Q: What is your opinion regarding eating camel meat? Does it nullify Wudu’ (ablution) or not? Kindly give us your Fatwa supported by proofs. May Allah reward you.

A: All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions. Eating camel meat whether raw or well cooked is among the annulments of Wudu’. This is the opinion of Jabir ibn Samurah, one of the Sahabah (Companions) of the Messenger (peace be upon him), Muhammad ibn Is-haq, Yahya ibn Yahya, Imam Ahmad, Ibn Al-Mundhir and other scholars. They all depend on what was narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawud on the authority of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked about performing Wudu’ (ablution) after eating camel meat and he (peace be upon him) said, ‘Perform Wudu’ after eating it,’ and when he was asked about (Part No. 5; Page No. 275) sheep meat (mutton), he said, ‘Do not perform Wudu’ after eating it.’” Imam Ahmad also reported on the authority of Usayd ibn Hudayr that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Perform Wudu’ after eating camel meat and do not perform Wudu’ after eating sheep meat.” So, the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded performing Wudu’ after eating camel meat, and the basic principle in all commands is obligation unless there is an indication to suggest otherwise. Furthermore, the basic rule concerning Wudu’ as far as legal evidence is concerned, is referring to the Islamically prescribed Wudu’, customary in Shari‘ah (Islamic law), which Allah has made obligatory for performing Salah (Prayer), unless there is other legal evidence that suggests otherwise. We do not know of any legal evidence that says that this matter is not obligatory, or that it is Mandub (commendable). Also, there is no legal evidence that changes Wudu’ from its Islamic legal meaning to its linguistic one and thus replaces just washing the hands and performing Madmadah (rinsing the mouth) for Wudu’ after eating camel meat. Therefore, the Islamically prescribed Wudu’ is required after eating camel meat.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.