permissible. Ahmad said: If it does not have a fang, there is no harm in it. The companions of Abu Hanifah said: It is a beast of prey because it is the thing that most resembles beasts of prey, so it is not to be eaten. Our evidence is that the original state is permissibility, and the existence of the prohibitive factor has not been established (11), so it remains upon the original state. Its resemblance to beasts of prey is only considered regarding the presence of the prohibitive effective cause (illah), which is its being a beast with a fang with which it hunts and preys. Once that is not found, it is included within the general scope of the permissive texts. And Allah knows best.
1738 - Issue: He said: "And every bird with a talon, which is that which clutches things with its talons and hunts with them."
This is the view of the majority of scholars. Al-Shafi'i, Abu Thawr, and the People of Reason (Ashab al-Ra'y) held this view. Malik, al-Layth, al-Awza'i, and Yahya ibn Sa'id said: Nothing of birds is forbidden. Malik said: I have not seen any of the scholars dislike birds of prey. They argued using the general scope of the permissive verses, and the statement of Abu al-Darda' and Ibn 'Abbas: [What Allah has remained silent about is among what He has pardoned] (1). Our evidence is what Ibn 'Abbas narrated, saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade every beast of prey with fangs and every bird with talons. From Khalid ibn al-Walid, he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Forbidden to you are domestic donkeys, and every beast of prey with fangs, and every bird with talons." Both were recorded by Abu Dawud (2). This specifies the general scope of the verses and is given precedence over what they mentioned. Thus, this includes everything that has a talon with which it attacks, such as the eagle,
(11) In (B): "the prohibition". (1) Omitted from (B). Abu Dawud recorded a similar version from Ibn 'Abbas, in: The Chapter on what has not been mentioned as forbidden, from the Book of Foods. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/319. (2) In: The Chapter on the prohibition of eating beasts of prey, from the Book of Foods. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/319. The first [hadith] was also recorded by Muslim, in: The Chapter on the prohibition of eating every beast of prey with fangs..., from the Book of Hunting and Slaughtering. Sahih Muslim 3/1534. Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on what has been reported regarding the dislike of eating [the animal that has been] restrained (al-masbura), and the chapter on what has been reported regarding the dislike of every [beast] with fangs..., from the Chapters on Hunting. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 6/266, 271. Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the permissibility of eating chicken meat, from the Book of Hunting. al-Mujtaba 7/182. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on eating every beast of prey with fangs, from the Book of Hunting. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1077. Al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on what is not eaten from beasts of prey, from the Book of Sacrifices. Sunan al-Darimi 2/85. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/244, 289, 302, 327. The second [hadith] was also recorded by Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 4/89.
