهُ وَلاَ أُحَرِّمُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتُمْ مَا بُعِثَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلاَّ مُحِلاًّ وَمُحَرِّمًا إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَمَا هُوَ عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ وَعِنْدَهُ الْفَضْلُ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَخَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ وَامْرَأَةٌ أُخْرَى إِذْ قُرِّبَ إِلَيْهِمْ خِوَانٌ عَلَيْهِ لَحْمٌ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَأْكُلَ قَالَتْ لَهُ مَيْمُونَةُ إِنَّهُ لَحْمُ ضَبٍّ ‏.‏ فَكَفَّ يَدَهُ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَذَا لَحْمٌ لَمْ آكُلْهُ قَطُّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ ‏"‏ كُلُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ الْفَضْلُ وَخَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ ‏.‏ وَقَالَتْ مَيْمُونَةُ لاَ آكُلُ مِنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ شَىْءٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

English Translation

Yazid b. al-Asamm reported: A newly wedded person of Medina invited us to a wedding feast, and he served us thirteen lizards. There were those who ate it and those who abandoned it. I met Ibn 'Abbas the next day, and informed him (about this) in the presence of many persons. Some of them said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had observed: I neither eat it nor forbid (anyone) from eating it, nor declare it to be unlawful. Thereupon Ibn 'Abbas said: Sad it is what you say! Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) has not been sent, but (to declare in clear words) the lawful and the unlawful (things). We were once with Allah's Messenger (may peace be. upon him) as he was with Maimuna, and there were with him al-Fadl b. 'Abbas, Khalid b. Walid and some women (also) when a tray of food containing flesh was presented to him. As Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) was about to eat that, Maimuna said: It is the flesh of the lizard. He withdrew his hand saying: That is the flesh which I never eat; but he said to them (those who were present there): You may eat. Al-Fadl ate out of that, so did Khalid b Walid, and the women. Maimuna (however) said: I do not eat anything but that which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) eats.