Camels Created From the Devils (Quran vs. Hadith)
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According to Hadith, camels were created from the devils.
Narrated by Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, narrated by Hushaim, from Yunus, from Al-Hasan, from Abdullah bin Mughaffal Al-Muzani, who said: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Pray in the sheepfolds but do not pray in the resting places of camels, for they were created from the devils.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ الْمُزَنِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ صَلُّوا فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ وَلاَ تُصَلُّوا فِي أَعْطَانِ الإِبِلِ فَإِنَّهَا خُلِقَتْ مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ “ .
Sunan Ibn Majah 769 https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:769
Narrated by Uthman bin Abi Shaybah, narrated by Abu Muawiyah, narrated by Al-A’mash, from Abdullah bin Abdullah Al-Razi, from Abdur Rahman bin Abi Layla, from Al-Bara bin Azib, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about performing ablution after eating camel meat, and he said, “Perform ablution after it.” And he was asked about sheep meat, and he said, “Do not perform ablution after it.” And he was asked about praying in the resting places of camels, and he said, “Do not pray in the resting places of camels, for they are from the devils.” And he was asked about praying in the sheepfolds, and he said, “Pray in them, for they are a blessing.”
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْوُضُوءِ مِنْ لُحُومِ الإِبِلِ فَقَالَ ” تَوَضَّئُوا مِنْهَا ” . وَسُئِلَ عَنْ لُحُومِ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ ” لاَ تَتَوَضَّئُوا مِنْهَا ” . وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي مَبَارِكِ الإِبِلِ فَقَالَ ” لاَ تُصَلُّوا فِي مَبَارِكِ الإِبِلِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ ” . وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ ” صَلُّوا فِيهَا فَإِنَّهَا بَرَكَةٌ ” .
Sunan Abi Dawud 184 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:184
We see the following excerpt regarding this matter from Ibn Qutaybah (828-890 CE / 213-276 AH) in his book Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith, in which he confirms the validity of this narration and confirms that the opinion among the people of Hadith is that the camels are created from the same progeny as Satan.
Here is the translation:
They said: A hadith invalidated by its beginning contradicting its end. 23 – Prayer in the resting places of camels
They said: It was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade prayer in the resting places of camels, because they were created from devils.
The prohibition of prayer in the resting places of camels is not denied, and it is permissible in worship. When you described it as being created from devils, we knew that the Prophet ﷺ knew that camels are created from camels, just as cows are created from cows, horses from horses, lions from lions, and wolves from wolves.
Abu Muhammad said: And we say: The Prophet ﷺ, and other than the Prophet, knows that a camel does not give birth to a demon, nor does a she-camel give birth to a demon.
Rather, we were informed that it was originally created from the same species from which devils were created.
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(1) Reported by Tirmidhi: Virtues 142, Nasa’i: Mosques 41, Ibn Majah: Mosques 12, Darimi: Fasting 113, and Ahmad 2/204, 208, 3/44, 68, 86, 4/15, 35, 50, 5/25, 55. The hadith was narrated with the wording: Pray in the sheepfolds, and do not pray in the resting places of camels, for they were created from devils, in Ibn Majah: Mosques.
In Al-Zawaid: The chain of the document has issues, (resting places of camels) meaning their resting places around the water. As for the reason for the prohibition of prayer there due to impurity because their urine is present in their resting places, it has been forbidden to pray in their resting places. Rather, it was meant that camels wander in homes, and if they kneel, they raise their heads, and it is not safe from their closeness and separation in that place, which may harm the one praying near them, or distract him from his prayer, or spoil his clothes with the splashes of their urine. This explanation is closer to the truth, and Allah knows best.
It is interesting that in the footnote of Ibn Qutayba, it states “As for the reason for the prohibition of prayer there due to impurity because their urine is present in their resting places,” yet in another Hadith it claims that the prophet recommended some passerbyers to drink camel urine because they found the climate in Medina unsuitable, before he cut their hands and feet and gouged out their eyes with hot irons for killing his shepherd.
Narrated by Sulaiman bin Harb, narrated by Hammad bin Zaid, from Ayoub, from Abu Qilabah, from Anas, who said: Some people from ‘Ukl or ‘Uraina came to Medina and found its climate unsuitable. So the Prophet ﷺ ordered them to go to the camels and drink their urine and milk. They went, and when they recovered, they killed the shepherd of the Prophet ﷺ and drove away the camels. The news reached the Prophet ﷺ in the early morning, and he sent people in pursuit of them. When it became forenoon, they were brought, and he ordered their hands and feet to be cut off, their eyes to be branded with heated iron, and they were thrown on the Al-Harra (volcanic rock area). They asked for water, but they were not given any.” Abu Qilabah said: These people stole, killed, apostatized after their belief, and waged war against Allah and His Messenger.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ عُكْلٍ أَوْ عُرَيْنَةَ، فَاجْتَوَوُا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَأَمَرَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِلِقَاحٍ، وَأَنْ يَشْرَبُوا مِنْ أَبْوَالِهَا وَأَلْبَانِهَا، فَانْطَلَقُوا، فَلَمَّا صَحُّوا قَتَلُوا رَاعِيَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاسْتَاقُوا النَّعَمَ، فَجَاءَ الْخَبَرُ فِي أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ، فَبَعَثَ فِي آثَارِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا ارْتَفَعَ النَّهَارُ جِيءَ بِهِمْ، فَأَمَرَ فَقَطَعَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَرْجُلَهُمْ، وَسُمِرَتْ أَعْيُنُهُمْ، وَأُلْقُوا فِي الْحَرَّةِ يَسْتَسْقُونَ فَلاَ يُسْقَوْنَ. قَالَ أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ فَهَؤُلاَءِ سَرَقُوا وَقَتَلُوا وَكَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ، وَحَارَبُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 233 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:233
If we contrast this to the Quran we find that there is not only no evidence that camels were created from the devils, but the Quran only speaks of camels in a positive light.
God sent the camel as proof for the people of Saleh.
[7:73] To Thamûd we sent their brother Sãleh. He said, “O my people, worship GOD; you have no other god beside Him. Proof has been provided for you from your Lord: here is GOD’s camel, to serve as a sign for you. Let her eat from GOD’s land, and do not touch her with any harm, lest you incur a painful retribution.
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَـٰلِحًا قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ هَـٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةُ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ ءَايَةً فَذَرُوهَا تَأْكُلْ فِىٓ أَرْضِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
God even cites the camel for the followers of the Quran to reflect upon its creation.
[88:17] Why do they not reflect on the camels and how they are created?
أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ
This call for us to reflect upon the creation of the camel is followed by the creation of the sky, mountains, and earth.
[88:18] And the sky and how it is raised. [88:19] And the mountains and how they are constructed. [88:20] And the earth and how it is built. [88:21] You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder.
(١٨) وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ (١٩) وَإِلَى ٱلْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ (٢٠) وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ (٢١) فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ
Obviously, the sky, mountains, and earth were not created from the devils but were created by God for the benefit of mankind. So how can the camels be a creation of the devils like the Hadith claim?
