CHAPTER 31 – EATING HYENA MEAT
Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) was asked about eating the hyena. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: "It is game." He added, “A penalty of a ram has been imposed on one who hunts it while in ihram.” [439]
COMMENTARY
The hyena, which they call ‘sirtan,’ is a large, long-clawed feline animal that is reported to have been eaten in Mecca. Based on this honorable hadith, the Shafi’i school, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, have said it is permissible to eat the hyena. Imam al-Shafi'i and Malik (may Allah be pleased with them) disliked eating hyena meat. If a person in ihram hunts a hyena, he is obligated to distribute money equivalent to the value of a ram to the poor. (Ma’alim as-Sunan, vol. 5, p. 315)