Eating the meat of camels and making ablution afterwards.

Firstly: There are two views among the scholars regarding this.

The first one is the view of the Jumhoor scholars, that eating the meat of camel will not invalidate ablution.

Second view is that if camel meat is eaten raw or cooked it will invalidate the ablution. However, when camel milk is consumed or if the water used to cook camel meat or if something to which camel meat has been added is consumed, it will not invalidate ablution.

An evidence that states that eating camel meat will invalidate ablution is the Hadheeth of Jabir bin Samurah رضي الله عنه who narrated:

(أن رجلاً سأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أأتوضأ من لحوم الغنم؟ قال: “إن شئت فتوضأ وإن شئت فلا توضأ”، قال: أتوضأ من لحوم الإبل؟ قال: “نعم، فتوضأ من لحوم الإبل”، قال: أصلي في مرابض الغنم؟ قال: (نعم) ، قال: أصلي في مبارك الإبل؟ قال: (لا) )

“A man asked Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ whether he should perform ablution after eating mutton. He ﷺ said: Perform ablution if you so desire, and if you do not wish do not perform it. He (again) asked: Should I perform ablution (after eating) camel’s flesh? He ﷺ said: Yes, perform ablution (after eating) camel’s flesh. He (again) asked: May I perform prayer in the sheepfolds? He ﷺ said: Yes. He then asked: May I perform prayer where camels live? He ﷺ said: No.”

And in a Hadeeth narrated from Al-Baraa bin ‘Aarib رضي الله عنه it is mentioned that:

The Messenger ﷺ was asked if one has to perform ablution after eating camel meat. He ﷺ said: “You should perform ablution”. When he ﷺ was asked if one has to perform ablution after eating sheep meat, he ﷺ said “No you don’t have to”. And he was asked if one can pray where the camels live, heﷺ said “Don’t pray there, it (camel) is among the Shayāteen”. And he ﷺ was asked if it is allowed to pray where the sheeps live, and he ﷺ said, “Yes, pray there, it’s a blessed animal”.

The origin of command is obligation. This ablution has come in the Shari’ah. Therefore it cannot be taken as a recommendation. As ablution cannot be defined as an only the act of washing the hands and mouth. There isn’t any evidence that isolate this from the origin.

Ahmad bin Hambal and Ishaq bin Raahwiyyah رحمهما الله mentioned about eating camel meat and if it invalidated ablution. That there are two Ahādeeth regarding this. The Hadeeth of Jabir and that of Al-Baraa رضي الله عنهما (both mentioned above). Even if this is not the view of the majority of scholars, this is the Madh-hab that has the strongest evidences.

Secondly: Why it is that eating the meat of camel invalidates ablution.

In some narrations, it is mentioned that camels have some characteristics of the devils. Therefore, eating it’s meat may have an effect on the person eating it, and that is why making ablution has been commanded after eating it. In the Hadeeth it states:

(لَا تُصَلُّوا فِي مَبَارِكِ الْإِبِلِ، فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ الشَّيَاطِينِ)

“Do not pray where the camels live. For indeed they are among the Shayāteen”. When ablution is made the evil effects are removed.

Moreover, it is said that as camel is an animal which is of stubborn and strong-headed nature, the person eating it may get affected from that. And making ablution makes a person humble and calm.

This is what is mentioned in this topic. The best knowledge is with Allāh.