Chapter: The Dislike of Riding a jalālah—namely a camel that feeds on excrement; if it is later given clean fodder so that its flesh becomes wholesome, the dislike is lifted.

1692 – Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade jalālah camels to be ridden.” Related by Abū Dāwūd with an authentic chain.

[Explanation]

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—entitles this section in Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn “The Prohibition of Riding the jalālah.” A jalālah is an animal that eats jillah, that is, human excrement; in other words, it feeds on human waste, donkey droppings, and the like. Ordinarily, when an animal subsists on such filth, parts of its body—its skin, hooves, and so forth—become soiled. For that reason the Prophet ﷺ forbade riding it. The same applies to eating its meat: if, for example, a free-range chicken is left to feed on excrement and other impurities, it becomes a jalālah, and consuming its meat is disliked—either mildly or severely. By contrast, if the animal eats a mixture of wholesome and unwholesome things while most of its feed is wholesome, it is not considered a jalālah; it is permissible and there is no objection. This also includes the practice of some poultry owners who give their birds