Question:
What is the ruling of eating locust?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Generally, it is permissible to eat locust and this is stated in numerous hadiths, among them is a narration from Abu Ya’fur RA, he said:
سَأَلْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى عَنْ قَتْلِ الْجَرَادِ، فَقَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سِتَّ غَزَوَاتٍ نَأْكُلُ الْجَرَادَ
"I asked 'Abdullah bin Abu Awfa about killing locusts and he said: I went on six campaigns with the Messenger of Allah hand we ate locusts." (In Sahih Muslim, it is stated a total of seven campaigns)
Sahih Muslim (1952), Sunan Abi Dawud (4357) and Sunan al-Nasa’ie (4357)
While from Ibn ‘Umar R.’Anhuma, the Prophet PBUH said:
أُحِلَّتْ لَنَا مَيْتَتَانِ الْحُوتُ وَالْجَرَادُ
“Two kinds of dead meat have been permitted to us: fish and locusts,”
Sunan Ibn Majah (3218)
According to this hadith, Imam al-Nawawi issued a fatwa on the permissibility of eating fish and locust without slaughtering them. The reason is, both these animals are impossible to be slaughtered, hence, the condition of slaughter is abrogated. (Refer Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab 9/72)
There is also a narration from Abu Hurairah RA which tells a story of the travels of the Prophet PBUH together with his companions to perform hajj and umrah where they encountered a swarm of locusts and they kill the locusts. The Prophet PBUH said:
كُلُوهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ صَيْدِ الْبَحْرِ
“Eat them for they are the game of the sea.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (3222)
Ibnu Qudamah state another narration from Ibnu Umar, where one day fried locusts are served to him. Ibnu Umar said, the way to cook locusts is by snapping the wings, then it is fried in oil while it is still alive. (Refer Al-Mughni, 11/43).
To conclude, it is permissible to locusts according to the above hadiths.
Wallahua’lam.