23 – Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “On the day of Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered Abū Ṭalḥah to announce: ‘Indeed Allah and His Messenger forbid you to eat the meat of domestic donkeys, for it is filth.’” Agreed upon. (1)

Key vocabulary:
• Khaybar: a town about 160 kilometres north of Madinah. It was inhabited by a community of Jews and was conquered by the Prophet ﷺ in the seventh year after the Hijrah. Today it is a populated town with government offices, public facilities, and some historical sites.
• yanhayānikum (He forbids you): the verb here carries a dual pronoun referring to Allah the Exalted and His Messenger ﷺ.
• luḥūm: plural of laḥm; the soft muscular tissue between skin and bone—the “meat” of an animal or bird.
• ḥumur: plural of ḥimār (donkey), a domesticated member of the equine family used for carrying loads and riding; the female is called ḥimārah or atān.
• al-ahliyya: “domesticated,” as opposed to wild.
• rijs: filth, something ritually impure and naturally repugnant.

Points derived from the ḥadith:

1. Domestic donkeys are najis (ritually impure) in their flesh, blood, urine, and dung.
2. As for their sweat, saliva, and exterior body, the scholars differ—a discussion that will follow, if Allah wills.