Nurtured by: Drs.H. Sholahudin Al-Aiyub, M.Si. (Chairman of MUI for Halal and Sharia Economics)
Question:
Assalamu’alaikum wr. Wb.
Ustadz, I would like to ask, what is the law of drinking camel urine as medicine? Recently, it has been widely discussed that the camel’s urine or urine can be used as a cure for certain severe diseases. While I also got the explanation that the urine (animal) is an unclean/najis object that is haram to be consumed..
How exactly is the law on the subject?
thank you.
Wassalam
Dodi, Depok
Answer:
Alaikumsalam wr. Wb.
In principle, when we suffer from pain, we are instructed to seek treatment. But obviously, Islamic law does not allow the treatment with objects or things that are haram. In the hadith narrated from Abud Darda’, he says that the Prophet Muhammad said, “Allah has brought down the disease as well as the cure. God makes every disease have a cure. Then seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with the haram thing” (HR. Abu Dawud).
Furthermore, the ‘scholars agree that the urine of humans and animals is unclean/najis, included objects forbidden in Islam. Except in emergencies. There is no other medicine. So in that emergency, it is allowed, until it is not the emergency anymore. In the Fiqhiyyah Rule it is stated: “Ad-dhorurotu tubiihul-mahzhuroot“. That is, emergencies cause the permissibility of things that are forbidden. Note the meaning of the verse: “But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”. (QS. Al-Baqarah, 2: 173).
So, if there is a hadith of the Prophet SAW that mentions, it is permissible to drink camel urine as medicine, then it is as an exception, a specificity. It is also mentioned in the Fiqhiyyah Rule: “Maa min ‘aamin illa wa khusshisho“. That is, no provision is (of a) general nature, unless one takhshis it, as a provision that is (of a) special nature.
As narrated from Anas bin Malik, he recounted, “There were a number of people from the Ukl and Uranah tribes who came to see the Prophet. But they experienced pain because they did not feel at home in Medina. Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded them to come to the camel’s cage, and told them to drink his urine and his milk.” (H.R. Bukhari and Muslims). Another account added, “They did that advice, too, until they were healthy and became fat.”
As people who have faith in the Prophet saw, of course we will justify what he saw said. For what he said was a revelation: “And there is nothing he says (the Quran) according to the will of his passions. His utterance was nothing but a revelation revealed (to him).” (Q.S. An-Najm, 53: 3- 4). And Allah is all-knowing what is most beneficial to His servant. But of course, the hadith must be understood under emergency conditions, as Takhshish, a provision of a special nature, as already explained above.
In addition, in understanding the hadith of the Prophet saw, of course, it must be associated with other hadiths. It is not permissible to understand one hadith on its own. If there is one hadith that seems to contradict another hadith, then in the ‘Ulumul-Hadith, it should be understood with “The Science of Mukhtaliful Hadith“, the science that discusses how to complete and understand the opposite hadiths (the content of their meaning).
In summary, it can be explained as follows: First, the two hadiths are studied and comporomyized. If there is indeed a hadith that allows treatment with camel urine, then there is a hadith that prohibits treatment with unclean objects, then the two hadiths are compromised. If it turns out that it cannot be compromised, then the second method, namely the Nasakh method, is used by applying Nasikh and Mansukh. It is traced which hadith came first, it was dinasakh or canceled with the hadith that came later. In this case, of course, it must be understood the chronology of these hadiths. To know this is indeed not easy. Because in general, the hadith scholars do not mention the time, when the Prophet saw said in the Qauliyah Hadith (verbally), and/or when he saw to do in the Hadith of Fi’liyah (by deed). If you can’t, then the third method, namely the Tarjih method, is used, by examining which hadith is stronger between the two conflicting hadiths. In this case, then for example, the Hadith narrated by Imam Bukhori and Muslims, it takes precedence over the hadith narrated by the other Imams of the hadith, etc.
In the case of the hadith about treating with camel urine, it must of course also be accompanied by medical clinical trials, as one of the forms and ways to confirm it. If in medical clinical trials it is indeed proven that camel urine can function as a medicine, then understand the hadith that allows using camel urine as medicine, it is as the Khaash Hadith, which is special. Whereas the hadith that forbids treatment with (urine) is unclean and forbidden, it is as hadith ‘Aam, or is of a general nature. In the Fiqhiyyah Rule, it is referred to as Takhshishul-‘Aam. That is, hadiths of a general nature are takhshish by hadiths of a special nature. That is, basically treating with unclean objects is haram, as a general provision. But there are exceptions, in particular, that is, except with urine or camel urine, in emergency conditions.
Wallahu a’lam.
