“O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.” (Qur’an 2: 172)
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“‘Abū’ Ubayda reported, according to Jābir ‘Ibn Zayd, after ‘Anas’ Ibn Mālik, that the Prophet (saw) had allowed the people of the tribe to ‘Urayna to drink both the urine and the milk of camels and other cattle, if necessary.” (1)
Source: (Musnad Al-Imam Ar-Rabee’ (Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih)
1 ) Manuscript having said in case of necessity, does not exist in the copy of AlQuṭb.
One of our respected teachers, Shaykh Abu Hamed Al Sawafi (h) has said the following:
“One of the established principles in our pure religion (Hanifiyyah) is the preservation of the five necessities: religion, life, intellect, honor/lineage, and property.”
Allah has explicitly stated in His Book: “O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.” (Qur’an 2: 172)
And He described His Messenger (saw)in the following way:
“He commands them to do good and forbids them from evil, permits for them what is lawful and forbids to them what is impure, and relieves them from their burdens and the shackles that bound them.” (Qur’an 7:157)
It is not hidden from any rational person that the urine of animals — including camel urine — is inherently impure (khabith) and harmful to the one who drinks it. Accordingly, drinking urine is forbidden, whether it is camel urine or the urine of any other animal.
It is true that some narrations have come regarding the drinking of camel urine, but they do not rise above the level of conjecture (dhann). Therefore, it is not appropriate to rely upon them.
In any case, whoever insists on acting upon those hadiths should first verify with medical specialists and through laboratory testing. If it is proven that camel urine is harmful to health, then it is not permissible to consume it. But if it is medically established as a valid treatment, then there is no harm in it.
If camel urine were truly a cure for bodily diseases, doctors and pharmaceutical companies around the world would have rushed to it.
That is the end of the response from respected Shaykh on this matter.
What the hadith does and does not state.
- There is no hadith that we (Ibadi) rely upon to say that this is mandated or prescribed by the Blessed Prophet (saw) for the generality of the Muslims.
- There is no hadith that we (Ibadi) have that says the Blessed Prophet (saw) ever drank urine of any kind.
- This particular hadith comes down with a variation in wording. This variation cast doubt on rather it was a command or recommendation.
The Sunni hadith corpus has the following in relation to the matter.
Narrated Anas:
The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When the news reached the Prophet (ﷺ) he sent some people in their pursuit. When they were brought, he cut their hands and feet and their eyes were branded with heated pieces of iron.
Source: (https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5686)
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
A group of eight men from the tribe of ‘Ukil came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and then they found the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So, they said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Provide us with some milk.” Allah’s Apostle said, “I recommend that you should join the herd of camels.” So they went and drank the urine and the milk of the camels (as a medicine) till they became healthy and fat. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels, and they became unbelievers after whey were Muslims. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed by a shouter for help, he sent some men in their pursuit, and before the sun rose high, they were brought, and he had their hands and feet cut off. Then he ordered for nails which were heated and passed over their eyes, and whey were left in the Harra (i.e. rocky land in Medina). They asked for water, and nobody provided them with water till they died (Abu Qilaba, a sub-narrator said, “They committed murder and theft and fought against Allah and His Apostle, and spread evil in the land.”)
Source: (https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3018)
A man from Banu ‘Amir said:
I embraced Islam and my (ignorance of the) religion made me anxious (to learn the essentials). I came to Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr said: The climate of Medina did not suit me. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me to have a few camels and goats. He said to me: Drink their milk. (The narrator Hammad said): I doubt whether he (the Prophet) said: “their urine.” Abu Dharr said: I was away from the watering place and I had my family with me. I would have sexual defilement and pray without purification. I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at noon. He was resting in the shade of the mosque along with a group of Companions. He (the Prophet) said: Abu Dharr. I said: Yes, I am ruined, Messenger of Allah. He said: What ruined you ? I said: I was away from the watering place and I had family with me. I used to be sexually defiled and pray without purification. He commanded (to bring) water for me. Then a black slave-girl brought a vessel of water that was shaking as the vessel was not full. I concealed myself behind a camel and took bath and them came (to the Prophet). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Abu Dharr, clean earth is a means of ablution, even if you do not find water for ten years. When you find water, you should make it touch your skin.
Abu Dawud said: This is transmitted by Hammad b. Zaid from Ayyub. This version does not mention the words “their urine.” This is not correct. The words “their urine” occur only in the version reported by Anas and transmitted only by the people of Basrah.
Source: (https://sunnah.com/abudawud:333)
Prima Qur’an comments:
In our (Ibadi) hadith collection there is no mention at all of this tribe killing the shepherd or any subsequent punishment.
What is interesting is that in the second hadith in Bukhari it states: So they went and drank the urine and the milk of the camels (as a medicine) till they became healthy and fat. Which means they did this of their own accord and the Blessed Prophet (saw) di dnot order it. Also the statement: they became healthy and fat, is the comment of the narrator and not an observation of the Prophet (saw).
The hadith recorded in Abu Dawud also shows doubt.
Lastly, even if it was established as a recommendation from the Blessed Prophet (saw) that would have been in his capacity as a human being.
This is explained by Dr. Shaykh Kahlan bin Nabhan al Kharusi (h) in our article here:
Some people have used this as a polemic against Islam and Muslims. This usually comes from Hindus because Muslims themselves have unwisely attacked rituals where Hindus have bathed in urine and cow faeces.
Some Christians too have used this as a polemic against Islam.
You do have in the Bible where God commands Ezekiel to use human faeces as fuel to cook his food. He wants Ezekiel to this openly but Ezekiel refuses.
“Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.” Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.” “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.” (Ezekiel 4:12-15)
In this bizarre text God is commanding Ezekiel to bake bread using human faeces and to do so openly.
Ezekiel seems repulsed by God’s suggestion and reminds God that he has never eaten anything unclean. In a compromise God basically says to Ezekiel: “Very well you can use cow faeces instead.”
May Allah Guide the Ummah.
May Allah Forgive the Ummah.
Prima Quran 