A ll beaftsand
birds o f prey
are unlawful.
Rooks are
neuter: but
carrion crows
and ravens
are unlawful.
— Magpies,
the crocodile,
otter, all infe
r s , and the
afs and mule
are unlawful.
>— Horfes.
S E C T I O N .
O f the Things which may lawfully be eaten, and o f thofe which may not.
A l l quadrupeds that feize their prey with their teeth, and all
birds which feize it with their talons, are unlawful, the prophet
having prohibited mankind from eating them.— T h e reafon of this
prohibition is becaufe man is held particularly dear, and it is to .guard
him, left by eating of thefe animals their bad qualities might be. communicated
to him, and affedt his difpoiition.
H yenas and foxes, being both included under the clafs of animals
o f prey, are both unlawful.— .(Shafei maintains that they are both
lawful.)— Elephants and weafels are alfo accounted animals of prey *■ ;
and pelicans and kites are abominable, becaufe they devour dead
bodies,’ y
C rows which feed on grain [rooks] are neuter]': but the crow
o f the wildernefs [the carrion crow] and the raven, are not lawful.—
According to Haneefa the magpie is neuter, like poultry; although it
be faid (upon the authority of Aboo Yoofaf ) that it is abominated, becaufe
it frequently eats dead bodies.— The crocodile and the otter,
wafps, and in general all infefts, are abominated. The afs and the
mule are unlawful, becaufe they are prohibited by the prophet.— T h e
flefh of horfes is held in abomination by HaneefaAnd M&lik. According
to the two difciples and Shafei it is neuter; for it is mentioned in
the Hadees Jobbir that the prophet permitted it ; and feme are of
opinion that the milk of mares is alfo neuter.— According to Haneefa,
* A rab . Zoo-Nab; meaning, literally, creaturss^owbicb have canlne teeth. T h e elephant
(although certainly .not a beaft o f prey) is .perhaps claffed with thofe, becaufe o f his, tuiks.
' + I t i s here proper to remark that, ,in the Mujftdmanjaw, there are.four gradations from
legality to illegality. T . Hildl, or positively lawful. I I ; Mobtih, or neuter: (that is ,' indifferent,
and which may either b e purfued or avoided.1 HI. Mabrooh, or abominable: (that
is , reprobated, but which is neverthelefs lawful.) I V . hlirain, or poiitively unlawful: (that
is, prohibited.)
the
the flefh of hares is neuter, becaufe the prophet eat it, and commanded f i f e «■
his companions to eat of it.
T he flefh and fkin o f all unlawful animals become pure after they
have been killed according to the laws of Zabbah, excepting only men
and hogs..— According to Shtfei they do not become pure.
No animal that lives in water is lawful except fifh. Malik and a
number of other learned men are of opinion that all water animals arc fulexceptfilh.
lawful. Others again fay that fea-dogs, fea-hogs, and mair-men, are
unlawful.
F ishes which, dying: of themfelves, float upon the furface of the Filh which
7 , / 0 . penlh o f
water are abominated. According to Shafei and Mahk they are neuter, themfelves
T h e rule obferved amongft our fed! is this.— Fifties which are killed jy_not law
by any accident are lawful, like thofe which are caught; whilft, on
the contrary, fuch as die* of themfelves-without any accident are unlawful,
like tbofc which are found floating on the furface of the water.
There are, however, different opinions regarding fuch as die of extreme
heat or cold. Fifties and locufts are lawful without beiiig killed
by Zabbah.
L 2 H E B A Y A .