by Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal
I am proud to be a resident of Lahore, a city whose name evokes warmth, resilience, and hospitality. The people of Lahore, affectionately known as” Zinda Dilan-e-Lahore”, are respected not only across Pakistan but around the globe for their generosity, spirited nature as well as foodies. I still recall with vivid clarity the days of my childhood when we, without a second thought, would eat from any stall or cart in the bazaar. There was an unspoken trust that the food we were consuming was not only delicious but halal, clean, and safe.
But with the passing of time, a slow erosion began. Faith weakened, and moral lines blurred. The distinction between halal and haram, once so firmly embedded in the collective conscience, started to fade. Driven by material gain and heedless of divine and moral boundaries, some among us began to feed the masses without informing them of what was being served. Most disturbing is the recurring news of donkey meat being sold as beef or mutton in many parts of Pakistan, particularly in urban areas. This issue is not only a matter of health and hygiene—it strikes at the very soul of Islamic ethical teachings and the trust that binds a society.
Islam, in its divine wisdom, does not restrict halal and haram merely to spiritual abstractions. Rather, it establishes a holistic system that ensures the physical, spiritual, and social well-being of its followers. The Qur’an commands:
“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and pure…” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:168).
The emphasis on consuming what is tayyib (pure) and avoiding what is khabees (impure) appears throughout the sacred texts. Thus, matters like the consumption of donkey meat must be addressed not only culturally but jurisprudentially.
In Islamic jurisprudence, donkeys are classified into two categories; domesticated (al-ḥimār al-aḥlī) and wild (al-ḥimār al-wāḥī). The rulings on both are distinct and grounded in authentic hadith and scholarly consensus. The consumption of domesticated donkey meat is unequivocally haram. This ruling is based on several sound narrations. Hazrat Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the cooking pots to be overturned on the day of Khaybar, saying: ‘It is the meat of domesticated donkeys.’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, 5520)
Similarly, Hazrat Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) forbade the eating of domesticated donkeys on the day of Khaybar but permitted horse meat. Scholars have interpreted this prohibition in several ways: some cite impurity, others the humiliation of the animal, and some emphasize its utilitarian value in transport and labor—arguing that its scarcity during the Prophet’s time justified the restriction.
On the other hand, the meat of wild donkeys (onager or ghur) is halal. This is affirmed by the hadith of Hazrat Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him), who once hunted a wild donkey and brought a portion to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who then partook of it. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1821)
This distinction is not merely theoretical. The four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence—Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali—all agree on the prohibition of domesticated donkey meat and the permissibility of wild donkey meat. The jurists have documented these rulings in their classical texts. For instance, Allama Kasani of the Hanafi school wrote: “As for the domesticated donkey, its meat is forbidden to us.” (Bada’i al-Sana’i, Vol. 5, p. 35)
Some may argue that the Qur’an does not explicitly list donkey meat as forbidden. This is true, but Islamic legal methodology teaches us that the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) elaborates and specifies the general commands of the Qur’an. As Allah states:
“Say, I do not find within that which was revealed to me anything forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal, or blood spilled out, or the flesh of swine…”
(Surah Al-An’am: 145)
This verse outlines the general prohibitions, but the Sunnah further restricts specific items—like the flesh of domesticated donkeys—through clear hadith.
But beyond legality lies the deeper ethical question; Is it ever permissible to deceive someone about what they are consuming? In Islam, deceit and betrayal are grave sins. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“He who deceives us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim 102)
Feeding people donkey meat under the guise of beef or mutton is not only haram—it is a betrayal of trust, a violation of the consumer’s rights, and a mockery of Islamic ethics. This matter also calls into question our collective conscience. When we begin to tolerate or overlook such deceit, we are complicit in the breakdown of our moral fabric. Islam does not merely command ritual purity—it demands integrity in every sphere of life. Breaking a covenant, lying, cheating in trade, and betraying trust are among the most hated actions in the sight of Allah.
Tradition and regional cuisine vary across the world. What is normal in one land may be strange in another. But Islamic law, based on revelation and reason, offers a universal framework. The meat of a wild donkey may be lawful, but feeding people the meat of a domestic donkey without their knowledge—this is both unlawful and unethical.
Let us restore the trust we once cherished in our streets, our bazars, and our hearts. Let us teach our children not only what is halal but also what is honest. Let us be a people who value purity of soul as much as purity of food. For in doing so, we fulfill not only a command of faith but a covenant of humanity.
