By Sh. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahid al-Hanbali
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the purity of camel urine, and some scholars have stated that what is used for medicinal purposes is an exception. However, let’s stick to the position that it is pure. They say that it is not permissible to drink such animals’ urine even if it is pure because it is disgusting. So, the prohibition is not only based on impurity, but also on other reasons such as being disgusting or harmful, etc. Therefore, when we say that camel urine is pure, it doesn’t mean that it is honey or milk, it is still urine in the end.
Let us keep two things in mind:
Firstly, it is not permissible to drink it in general unless it is an exception that has been allowed by the Shari’ah, because it is disgusting, so it is prohibited to drink it even if it is pure.
Secondly, it is something that has been mentioned in some texts in a specific form, so if someone is afflicted with a disease that requires drinking it, is it necessary for them to drink it in order to be a believer? And if they don’t drink it, does that make them opposed to the Sunnah? Some people say things that are not understood from the texts and want to be strict with people. It is permissible in some cases, but I personally don’t want to consume it even though it is permissible. Similarly, lizards are permissible to eat, but the Prophet ﷺ did not eat them, even though they were served at his table. He said: “It was not a common food in my people’s land, so it disgusts me.” Onions, garlic, and leeks, etc., are permissible to eat, but it is disliked to eat them because of their bad smell.
So, a person is not obliged to eat something they don’t like, even if it is permissible. And don’t tell them, “You are opposing the Sunnah and the prophetic medicine,” and the same goes for many things such as polygyny, etc.
Source: Sh. Muhammad’s Audio Sharh on Dalil al-Talib
I am a Pakistani-American Muslim blogger. I hold a B.S. in Information Technology and a B.A. in Islamic Studies. I am also a follower and a student of the Hanbali school of Islamic law. Read more