Alligators and Crocodiles Are Unlawful to Eat

22-2-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Is Alligator or Crocodile permissible to eat? It is from the water but it is also a predator. Please advise.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

According to the most prevailing opinion of the scholars, it is forbidden to eat crocodiles or alligators whether they are small or large. The reason is that the alligator is an animal that kills its prey with its sharp canine teeth and because it is not only aquatic but it is amphibious as well. Indeed, it can live for a long time on land. So, it is different from sea animals.

Al Qurtubi may Allaah have mercy upon him related from Ibn Al-‘Arabi that he said: “The meat of the amphibious animals is unlawful because it embodies two conflicting rulings: one that it is lawful and the other that it is unlawful. Now the ruling of unlawfulness is given priority to that of lawfulness. So, it is unlawful to eat the meat of crocodile or alligator.

Allah knows best.

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