Friday 19 Ramadan 1445 - 29 March 2024
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Ruling on eating crows, foxes and eagles

Question

Is eating these animals permissible according to sharee’ah: crows , foxes , eagles and gazelles ?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

With regard to crows, it is not permissible to eat them, because they are vermin which may be killed whether one is in ihraam or not. They eat carrion and filthy things. But there is a kind of crow that eats only seeds and pure things, so it is halaal. It is smaller than the well-known black crow. 

As for foxes, they have fangs and hunt other animals, and they eat impure things, so they are haram. Those who say that they are makrooh think that they are makrooh to the point of being forbidden. 

As for eagles, they have talons, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade every bird that has talons. This includes birds that eat what they can carry in their talons, or they use them for hunting, like eagles, sparrow hawks, falcons, hawks, etc. And because they also eat carrion and feed on filth, they are all haram. 

With regard to gazelles, they are halaal according to scholarly consensus, because they are game that avoid contact with humans. The Sahaabah said that a fidyah (ransom) is to be paid by those who kill them in the Haram or when in ihraam, which indicates that they are permissible.

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Fatwa of Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen in Majallat al-Da’wah, issue no. 1885, p. 50