Is Horse Meat Halal?

Donkey meat is haram in Islam, however, horse meat is halal and completely safe to eat provided the horse is slaughtered according to Islamic principles.

Usually, Muslims don’t slaughter horses as they are rare and expensive these days. People tend to love riding them and keeping them as royal pets rather than eating them. Because of this Muslims don’t know and wonder whether horse meat is halal or haram.

This article will cover all aspects of horse meat in depth. 

Shaikh explained the horse meat beautifully here:

What Does Islam Say About Horse Meat?

Whenever we are in doubt we always refer to the guidelines provided by the Quran and Hadith. If there is a ruling about horse meat it will be mentioned in the Quranic verses somewhere or the Prophet (peace be upon him) might have said something.

The only step is to look for all the related Quranic verses and Hadith to find out whether horse meat is halal or haram for Muslims. There cannot be a better source of information other than these two as they are most authentic in the eyes of Muslims.

What Does Quran Say About Horse Meat?

Quran mentions horses a few times but nowhere it is mentioned whether eating horses is halal or haram. All the Quranic verses are related to horses and as a means of travel for Muslims.

To find out more we need to look into the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

What Does Hadith Say About Horse Meat?

The majority of the scholars state that horse meat is halal cause of the following hadith:

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:

“On the day of Khaibar, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the eating of donkey meat and allowed the eating of horse meat.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 4219]

This hadith tells us that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself prohibited donkey meat while allowing horse meat for Muslims.

The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are considered the most authentic after the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself and so this hadith is the best source for Muslims as it’s coming from a companion.

The following hadith refers to slaughtering and eating the horse in front of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself:

“Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) said: At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) we slaughtered a horse and ate it.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

This hadith also comes from a companion who slaughtered and consumed horse meat in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself. Prophet (peace be upon him) being present there and saying nothing against it states that horse meat is 100% halal.

Both the hadith are authentic as they come from the companions proving to us that horse meat is halal and allowed for Muslims to consume.

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Kazakhstan Embassy’s Official Fatwa On Horse Meat

Kazakhstan is a Muslim country and follows Islamic rulings. Kazakhstan’s embassy contacted Egypt’s Al Azhar Al Sharif Islamic Research Academy to inquire whether horse meat is halal or haram.

The official fatwa confirms that slaughtering and consuming horse meat is halal in Islam.

This fatwa is another source of proof that is in the favor of halal horse meat. I know it is not common to slaughter and eat horses nowadays but back in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) it was normal.

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Is Horse Milk Halal?

Muslims also have a doubt regarding horse milk whether it is halal or haram. We have found a hadith that not only proves that a horse is halal but its milk is also allowed.to consume.

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“We traveled with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and we used to eat the flesh of horses and drink their milk.”

This hadith is also from a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and is therefore authentic. It proves again that horse is halal if slaughtered and Muslims can even drink their milk.

Is Horse Meat Makruh?

There is this one sect of Muslims the Hanafi who believe that horse meat is makruh. Makruh is a term used in Islam which refers to as okay but not highly suggested to avoid. The Hanafi scholars provide the following Quranic verse as their proof:

“He also created˺ horses, mules, and donkeys for your transportation and adornment. And He creates what you do not know.”

[An-Nahl 16:8]

Hanafi scholars say that Allah has created donkeys and horses for us to ride on them. So it is better to use them for the right purpose they were built for and not for eating them.

Although Hanafi scholars don’t believe that horse meat is halal they only say it is makruh and Muslims are supposed to try to avoid consuming horses if they have other options available.

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FAQs

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Final Thoughts

Horse meat is a treat as it is rare and expensive. The majority of Muslim scholars believe that horse meat is allowed and halal if the horse is slaughtered according to Islamic law. Other Hanafi scholars believe that horse meat is makruh and that horse is to be used only for traveling purposes.

Nowhere in the Quran, it mentions that horse meat is haram. Hadith however points out that horse meat was allowed to be consumed by Prophet (peace be upon him).

And Allah Knows Best.