[Q 514] Ruling on Drinking Camel Urine

QUESTION:

Salam. What’s the meaning of this hadith.
Sahih Bukhari 5686: “They drank the milk and urine of the camels as medicine.”
Does this mean it’s ok to drink camel urine? Some say it helps with diseases.

ANSWER:

Drinking the urine of any animal, whether for treatment or for any other purpose, is not permissible, because it is Najis (impure) and Haram (unlawful). Moreover, cure through it is not certain, and besides this, lawful and permissible medicines are generally available as alternatives.

As for the narration in which it is mentioned that on one occasion some sick individuals were instructed to drink camel urine, the answer to this is that Huzoor ﷺ (the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), through Wahi (divine revelation), had certain knowledge that their cure lay in this, and therefore permission was granted. Whereas we have no means of certain knowledge in such matters. Alternatively, this narration is considered Mansookh (abrogated), due to other narrations in which avoiding urine has been clearly commanded.

In Mishkat al-Masabih, a Hadith is narrated:

“عن ابن عباس قال مر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بقبرين فقال إنهما ليعذبان وما يعذبان في كبير أما أحدهما فكان لا يستتر من البول – وفي رواية لمسلم: لا يستنزه من البول – وأما الآخر فكان يمشي بالنميمة ثم أخذ جريدة رطبة فشقها نصفين ثم غرز في كل قبر واحدة قالوا يا رسول الله لم صنعت هذا قال لعله يخفف عنهما ما لم ييبسا“

(Mishkat al-Masabih, Volume 1, Page 110, Published in Beirut)

Under this Hadith, it is stated in Mir’aat-ul-Manajeeh:

“The urine of Halal animals is Najis (impure), and avoiding it is Wajib (obligatory). Observe that a camel herder was punished because he did not take precaution from splashes of camel urine.”

(Mir’aat-ul-Manajeeh, Volume 1, Page 260, Naeemi Kutub Khana)

It is stated in Al-Hidayah:

“وتأويل ما روي أنه عليه الصلاة والسلام عرف شفاءهم فيه وحيا ثم عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى لا يحل شربه للتداوي ولا لغيره لأنه لا يتيقن بالشفاء فيه فلا يعرض عن الحرمة“

(Al-Hidayah, Kitab al-Taharat, Volume 1, Page 24, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi, Beirut)

Answered by: Usman Madani (Ask Mufti scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 23rd January 2026