How to verify
- Camel is a permitted species; check that the animal was slaughtered Islamically.
- Buy from a Halal butcher or a supplier with a Halal mark.
- For wudu after eating camel meat, follow your school: Hanbalis renew it, the other schools do not require it.
Quick checks
- Species: Halal, named in the Qur'an.
- Slaughter: must be Islamic.
- Wudu afterwards: follow your school.
What decides the answer
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Islamically slaughtered camel
Halal -
Camel species
Halal, named in the Qur'an -
Wudu after eating
required by Hanbalis; not by the other schools
Why this ruling
Camel meat is eaten across the Gulf, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, in stews, rice dishes and burgers. Its Halal status is settled by the Qur'an; the question people ask is about wudu.
A Halal species
The Qur'an lists camels among the livestock pairs, "of the camels, two and of the cattle, two",[2] and tells Muslims to mention Allah's name over sacrificial camels, then "eat from them and feed the needy".[1] As with lamb or beef, the meat is Halal when the animal is slaughtered Islamically, so buy from a Halal butcher or a supplier with a Halal mark.
Wudu after eating camel meat
A hadith recorded by al-Tirmidhi tells Muslims to perform wudu after eating camel meat. Imam Ahmad and Ishaq bin Rahwayh took it at face value: eating camel meat breaks wudu. The other imams did not, and most read "wudu" here in its literal sense of washing the hands and mouth after a fatty meal. Either way, the meat itself is not impure.[3]
Where you'll find it
- Stews, kabsa and mandi in the Gulf
- Camel burgers and minced meat
- Roast camel for celebrations
Frequently asked questions
Is camel meat Halal?
Does eating camel meat break wudu?
Is camel meat impure?
Scholarly view
Camel's permissibility is not in dispute: Qur'an 6:144 lists camels among the livestock pairs, and 22:36 tells Muslims to mention Allah's name over sacrificial camels and eat from them. The difference among scholars is about wudu.
Darul Uloom Trinidad explains that Imam Ahmad and Ishaq bin Rahwayh held that eating camel meat breaks wudu, while the other imams did not, most of them reading 'wudu' in the hadith in its literal sense of washing the hands and mouth after a fatty meal. It adds that camel meat is not impure.
Sources
Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.
Islamic / scriptural
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Qur'an (Sahih International, via Quran.com) Retrieved
'And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar.'
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Qur'an (Sahih International, via Quran.com) Retrieved
'And of the camels, two and of the cattle, two', among the livestock pairs Allah has not forbidden.
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Performing wudhu after consuming camel's meat
Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago (via IslamQA.org) Retrieved
'The camel's meat is not unclean.' Cites the hadith of Bara bin Azib (Tirmidhi): asked about wudu after camel meat, the Prophet replied 'Perform wudhu from it'. 'Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ishaq bin Rahway have stated that ones' wudhu will be broken by eating camel's meat... All the other Imams of Fiqh and Ahadith however, have not adopted this position'; the majority read wudu here as washing the hands and mouth.
