The Book of Games and the Animals which May be Slaughtered and the Aninals that Are to be Eaten

Ibn 'Umar reported that a person asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he was sitting on the pulpit about the eating of the lizard, whereupon he said: I neither eat it, nor do I prohibit it.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ubaidullah with the same chain of transmitters.

A hadith pertaining to the eating of the lizard is transmitted from the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, but in this very hadith narrated through a different chain of transmitters there is a slight variation of wording (and the words are): " A lizard was brought to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) but he neither ate that nor declared it unlawful." And in the hadith transmitted through Usama (the words are):" The man (inquirer) was standing in the mosque and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was sitting on the pulpit."

Ibn 'Umar reported that there were some persons with Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) from among his Companions, Sa'd being one of them. There was brought to them the flesh of the lizard when a lady amongst the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: It is the flesh of the lizard. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) &aid: Eat, for it is lawful, but it is not my diet.

Taubat Al-'Anbari reported: Al-Sha'bi (one of the narrators) asked me if I had heard the hadith transmitted on the authority of Hasan from the Prophet (may peace be upon him). He said: I sat in the company if Ibn 'Umar for two years or a year and a half but I did not hear narrated from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) but this one (pertaining to the flesh of the lizard) as narrated by Mu'adh.

'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported: I and Khalid b. Walid went to the apartment of Maimuna along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and there was presented to him a roasted lizard. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stretched his hand towards It, whereupon some of the women who had been in the house of Maimuna said: Inform Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) what he intends to eat. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) lifted his hand. I said: Messenger of Allah, Is it forbidden? He said: No. 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, while, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was looking (at me).

'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 (may peace be upon him), in the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), 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 (may peace be upon him). It was rare that some food was presented to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and it was not mentioned or named. While Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was about to stretch forth his hand towards the lizard, a woman from amongst the women present there informed the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) what they had presented to him. They said: Messenger of Allah, it is a lizard. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) withdrew his hand, whereupon Khalid b. Walid said: Messenger of Allah, is a lizard forbidden? There opon 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 (may peace be upon him) was looking at me and he did not forbid (me to eat it).

Khalid b. Walid reported that he visited Maimuna daughter of al-Harith with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and she was the sister of his mother. She presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) the flesh of a lizard which Umm Hufaid daughter of al-Harith had brought from Najd, and she had been married to a person belonging to Banu Ja'far. It was the habit of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) not to eat anything until he knew what that was. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this (addition): " Ibn al-Asamm narrated it from Maimuna and he was under her care."

Ibn 'Abbas reported: While we were in the house of Maimuna there were brought to Allah's Messenger two roasted lizards. Here no mention is made of al- 'Asamm narrating from Maimuna.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that there had been brought to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) the flesh of a lizard and Khalid b. Walid was also present there. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Sa'id b. Jubair reported that he heard Ibn 'Abbas says: The sister of my mother Umm Hufaid presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) clarified butter (ghee), cheese and some lizards. He ate out of the clarified butter and cheese, but lett the lizard finding no liking for it. But it was eaten on the table of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Had it been forbidden (haram), it could not be eaten on the table of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).

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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) eats.

Abu Zubair reported that he heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah saying that there was presented to Allah's Messenger (the flesh) of the lizard, but he refused to eat that, saying: I do not know; perhaps it (lizard) might (be one of those natives of) the distant past whose (forms) had beer, distorted.

Abu Zubair reported: I asked Jabir about ithe eating) of the lizard, whereupon he said: Don't eat that as he (the Holy Prophet) felt disgust. He (the narrator) said that Umar b. al-Khattab reminded: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) did not declare it to be unlawful. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has (made it a source) of benefit for more than one (persons). It is a common diet of the shepherds. Had it been with me, I would have eaten that.

Abu Sa'id reported that a person said: Messenger of Allah, we live in a land abounding in lizards, so what do you command or what verdict you give (about eating of it)? Thereupon he said: It was mentioned to me that a people from among Bani Isra'il were distorted (so there is a likelihood that those people might have been distorted in the shape of lizards). So he neither commanded (us to eat that) nor forbade (us). Abu Sa'id said: After some time Umar said: Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has made it (a source of) benefit for more than one (person), for it is the common diet of shepherds. Had it been with me, I would have eaten that. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) disliked it.

Abu Sa'id reported that an Arab of the desert came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: I live in a low land abounding in lizards, and these are the common diet of my family, but he (the Holy Prophet) did not make any reply. We said to him: Repeat it (your problem) and so he repeated it, but he did not make any reply. (It was repeated thrice ) Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called him out at the third time saying: O man of the desert, verily Allah cursed or showed wrath to a tribe of Bani Isra'il and distorted them to beasts which move on the earth. I do not know, perhaps this (lizard) may be one of them. So I do not eat it, nor do I prohibit the eating of it.

Ibn Abu Aufa reported: We went on seven expeditions with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and ate locusts.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Ya'fur with the same chain of transmitters. Abu Bakr (one of the narrators) said" seven expeditions," whereas Ishaq said" six," and Ibn Umar said" six" or" seven".

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Abu Ya'fur with the same chain of transmitters, and he mentioned seven expeditions.

Anas b. Malik reported: We chased a hare at Marr az-Zahrin (a valley near Mecca). They (my companions) ran, but felt exhausted; I also tried until I caught hold of it. I brought it to Abu Talha. He slaughtered it and sent its haunch and two hind legs to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) through me; and he accepted them. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Yahya with a slight change of wording.

Ibn Buraida reported that Abdullah b. al-Mughaffal saw a person from amongst his companions throwing small pebbles, whereupon he said: Don't throw pebbles. for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did not like it, or he forbade flinging of pebbles since neither the game is taken thereby, nor an enemy defeated. but it may break a tooth or put out an eye. He, afterwards, again saw him flinging pebbles, and said to him: I inform you that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not approve or he forbade flinging of pebbles, but if I see you again flinging pebbles. I will not speak with you.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Kahmas.

'Abdullah b. Mughaffal reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prohibited throwing of pebbles. Ibn Ja'far reported (in the narration transmitted by him) that he (the Holy Prophet) said: It neither inflicts defeat to the enemy nor kills the game but breaks the tooth and puts the eye out. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Mahdi with a slight variation of wording.

Sa'id b. Jubair reported that. a near one of 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal threw pebbles. He prohibited him (to do so). He said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had prohibited the throwing of pebbles by saying: It does not catch the game, nor does it inflict defeat on the enemy, but breaks the tooth and puts the eye out. He (the near one of Abdullah b. Mughadal) again repeated it (the act of throwing of pebbles) whereupon he said: I narrate to you that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon hish) disliked and prohibited throwing of pebbles, but I see you again throwing pebbles; I (would therefore) not speak with you.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ayyub with the same chain of transmitters.

Shaddid b. Aus said: Two are the things which I remember Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Khalid al-Hadhdha' through different chains o transmitters.

Hishim b. Zaid b. Anas b. Milik reported: I visited the house of al-Hakam b. Ayyub along with my grandfather Anas b. Milik, (and there) some people had made a hen a target and were shooting arrows at her. Thereupon Asas said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had forbidden tying of the animals (and making them the targets of arrows, etc.). This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba through other chains of transmitters.