Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
Duck is Halal. Some people believe duck to be Haram since it has webbed feet. However, this is an error. This is not the consideration when it comes to birds. Rather, birds that hunt with talons are Haram.
Hadith
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ كُلِّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ، وَعَنْ كُلِّ ذِي مِخْلَبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ
(Sayidina Abdullah) Ibn Abbas (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited every predatory animal with cuspids and every bird with talons. (Sahih Muslim, 1934 – 16).
As we see in the authentic Hadith above, the consideration regarding birds is talons. The scholars considered birds that hunt with talons to be prohibited to eat (Haram). Further, as ducks do not have talons, they will not fall under this prohibition. Therefore, having webbed feet is proof of permissibility (Halal) rather than a proof of prohibition. So, duck is Halal and not Haram.
Classical Scholars
وَأما المستأنس من الطُّيُور كالدجاج والبط والأوز فَيحل بِإِجْمَاع الْأمة. وَأما المستوحش مِنْهُ فَيحرم كل ذِي نَاب من السبَاع وكل ذِي مخلب من الطُّيُور. (تحفة الفقهاء)
As for tame birds like chicken, duck and goose, they are Halal by the consensus of the Ummah. As for wild animals, they are Haram if they are predatory and have cuspids (sharp teeth). Regarding birds (they are Haram) if they have talons. (Imam Ala al-Deen al-Samarqandi, Tuhfatu al-Fuqahaa).
وَمَا لَا مِخْلَبَ لَهُ مِنْ الطَّيْرِ فَالْمُسْتَأْنِسُ مِنْهُ كَالدَّجَاجِ وَالْبَطِّ وَالْمُتَوَحِّشُ كَالْحَمَامِ وَالْفَاخِتَةِ وَالْعَصَافِيرِ والقبج وَالْكُرْكِيِّ وَالْغُرَابِ الَّذِي يَأْكُلُ الْحَبَّ وَالزَّرْعَ وَالْعَقْعَقِ وَنَحْوِهَا حَلَالٌ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ. (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع)
Those birds that do not have talons are Halal by consensus. The domesticated among them like; chicken and duck (are Halal). The undomesticated like; pigeon, collared dove, sparrow, partridge, crane, crow that eats seeds and vegetation, magpie and the like (are Halal too). (Imam Abu Bakr al-Kaasaani, Badai al-Sanai).
Many authoritative Hanafi scholars explicitly mentioned the permissibility of duck (Halal) in their works. Duck was so well recognized as being Halal that they mentioned it in related rulings.
(خرء) ما يؤكل لحمه من الطيور طاهر إلا ما له رائحة كريهة كخرء الدجاج والبط والإوز فهو نحس نجاسة غليظة. (فتاوى قاضيخان)
The droppings of birds, that are Halal to consume, are pure. With the exception of those that have an abhorrent odor, like the droppings of chicken, duck and goose. Their droppings are major impurity. (Imam Fakhr al-Deen Qadi Khan, Fatawaa Qadi Khan).
Conclusion
The ruling regarding the droppings of ducks and geese is differed over in Hanafi works, since they fly as opposed to chicken. However, the fact that they are Halal is evident, as seen in the Nass (text) above.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (29.06.23)
