Which Animals Are Halal and Which Are Not کون سے جانور حلال ہیں اور کون سے نہیں

Clearly forbidden by the Qur'an. Pork in all forms, including bacon, ham, lard and pork gelatin (2:173, 5:3, 6:145, 16:115). Carrion: any animal that died without slaughter, whether of disease, strangling, a fall or a blow (5:3). Flowing blood: blood is not to be consumed, though scholars note that the Qur'an forbids blood "poured forth" (6:145), so traces that remain in meat after slaughter are excused. Anything slaughtered in the name of other than Allah, such as an animal sacrificed to an idol or saint (5:3). Exceptions: fish and locusts are lawful even without slaughter: the Prophet ﷺ said, "Two dead things and two bloods have been made lawful for us: fish and locusts, liver and spleen" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3314, graded hasan/sahih by al-Albani).

Forbidden by the Sunnah. Every predatory animal with fangs (lion, tiger, wolf, dog, cat, bear, fox) and every bird with talons that hunts (eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, vulture) (Sahih Muslim 1934). Domestic donkeys: on the day of Khaybar the Prophet ﷺ forbade their meat (Sahih al-Bukhari 5527, Sahih Muslim 1940); wild asses (onagers) are allowed. Mules, as offspring of a donkey, follow the donkey. Animals it is forbidden to kill, such as frogs (Sunan Abi Dawud 5269), and animals we are ordered to kill, such as snakes, scorpions, rats and crows (Sahih al-Bukhari 3314), are not eaten.

Horse meat. The Prophet ﷺ permitted horse meat on the day of Khaybar (Sahih al-Bukhari 5520, Sahih Muslim 1941), and the Shafi'i, Maliki (one view) and Hanbali schools consider it halal. The Hanafi school, based on 16:8, which mentions horses for riding and adornment rather than food, regards eating horses as disliked (makruh tanzihi in the view of Imam Abu Hanifah's students, while Abu Hanifah himself leaned to stronger dislike) because the horse is a mount for jihad. If you buy horse meat in Central Asia, Kazakhstan or parts of Europe, know that most scholars allow it but Hanafis prefer to avoid it.

Allowed animals. Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, deer, antelope, rabbits (Sahih al-Bukhari 5535), chicken, duck, goose, turkey, quail, pigeon, ostrich, and grazing birds that have no talons. Rabbits and hares are halal by sahih hadith. Lizards: the Prophet ﷺ did not eat the dabb lizard but allowed Khalid ibn al-Walid to eat it at his table (Sahih al-Bukhari 5537), so it is permitted by the majority; Hanafis dislike it. Insects: locusts are halal by hadith; other insects are not eaten according to the majority, though the Maliki school allows some if killed with an intention. Snails: land snails are considered insects by Hanafis and avoided; Malikis allow them cooked.

Hunting. Allah says: "Lawful for you are the good things, and what you have trained of hunting animals which you train as Allah has taught you; so eat of what they catch for you, and mention the name of Allah upon it" (5:4). Conditions: the hunter is a Muslim or from the People of the Book; the name of Allah is said when releasing the arrow, bullet or hunting animal; the weapon kills by piercing and not by blunt force (Sahih al-Bukhari 5475); if the animal is found alive it must be slaughtered. A trained dog or falcon that catches game and does not eat from it makes the catch halal (Sahih al-Bukhari 5483), and the dog being impure does not affect the meat. Hunting for sport alone, with no intention to eat, is disliked; the Prophet ﷺ cursed those who use living creatures as targets (Sahih Muslim 1958).

In short: avoid the few named prohibitions, make sure a halal animal is slaughtered by a Muslim or Kitabi with Allah's name, and do not be anxious about animals that the texts have not forbidden.