Last Updated on March 8, 2023 by Marjon Ramos
Rabbit meat is halal because it is not carrion (flesh of dead animals) or swine. Rabbits are also grazers, which, according to Islam, are halal.
Additionally, rabbits are halal to eat because they are harmless and don’t hunt other animals for food (carnivores).
But, rabbits still need to be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law to be considered halal.
Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail if rabbits are halal:
How do you define halal?
Halal (permissible) is the word that’s used to define whether a food adheres to Islamic law according to the Koran.
For meat to be considered halal, it must not be from animals that hunt their prey.
Here’s a list of meat that is haram in Islam:
- Pork
- Carnivorous animals (lions, tigers, wolves, dogs, cats, etc.)
- Omnivorous animals
- Amphibians and reptiles (frogs, toads, crocodiles, tortoises)
- Shark and whale
- Birds with talons
- Any other animal that hunts other animals for food.
Here are some examples of animals that are halal if they have been “Zabiha” slaughtered:
- Rabbit
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Ostrich
- Game
- Cow
- Buffalo
- Goat
- Sheep
- Camel
- Deer
- Antelope
Why are rabbits halal?
Rabbits are halal for the following reasons:
- Rabbits don’t hunt for their food because they are prey creatures.
- Rabbits are grazers.
- The Quran makes no mention of rabbits being haram.
- The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ate rabbit meat.
But the following reason is not enough; you still need to slaughter the rabbit in accordance with Islamic law.
Conclusion
Halal (permissible) is the word used to define whether a food adheres to Islamic law.
According to Islam, rabbit meat is halal because it’s not a predator animal, swine, or carrion (flesh of dead animals).
But rabbits need to be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law to be considered halal.
Cite this article:
Sources
- https://hadithanswers.com/did-nabi-sallallahu-alayhi-wa-sallam-eat-rabbit-meat/
- https://www.thekitchn.com/good-question-what-is-halal-me-60979
Image credit – Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Scalable Grid Engine, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons