Islamic Manual

Lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram) animals

Which land animals, birds, and water creatures are lawful (halal) to eat, which are unlawful (haram), and the rules for offspring, milk and eggs.

Not every animal is halal to eat. Allah has told us which ones are allowed and which are not.

Land animals

  1. Pigs and donkeys are always haram.
  2. Animals that eat grass and do not hunt (like camels, goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes, and deer) are halal.
  3. Horses are makrūh: better not eaten, though not fully haram.
  4. Animals that hunt with their teeth (like lions, wolves, foxes, cats, dogs, and monkeys) are haram.
  5. Rats, moles and weasels are haram, but rabbits are halal.
  6. Tiny creatures with no blood, like flies, spiders and ants, are haram, except locusts, which are halal.
  7. Snakes, lizards and chameleons are haram.

Birds

  1. Birds that eat seeds and do not hunt (like sparrows, pigeons, quails and parrots) are halal.
  2. Birds that hunt with their claws (like eagles, falcons and hawks) are haram.
  3. Birds that eat only dead animals, like vultures, are haram.
Forbidden (Ḥarām)must not do

Pigs and donkeys are haram, and so is every animal that hunts with its teeth (like lions, wolves, cats and dogs) and every bird that hunts with its claws or eats only dead animals. Snakes, lizards, rats and tiny bloodless creatures like flies and ants are haram too. Horses are better not eaten (makruh).

Water animals

  1. Fish are halal, even if they die on their own in the water.
  2. A fish that dies without being hurt and just floats up (called taffi) is haram.
  3. Frogs, crabs, crocodiles and turtles are haram.
Permitted (Mubāḥ)allowed

Animals that eat grass and do not hunt (like camels, goats, sheep, cows and deer), birds that eat seeds and do not hunt, rabbits, and locusts are all halal. Fish are halal even if they die by themselves in the water, but a fish that dies without being hurt and floats to the top is haram, and so are frogs, crabs, crocodiles and turtles.

Some animals are definitely ḥarām on the basis of the Qurʼan and hadith, such as pigs and domesticated donkeys. The animals below are grouped by kind, with the halal and haram exceptions inside each group.

Halal and haram animals, by kind
Animal or group Ruling
Pigs and domesticated donkeys Ḥarām
Bloodless insects and small creatures: flies, mosquitoes, spiders, crickets, scorpions, fireflies, ants Ḥarām
Locusts Ḥalāl
Animals with blood but no flowing blood: snakes, lizards, chameleons Ḥarām
Burrowing animals: rats, moles, weasels Ḥarām
Rabbits Ḥalāl
Water animals other than fish: frogs, crabs, crocodiles, turtles Ḥarām
Fish, even if they die of themselves, including bam fish and black fish Ḥalāl
A fish that dies unharmed and floats to the surface (taffi) Ḥarām
Grass-eating land animals that do not hunt: camels, goats, sheep, cows, oxen, buffaloes, deer, antelope Ḥalāl
Horses Makrūh
Seed-eating birds that do not hunt: sparrows, pigeons, partridges, quails, crows, herons, minas, parrots Ḥalāl
Predatory animals that hunt with their teeth: lions, wolves, foxes, leopards, cheetahs, cats, dogs, monkeys, apes, bears, jackals, badgers Ḥarām
Birds of prey that hunt with their claws: eagles, falcons, hawks, vultures, other raptors Ḥarām
Scavenger birds that eat only dead animals: vultures, condors Ḥarām

There is disagreement over shrimp: some hold it halal, treating it as a fish, while others hold it makrūh.

Forbidden (Ḥarām)must not do

Pigs and domesticated donkeys are haram by the text of the Qur'an and hadith, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade every predator that hunts with its fangs (including the cat) and every bird that hunts with its claws. Carrion-eating birds, snakes, lizards and chameleons, burrowing animals such as rats, and bloodless insects other than locusts are likewise haram, while horse meat is makruh.

Permitted (Mubāḥ)allowed

Grass-eating land animals that do not hunt, seed-eating birds that do not hunt, rabbits and locusts are halal, and fish are halal even when they die of themselves, since fish and locusts are the two dead things made lawful and need no slaughter. A fish that dies unharmed and floats to the surface (taffi) is haram, as are water animals other than fish, such as frogs, crabs, crocodiles and turtles.

Certain animals are ḥarām by the explicit text of the Qurʼan and hadith: pigs and domesticated donkeys foremost among them. Beyond these, permissibility is organised by kind: whether the creature has flowing blood, whether it hunts or grazes, and, for birds, whether it takes prey with its claws or lives on carrion.

Halal and haram animals, by kind
Animal or group Ruling
Pigs and domesticated donkeys Ḥarām
Bloodless insects and small creatures: flies, mosquitoes, spiders, crickets, scorpions, fireflies, ants Ḥarām
Locusts Ḥalāl
Animals possessing blood but no flowing blood: snakes, lizards, chameleons Ḥarām
Burrowing animals: rats, moles, weasels Ḥarām
Rabbits Ḥalāl
Aquatic animals other than fish: frogs, crabs, crocodiles, turtles Ḥarām
Fish, even dying of themselves, bam fish and black fish included Ḥalāl
A fish dying unharmed and found floating (ṭāfī) Ḥarām
Grass-eating land animals that neither hunt nor injure with their teeth: camels, goats, sheep, cows, oxen, buffaloes, deer, antelope Ḥalāl
Horses Makrūh
Seed-eating birds that neither hunt nor injure with their claws: sparrows, pigeons, partridges, quails, crows, herons, minas, parrots Ḥalāl
Predatory animals that hunt or injure with their teeth: lions, wolves, foxes, leopards, cheetahs, cats, dogs, monkeys, apes, bears, jackals, badgers Ḥarām
Birds of prey that hunt or injure with their claws: eagles, falcons, hawks, vultures, other raptors Ḥarām
Scavenger birds subsisting only on carrion: vultures, condors Ḥarām

Shrimp is a point of disagreement: some jurists count it as fish and rule it ḥalāl; others hold it makrūh.

Forbidden (Ḥarām)must not do

Pigs and domesticated donkeys are haram by explicit nass, and the Prophet ﷺ forbade every fanged predator (dhu nab min as-siba', the cat among them) and every clawed bird (dhu mikhlab min at-tayr). Carrion-eating birds, animals with blood but no flowing blood such as snakes, lizards and chameleons, burrowing animals such as rats, moles and weasels, and bloodless insects other than locusts are likewise haram, while the meat of horses is makruh.

Permitted (Mubāḥ)allowed

Grass-eating land animals that neither hunt nor injure with their teeth, seed-eating birds that neither hunt nor injure with their claws, rabbits and locusts are halal, and fish are halal even when dying of themselves, fish and locusts being the two maytahs made lawful and requiring no dhabh. The fish that dies unharmed and is found floating (tafi) is haram, as are aquatic animals other than fish, such as frogs, crabs, crocodiles and turtles.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 357 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

The Halal and Haram Animals

  1. Haram AnimalsSome animals are definitely Haram (forbidden) based on the Qur'an and Hadith, such as pigs and domesticated donkeys.
  2. Insects and Small CreaturesAnimals that do not have blood, like flies, mosquitoes, spiders, crickets, scorpions, fireflies, and ants, are all Haram. However, locusts are an exception and can be eaten without slaughter.
  3. Animals with Blood But No Flowing BloodAnimals like snakes, lizards, chameleons, etc., which have blood but no flowing blood, are Haram.
  4. Burrowing AnimalsAnimals that live underground, like rats, moles, and weasels, are all Haram. However, rabbits are halal.
  5. Water AnimalsAnimals that live in water, like frogs, crabs, crocodiles, and turtles, are Haram. But fish, even if they die naturally, are halal. However, a fish that dies without being harmed and floats on the surface (known as taffi) is Haram. Both bam fish and black fish are halal. There is disagreement about shrimp, with some Saying it is halal (calling it fish) and others considering it makruh (disliked but not forbidden).
  6. Grass-Eating AnimalsAnimals that eat grass or leaves and do not hunt or injure with their teeth, like camels, goats, sheep, cows, oxen, buffaloes, deer, and antelope, are halal. However, horses are considered makruh (disliked but not forbidden).
  7. Birds that Do Not HuntBirds that only eat seeds and do not hunt or injure with their claws, like sparrows, pigeons, partridges, quails, crows, herons, minas, and parrots, are halal.
  8. Predatory AnimalsAnimals that hunt with their teeth, like lions, wolves, foxes, leopards, cheetahs, cats, dogs, monkeys, apes, bears, jackals, and badgers, are Haram.
  9. Birds of PreyBirds that hunt with their claws, like eagles, falcons, hawks, vultures, and other raptors, are Haram.
  10. Scavenger BirdsBirds that only eat dead animals, like vultures and condors, are Haram.
  11. Halal and Haram OffspringIf one parent is halal and the other is Haram, the status of the animal is determined by the mother. If the mother is halal, the offspring is halal; if the mother is Haram, the offspring is also Haram.
  12. Milk and EggsThe milk of halal animals is halal, and the milk of Haram animals is Haram. Similarly, the eggs of halal birds are halal, and the eggs of Haram birds are Haram.

Terms on this page

Taffi

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