Ostrich meat has become an increasingly popular food source across the world in recent years due to its lean and nutrient-dense properties. However, many Muslims have questions around whether ostrich is halal to eat.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: ostrich meat is generally considered halal and permissible to eat for Muslims.
In this comprehensive article, we analyze the evidence around ostrich being halal or haram in great detail. We explore perspectives from different schools of Islamic jurisprudence, review what the Quran and Hadiths say, analyze the anatomy and diet of ostriches, and provide a conclusive ruling guided by scholars.
Ostrich Classification and Attributes
Scientific Classification of Ostriches
Ostriches (Struthio camelus) belong to the ratite group of birds which also includes rheas, emus, cassowaries, and kiwis. Ratites are flightless birds that have a flat breastbone without the keel that anchors a bird’s wing muscles.
Ostriches are the largest and heaviest living bird species, weighing up to 345 pounds.
Ostriches are natives of Africa and are found living in the savannas, Sahel, and Eastern Africa. They have long, bare legs suited for running as a means of escaping predators. Ostriches have the fastest land speed of any bird, reaching up to 43 mph.
Their large eyes are about 2 inches in diameter allowing them to spot impending danger.
Physical Attributes and Dietary Habits of Ostriches
Ostriches have a long neck and legs without feathers. Their bodies are covered with soft, fluffy feathers that can be black or white. They have two toes on each foot. The male ostrich has bold black and white coloring during breeding season.
An adult male measures up to 9 feet tall and weighs between 220 to 345 pounds. The smaller female has grayish-brown feathers.
Ostriches are omnivores that feed mainly on plant matter including roots, seeds, grasses, and leaves. They also eat insects like locusts. They ingest pebbles and sand that help grind food in their gizzard since they lack teeth.
At times, they scavenge carrion and eat small animals like lizards, rodents, and small birds.
Ostriches do not have sweat glands. To regulate their body heat, they allow blood flow to their lower legs to lose heat by convection and conduction when their body temperature rises above 38 °C. During cold nights they face away from the wind to conserve body heat.
Ostrich in the Quran and Hadith
No Direct Mentions of Ostrich
The Quran and Hadith do not directly mention the ostrich by name. However, some scholars have interpreted certain verses and narrations as providing guidance on the permissibility of eating ostrich meat.
For example, the Quran mentions permitted land animals in a general sense: “And cattle He has created for you; from them you have warm clothing and other advantages, and some of them you eat.” (16:5) While not naming the ostrich specifically, some scholars understand this verse to include it among permitted land animals.
Similarly, a hadith states: “Lawful to you are all beasts of cattle except that which will be announced to you.” According to this, only those land animals explicitly prohibited would be considered haram. In the absence of an explicit prohibition, ostrich could potentially be considered halal.
References to Permitted Land Animals
There are other narrations that reinforce the permissibility of land animals in general:
- “Allah has not prohibited the eating of domestic donkeys and horses, but He has prohibited the eating of wild donkeys and horses.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)
- “Eat from the (meat of the) animals which is lawful to be eaten.” (Sahih Bukhari)
These narrations emphasize the default ruling of land animals being halal unless textual evidence prohibits them. While not conclusive, this further points to ostrich being permissible, in the absence of clear prohibition.
Some scholars also draw analogies to other large birds that are known to be halal, like chickens, to infer the same status for ostrich. However, analogical reasoning (qiyas) alone cannot definitively establish permissibility according to all schools of Islamic law.
Perspectives of Different Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence
The Hanafi Perspective
The Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, one of the most widely followed Sunni schools, has varying perspectives on whether ostrich meat is halal. According to some Hanafi scholars, ostrich is considered a wild land bird similar to game animals like deer.
Since it does not prey on other animals, its meat is considered halal. However, other Hanafi scholars argue that ostrich meat is haram because ostriches eat insects, which are haram. They consider ostrich to be similar to predatory birds like eagles and hawks whose meat is prohibited.
But the mainstream Hanafi view permits ostrich meat, especially if it is slaughtered properly according to Islamic guidelines.
The Maliki Perspective
The Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence takes a more straightforward view on ostrich meat. According to Maliki scholars, ostrich is classified as poultry since it cannot fly high or migrate long distances like other wild birds. Ostriches are also domesticated and farmed similar to chickens.
Therefore, their meat is considered halal as long as they are slaughtered correctly by reciting Allah’s name. This view is based on the hadith narrated by Ubaidullah bin Abu Bakr who said, “I heard Ibn Abbas say that some people said, O Messenger of Allah!
Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they mentioned Allah’s name or not on slaughtering it, to which the Messenger of Allah replied, You mention Allah’s name on it and eat.”
The Shafi and Hanbali Perspective
The Shafi and Hanbali schools take the strictest view on ostrich meat. According to them, ostriches are wild birds that resemble predatory birds in their characteristics. They point out that ostriches are hunted like deer in the wild.
The Shafi and Hanbali scholars prohibit all wild land animals that have fangs and birds that have talons as haram. Since ostriches have tough claw-like feet, their meat would be haram according to this view.
However, some contemporary Shafi and Hanbali scholars have relaxed this view to consider ostrich meat as halal if it is slaughtered in the correct Islamic manner.
Conclusive Ruling on Permissibility
After examining the evidence from the Quran and Hadith, as well as the opinions of Islamic scholars, a conclusive ruling can be reached on whether ostrich meat is permissible to eat in Islam.
Evidence Supporting Permissibility
There are several key pieces of evidence that point to ostrich being halal and permissible to consume:
- Ostriches are not carnivorous birds and have a herbivorous diet similar to cattle and sheep, which are halal.
- There is no clear prohibition of ostrich meat in either the Quran or Hadith.
- Many prominent Islamic scholars and bodies, including the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, have issued fatwas decreeing ostrich permissible.
Counter Evidence and Rebuttals
The main evidence presented against ostrich halal status are:
- Ostriches are birds, and there are some hadiths prohibiting predatory birds.
- Ostriches eat insects, so they are not strictly herbivorous.
However, there are issues with applying those two points to ostrich meat consumption:
- Ostriches do not have predatory characteristics and are not birds of prey, unlike clearly prohibited haraam birds such as falcons.
- Herbivorous mammals like cows may also unintentionally ingest insects, but remain halal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is a strong case based on evidence from the Quran, Hadiths, and scholarly opinions to consider ostrich meat as halal and permissible for Muslims to consume.
The unusual anatomy and diet of ostriches does not preclude it from being considered halal. Since they are not carnivorous and share many similarities with domestic land animals classified as halal, most Islamic schools of thought permit ostrich meat.
