Is the consumption of the hyena (Dab'u) permissible?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Hunting and Slaughter
Primary text
Permission for its consumption is narrated from Sa'd, Ibn Umar, Abu Hurayra, Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, 'Ikrimah, and Ishaq. Urwah stated that Arabs have always eaten the hyena without seeing harm in it. The evidence supporting permissibility is the narration of Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah commanded us to eat the hyena, stating it is game, and if hunted by someone in the state of Ihram, a ram is due as penalty. This indicates it is permissible game.
Supporting text
Abu Hanifa, Thawri, and Malik consider it unlawful. This is based on the narration that the Prophet forbade eating every beast of prey that has a canine tooth, and the hyena falls under this general prohibition. Furthermore, a narration exists where the Prophet, when asked about the hyena, responded, "And who eats the hyena?" However, the narration permitting it is considered stronger and acts as a specific exemption (takhsis) to the general prohibition. The narration questioning its consumption is deemed weak due to reliance on a narrator who is considered abandoned in narration. Additionally, it is argued that the hyena may not possess a canine tooth, or that all its teeth are a single bone resembling a horseshoe sole, thus excluding it from the general prohibition against beasts of prey with canines.