Chapter on Foods

The Islamic dietary system divides all foods into two fundamental categories: halal (permitted) and haram (prohibited). The Maliki school's approach to food is grounded in the Quranic principle that the default (asl) for all things is permissibility unless a specific prohibition is established by text or analogy. Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani presents the Maliki positions on permitted and prohibited foods, offering the student a clear framework for navigating these rulings.

The foods explicitly prohibited in the Quran are four: carrion (maytah) — any animal that dies without proper slaughter; blood — though this refers to flowing blood, as clotted or trace amounts in meat are overlooked; pork in all its forms; and anything over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked at slaughter. These four prohibitions are found in Surah al-Baqarah (173), al-Ma'idah (3), al-An'am (145), and al-Nahl (115).

Beyond the Quranic prohibitions, the Sunnah adds further prohibitions that the Maliki school accepts. These include: every predatory animal with fangs (sibaa' al-nab) — lions, leopards, wolves, and the like; birds with talons (dhul-mikhlab) — eagles, falcons, and similar birds; and domestic donkeys. The Maliki school also prohibits animals that are commanded to be killed (like snakes, rats, and scorpions) and animals forbidden to kill (like hoopoes and lapwings), since one that is commanded to be killed indicates some harm, and one forbidden to kill indicates some sanctity inconsistent with eating.

Intoxicants are absolutely prohibited in all forms and quantities. The Maliki school's position is that any substance that produces intoxication when consumed in large quantities is prohibited even in small amounts. This applies to all alcoholic beverages, not only grape wine. The consumption of intoxicants is one of the major sins (kaba'ir) in Islam, and one who makes it permissible is considered to have left the fold of Islam.

The Maliki school permits the consumption of horses, though some scholars within the school consider it disliked. Rabbit is permissible. Insects — with the exception of locusts, which are explicitly permitted by hadith — are generally prohibited by the Maliki school as they are considered impure. The Maliki school also permits game meat (sayd barri) provided the conditions of valid hunting are met.

Foods that become impure through contact with impurity (najasah) are prohibited in Islam. If a small amount of impurity falls into a large body of liquid and does not change its smell, taste, or color, the liquid remains pure and permissible. If any of these three characteristics change, it becomes impure. Foods belong to the Muslim trader and the Person of the Book are presumed permissible unless one has specific knowledge of a prohibition.