The Ruling on Killing the Frogs and Eating them

Question :

Is it permissible to kill the frog? And is the frog considered to be a land animal or a water creature? If it is a land animal, is it permissible to eat it without slaughtering it? People do not slaughter it, and it is not possible to slaughter it, because it has no neck. They only cut off its legs to eat and throw away the rest. And if it is a water creature, then what is the objection to it being included in those things which are caught in the sea (such as fish, crabs etc.) which Allah has made permissible? Some of the scholars say that all of the Hadiths related regarding the prohibition of killing the frog are weak and none of them are authentic; what do you say?

Answer:

Scholars have disagreed regarding the ruling on eating the frog. Some of them permitted eating it, while othets forbade it. Malik bin Anas permitted it as well as those scholars who agreed with him. And those who forbade eating it include: Imam Ahmad and those of the scholars who agreed with him. Those who permitted it cited as evidence the generality of the Words of Allah, Most High:
"Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water game and its use for food -for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel."

And, the saying of the Prophet:
"Its water is pure and its dead are permissible."

And this generality includes the frog, because it is included in water game.

Those who forbade eating it argue with the Hadith narrated by Abu Dawud in (the chapter on) Medicine and Manners, and by An-Nasa'i in (the chapter on) Game, on the authority of Ibn Abi Thinb, from Sa'id bin Khalid from Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib, from 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Uthman Al-Qurashi that a doctor asked the Messenger of Allah about using the frog as a medicine and he forbade killing it.

It was also narrated by Ahmad, Ishaq bin Rahuwyah, Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi in their Musnads, and Al-Hakim in Al- Mustadrak in (the chapter on) Virtues, on the authority of 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Uthman At-Taimi and he repeated it in (the chapter on) Medicine. He said that its chain of narrators is authentic, but it was not narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. And Al-Baihaqi said: "It is the strongest of what has been narrated concerning the frog."

And in this Hadith there is evidence for the prohibition of eating the frog, because the Prophet forbade killing it, and a prohibition of killing an animal is either because it is unlawful, like the human being, or because it is unlawful to eat it, like the frog, because it is not (in itself) prohibited. So we attribute the prohibition to eating it.

But this Hadith has a weakness, because it contains Sa'id bin Khalid, who was declared weak by An-Nasa'i. But the response to this is that Ibn Hibban declared him to be reliable and Ad- Daraqutni said: "He is from Al-Madinah and he may be cited as evidence."

And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.