The Camel
- philhoraia
- Oct 11, 2022
- 8 min read
In this post we shall be looking at material regarding the camel.
In the Quran we read of a pregnant camel that had been created from rock.
S 7:73-78 And to Thamud their brother Salih. He said: People, worship Allah. You have no god other than him. A proof has come to you from your lord. This is Allah’s cow camel, a sign for you. So leave it to eat on Allah’s Earth and do not touch it with evil lest painful torture takes you. And remember when he made you successors after Ad and lodged you in the land. You take fortresses from its plains and you carve the mountains as houses. So remember Allah’s favours and do not act wickedly in the land, corrupting. The chiefs of those who were arrogant of his people said to those who were found weak, to him who believed of them: Do you know that Salih is a commissary from his lord? They said: We are believers in what he has been sent with. Those who were arrogant said: We are kafirun in that which you have believed in. Then they hamstrung the cow camel and were insolent towards their lord’s command and said: Salih, bring us what you promise us if you are of the commissaries. So the earthquake took them and they became perching in their home.
S 11:64-65 And people, this is Allah’s cow camel, a sign for you. So leave her to eat on Allah’s Earth and do not touch her with evil that close torture take you. But they hamstrung her and he said: Amuse yourselves in your home for three days. That is a promise that is not false.
S 17:59 And nothing prevented us from sending with the signs except that the first ones called them a lie. And we gave Thamud the cow camel as a visible sign but they wronged her. And we do not send the signs except as intimidation.
S 26:154-158 You are nothing but a human being the like of us so bring a sign if you are of the truthful. He said: This is a cow camel. She has a drink and you have a drink, a known day. And do not touch her with evil so torture of a great day takes you. But they hamstrung her and became regretful. So the torture took them. In that there is a sign and most of them were not believers.
S 54:23-30 Thamud called the vows a lie. And they said: Is it one human being among us that we should follow him? Then we would be in error and frenzy. Was the Dhikr thrown upon him from among us? Rather, he is an untruthful liar. They will know tomorrow who the untruthful liar is. We are sending the camel cow as fitnah for them so watch them and be patient. And inform them that the water is a division among them. Each a drink moribund. But they called their companion and he got and hamstrung. So how my torture and vows were!
S 91:11-15 Thamud accused of lying by its despotism, When the most burdensome of them was sent out. But Allah’s messenger said to them: Allah’s cow camel and her drink. But they called him a liar and hamstrung her. So their lord growled at them for their sin and levelled it. And he does not fear its consequence.
Regarding which, we read, quoting an article:
Renowned Sunni commentator Ibn Kathir, commenting on these verses from Sura 7, stated:
Thamud asked that a Camel APPEAR FROM A STONE, and it did
Prophet Salih said, …
<"Indeed there has come to you a clear sign from your Lord. This she-camel of Allah is a sign unto you;"> meaning, a miracle has come to you from Allah testifying to the truth of what I came to you with. Salih's people asked him to produce a miracle and suggested a certain solid rock that they chose, which stood lonely in the area of Hijr, and which was called Al-Katibah. They asked him to bring a pregnant camel out of that stone. Salih took their covenant and promises that if Allah answers their challenge, they would believe and follow him. When they gave him their oaths and promises to that, Salih started praying and invoked Allah (to produce that miracle). All of a sudden, the stone moved and broke apart, producing a she-camel with thick wool. It was pregnant and its fetus was visibly moving in its belly, exactly as Salih's people asked. This is when their chief, Jundu` bin `Amr, and several who followed him believed. The rest of the noblemen of Thamud wanted to believe as well, but Dhu'ab bin `Amr bin Labid, Al-Habbab, who tended their idols, and Rabbab bin Sum`ar bin Jilhis stopped them. One of the cousins of Jundu` bin `Amr, whose name was Shihab bin Khalifah bin Mikhlat bin Labid bin Jawwas, was one of the leaders of Thamud, and he also wanted to accept the message. However, the chiefs whom we mentioned prevented him, and he conceded to their promptings. The camel remained in Thamud, as well as its offspring after she delivered it before them. The camel used to drink from its well on one day and leave the well for Thamud the next day. They also used to drink its milk, for on the days she drank water, they used to milk her and fill their containers from its milk. Allah said in other Ayat, … <And inform them that the water is to be shared between (her and) them, each one's right to drink being established (by turns)> [54:28] and, …
<Here is a she-camel: it has a right to drink (water), and you have a right to drink (water) (each) on a day, known.> [26:155] The camel used to graze in some of their valleys, going through a pass and coming out through another pass. She did that so as to be able to move easily, because she used to drink a lot of water. She was a tremendous animal that had a strikingly beautiful appearance. When she used to pass by their cattle, the cattle would be afraid of her. When this matter continued for a long time and Thamud's rejection of Salih became intense, they intended to kill her so that they could take the water for themselves every day. It was said that all of them (the disbelievers of Thamud) conspired to kill the camel. Qatadah said that he was told that, "The designated killer of the camel approached them all, including women in their rooms and children, and found out that all of them agreed to kill her." This fact is apparent from the wording of the Ayat, …
<Then they denied him and they killed it. So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin, and made them equal in destruction!> [91:14], and, ...
<And We sent the she-camel to Thamud as a clear sign, but they did her wrong.> [17:59] Allah said here, ... <So they killed the she-camel> Therefore, these Ayat stated that the entire tribe shared in agreeing to this crime, and Allah knows best. (Source)
It was narrated that Bara'bin 'Azib said:
"The Messenger of Allah was asked about performing ablution after eating camel meat. He said: 'Perform ablution after eating it.'"
It was narrated that Usaid bin Hudair said:
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Do not perform ablution after (drinking) sheep's milk, but perform ablution after (drinking) camel's milk.'"
Does consumption of camel meat and milk contaminate the eater?
It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal Al-Muzani said:
"The Prophet said: 'Perform prayer in the sheep's resting-places and do not perform prayer in the camels' resting-places, for they were created from the devils."
Were contaminating camels created from devils? And every year they are sacrificed to Allah?
Further reading regarding things eaten (or not): A Brief Look at Food
We are told that the founder of Islam was the forgiving sort when insulted.
Narrated `Abdullah:
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was offering the prayer in the shade of the Ka`ba. Abu Jahl and some Quraishi men sent somebody to bring the Abdominal contents of a shecamel which had been slaughtered somewhere in Mecca, and when he brought them, they put them over the Prophet (ﷺ) Then Fatima (i.e. the Prophet's daughter) came and threw them away from him, and he said, "O Allah! Destroy (the pagans of) Quraish; O Allah! Destroy Quraish; O Allah Destroy Quraish," naming especially Abu Jahl bin Hisham, `Utba bin Rabi`a, Shaiba bin Rabi`a, Al Walid bin `Utba, Ubai bin Khalaf and `Uqba bin Abi Mitt. (The narrator, `Abdullah added, "I saw them all killed and thrown in the Badr well).
In one incident, the founder of Islam's 'uncle' gets drunk and mutilates the former's camels.
Narrated `Ali:
I had a she-camel which I got in my share from the booty of the battle of Badr, and the Prophet (ﷺ) had given me another she camel from the Khumus which Allah had bestowed on him that day. And when I intended to celebrate my marriage to Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, I made an arrangement with a goldsmith from Bani Qainuqa 'that he should go with me to bring Idhkhir (i.e. a kind of grass used by gold-smiths) which I intended to sell to gold-smiths in order to spend its price on the marriage banquet. While I was collecting ropes and sacks of pack saddles for my two she-camels which were kneeling down beside an Ansari's dwelling and after collecting what I needed, I suddenly found that the humps of the two she-camels had been cut off and their flanks had been cut open and portions of their livers had been taken out. On seeing that, I could not help weeping. I asked, "Who has done that?" They (i.e. the people) said, "Hamza bin `Abdul Muttalib has done it. He is present in this house with some Ansari drinkers, a girl singer, and his friends. The singer said in her song, "O Hamza, get at the fat she-camels!" On hearing this, Hamza rushed to his sword and cut of the camels' humps and cut their flanks open and took out portions from their livers." Then I came to the Prophet, with whom Zaid bin Haritha was present. The Prophet (ﷺ) noticed my state and asked, "What is the matter?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I have never experienced such a day as today! Hamza attacked my two she-camels, cut off their humps and cut their flanks open, and he is still present in a house along some drinkers." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for his cloak, put it on, and proceeded, followed by Zaid bin Haritha and myself, till he reached the house where Hamza was. He asked the permission to enter, and he was permitted. The Prophet (ﷺ) started blaming Hamza for what he had done. Hamza was drunk and his eyes were red. He looked at the Prophet (ﷺ) then raised his eyes to look at his knees and raised his eves more to look at his face and then said, "You are not but my father's slaves." When the Prophet (ﷺ) understood that Hamza was drunk, he retreated, walking backwards went out and we left with him.
Notice what Hamza says: ""You are not but my father's slaves." Why did the false prophet retreat after hearing this?
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said:
"Wouldn't anyone of you like to find three great, fat pregnant she-camels when he returns to his family?" We said: "Yes." He said: "Three verses that one of you recites during the praer are better for him than three great, fat pregnant she-camels."
It was narrated from Abdullah bin 'Amr that the prophet said:
"Indeed the accidental killing, which seems intentional, with a whip or a stick, (the Diyah) is one hundred camels, of which forty should be (she-camels) with their young in their wombs."
Narrated AbuMusa:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The fingers are equal: ten camels for each finger.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that :
the Prophet (ﷺ) ruled that (the compensatory money) for a tooth was five camels.
It was narrated from Abu Mas'ud that a man gave a bridled camel in charity in the cause of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"On the Day of Resurrection seven hundred bridled camels will come to you."
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said:
"There should be no awards (for victory in a competition) except on arrows, camels or horses."
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Wagers are allowed only for racing camels, or horses or shooting arrows.
Is gambling allowed when it comes to activities involving these?
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