We say: Yes; however, the leading scholars of hadith and jurisprudence have held that this exception is anomalous and therefore cannot be relied upon. Moreover, even if this exception were authentic, the Prophet’s prohibition of the price of a dog would be meaningless, because a dog that cannot be used for hunting cannot be of use for farming or livestock either, and thus cannot be sold. It therefore follows that the prohibition concerning the price of a dog applies specifically to a dog from which benefit may be derived and whose keeping is permissible.

His statement: “and insects.” It is not valid to sell insects, because they have no benefit; spending money on them is a waste of wealth, and the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited wasting wealth (1). It may be understood from this reasoning that, if they have a benefit, their sale is permissible, because a ruling revolves around its effective cause, being present when it is present and absent when it is absent. Beneficial examples include leeches for drawing blood and worms for fishing.

His statement: “and the mushaf.” May Allah have mercy on the author regarding the wording of this phrase, for conjoining the mushaf with insects is not a good style. Yet—may Allah pardon him—it would have been better had he set it apart in a separate sentence. However, he intended to state that it is not valid to sell the mushaf, and the evidence for this consists of a report and rational consideration.

As for the report: Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: “I wish that hands were cut off for selling it” (2). Thus, he regarded the one who takes its price as being like a thief whose hand is cut off.