Are There Any Conditions of the Animal When Hunting?

Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I understand the conditions for hunting in Islam. However, the only thing I am struggling to find information on is: how to choose the game?

Answer:Wa’alaykum assalam. Thank you for your question.

There are no specific conditions to the actual game being hunted, other than the general conditions of what animals are permissible or impermissible to eat in Islam.

Animals one may hunt/eat

The ruling on meat which is permissible to eat (and in turn hunt) is found in the chapter of ‘foods’ (al At’ima) in fiqh books. A brief summary (according to the Shafi’i school) of the animals one can and cannot hunt for food/eat:

Animals one can eat/hunt:

Deer
Buffalo
Horse
Ostrich
Oryx
Zebra
Hyena
Fox
Rabbit
Various birds
Fish and seafood

Animals one cannot eat/hunt:

Swine
Dogs
Cats
Insects
Predatory animals that prey with fangs, tusks etc.
Animals which hunt with talons
Crocodiles
Animals that live both on earth and land

[Umdat al Salik, al Yaqut al Nafis]

Other considerations

Common sense entails one should avoid hunting/eating the following animals:

Animals which are visibly very sick

Animals who have very young offspring who are dependent on the animal’s milk

Animals who are an endangered species

In regards the age, there is no age restriction of the animal for hunting and normal slaughtering (as opposed to slaughtering as part of the Eid Sacrifice).

And Allah knows best.

Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.