[Q 317] Islamic Ruling on Eating Mushrooms

Question

What is the ruling on eating mushrooms? Sometimes there are news reports that people have died from eating mushrooms. So, I want to ask, is eating mushrooms haram or not?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Mushroom/Truffle is a vegetable known as “الکَمأَۃ، شحم الارض، الفُطر” in Arabic, and “کھمبی، چِترمار” in Urdu.

Mushrooms are an umbrella-shaped vegetation, of which there are many types. Some are poisonous while others are beneficial.

According to Islamic Law, all vegetation that grows from the earth, and is not intoxicating, poisonous, or harmful, is Halal (permissible to eat).

Therefore, the type of mushroom that is not intoxicating, poisonous, or harmful is Halal, whereas the type of muhsroom that is poisonous or harmful is not Halal.

In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا

Translation: “O people, eat from what is in the earth, that is lawful and good.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 168)

Under this verse, Tafsir Ibn Kathir states:

أَنهُ أَبَاحَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ فِي حَالِ كَوْنِهِ حَلَالًا مِنَ اللَّهِ طَيِّبًا، أَيْ: مُسْتَطَابًا فِي نَفْسِهِ غَيْرَ ضَارٍّ لِلْأَبْدَانِ وَلَا لِلْعُقُولِ

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, under Ayah 168)

In Hadith collections, under the section of “الطب والرقی,” various Ahadith mention that mushrooms have healing qualities and their liquid is beneficial for the eyes.

It has been reported in Sahih Bukhari (4363), Sahih Muslim (2049), Jami’ at-Tirmidhi (2067), Sunan Ibn Majah (3454), and other collections of Hadith:

“الکَمأۃ من المن وماءھا شفاء العین”

Translation: “Truffle (a type of mushroom) is from the food Divinely bestowed upon Bani Israel and its liquid is a cure for the eye.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Page 1700, Hadith Number 4363, Dar Ibn Kathir)

Mulla Ali Qari رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes in his book Sharh Musnad Abi Hanifa:

“وإنما اختصت الكمأة بهذه الفضيلة لأنها من الحلال المحض الذي ليس في اكتسابه شبهة”

Translation: “Mushrooms have this virtue (i.e. that it is from the food Divinely bestowed upon Bani Israel and its liquid is a cure for the eye) because they are purely halal without any doubt in their permissibility.”

(Sharh Musnad Abi Hanifa, Volume 1, Page 248, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Lebanon)

Under this Hadith, Allama Hussain bin Mahmood bin Al-Hasan Al-Hanafi (died 727 AH) writes in his book Al-Mafatih fi Sharh al-Masabih:

الكمأة: شيء أبيض مثل شحم ينبت من الأرض، يقال بلسان بعض الناس: شحم الأرض، ويقول لها بعض أهل فارس بلسانه : أكل، معنى قوله : الكمأة من المن أي : الكمأة نعمة أنبتها من الأرض للناس بلا تعب الناس، فهي كالمن الذي أنزله الله علي بني إسرائيل من غير تعب. قوله : وماؤها شفاء للعين، قيل : يخلط ماؤها بشيء من أدوية كحل العين ثم يجعل في العين فيحصل به الشفاء، وقيل : بل يجعل ماؤها مفردا في العين

Translation: It (mushroom) is a white, fatty vegetation that grows from the ground. Some call it Shahm al-Ard (earth’s fat), whereas Persian folk call it “Akl.”

The meaning of the Prophetic words, “الکماۃ من المن” is that mushroom is a blessing that comes out of the ground without people toiling for it.

Hence it is akin to the Manna that Allah (عزوجل) bestowed upon the Israelites without any effort from their end.

The meaning of the Prophetic words, “وماءھا شفاء للعین”, according to one opinion, is that if its liquid is mixed with any medicine (such as kohl, etc.) to be applied to the eyes, then it will bring healing. Another opinion is that just its liquid should be applied to the eyes (in order to cause healing).

(Al-Mafatih fi Sharh al-Masabih, Volume 4, Page 506, Dar al-Nawadir)

In Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyah, it is mentioned:

“والکَماۃ نبات لا ورق لھا و لا ساق یوجد فی الارض من غیر ان یزرع۔۔۔ وینمیہ مطر الربیع فیتولد”

(Sharh al-Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyah, Volume 9, Page 476, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah)

Tafsir Naeemi states:

“The ruling regarding minerals and vegetation is that every harmful mineral/vegetation is Haram to eat, and every non-harmful mineral/vegetation is Halal.”

(Tafsir Naeemi, Volume 2, Page 147, Naeemi Kutub Khana Lahore)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said:

“عن ابن عباس قال:قال رسول اللہ ﷺ كل مسكر حرام”

Translation: Narrated by Ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Every intoxicant is Haram.”

(Al-Mu’jam al-Awsat by Tabarani, Volume 7, Page 139, Hadith Number 7099, Dar al-Haramain, Cairo)

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated Answer

Date: 22 June 2024