Feeding animals porcine meat

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

Feeding animals porcine meat

Question

We reviewed request no. 1543 for the year 2004 which includes the following:
A person has established a safari park that includes all kinds of animals, both wild and tame. Is it permissible for him to feed the wild animals porcine meat?

Answer

The original permissibility of all things is established in Islamic law; thereby, nothing can be deemed prohibited except with textual evidence. The texts mentioning the prohibition of swine like the one mentioned below are meant for humans since the words of Allah are directed to them. Allah the Almighty says,
Say: "I find not in the Message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood oured forth, or the flesh of swine,--for it is an abomination—or what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's." [Al-An'am: 145]
The ruling
Based on the above, there is no objection to feeding wild animals and other animals not used for human consumption porcine meat. But because porcine meat is impure and prohibited, it is impermissible to give it to tame animals used for human consumption. Tame animals used for human consumption that are fed on porcine meat take the status of animals classified as jallala (animals that feed on ritually impure material); it is forbidden to eat the meat of these animals or benefit from them.  This ruling is based on the hadith reported by 'Amr Ibn Shu'aib through his father who reported it through his grandfather (may Allah be pleased with them all) who said, "On the day of Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah forbade us to eat the meat of wild asses, jallala — he forbade us to ride them or eat their meat" [Ahmed and an-Nisa`i].
This is in answer to the above and Allah the Almighty knows best.
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