The Prophet’s (ﷺ) Advice about Milk and Red Meat
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:أَلْبَانُهَا شِفَاءٌ، وَسَمْنُهَا دَوَاءٌ، وَلُحُومُهَا دَاءٌ
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said “The milk of the (cow) contains healing, its fat is a medicine, and its meat is a cause for sickness.”[1]
Benefits of this subject:
“The milk of the cow contains healing…” This means that drinking cow’s milk can treat diseases and the illnesses of depression and loneliness. Moreover, drinking milk can help maintain one’s good health, moisturize the body and keep it balanced.
Drinking milk with honey can help purify internal ulcers. There are some research studies about the benefits of milk for all kinds of poison from the live bite of a snake and scorpion.
“Its fat is a medicine…” This means it can be given to counteract a particular poison.
“its meat is a cause for sickness.” Eating too much of the red meat from the cow can be a cause for depression and feeling of unhappiness. Some doctors have said that eating too much red meat can cause digestive problems and even lead to cancer. There were other claims that eating too much red meat can cause dry skin, rashes, and other forms of skin sores and diseases. In addition to this, there were other studies that suggest eating too much red meat could cause mild malaria and Elephantiasis and tighten the Spleen.[2]
Some people have used this hadith to say that eating red meat is disliked which could possibly only be applied in regards to eating too much of it, otherwise, it’s allowed. The point that Imam An-Manawee mentioned about red meat causing mild Malaria and Elephantiasis has proven to be incorrect based on modern medicine which has discovered these two diseases are caused by mosquitos.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned some practical medical advice about red meat in Prophetic medicine. He wrote;
“Cow meat is cold and dry, heavy on the stomach and produces black, bilious blood that is only suitable for hard workers. Eating cow meat excessively for those who are not used to it causes black bilious illnesses. The harm that this meat causes will be neutralized when one eats it with spices, garlic, ginger and cinnamon. The meat of fat calves is one of the best, mildest and tastiest types of food. It is warm and wet and if fully digested, it provides good nutrition.”[3]
The previous hadith covered not only the benefits of drinking cow’s milk but the possible harms of eating too much of its meat. There is another narration collected by Al-Hakim in Mustadark 4/403 and graded as being authentic by Al-Hakim and Imam Ath-Thahabi.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : عَلَيْكُمْ بِأَلْبَانِ الْبَقَرِ فَإِنَّهَا تَرِمُّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَجَرٍ ، وَهُوَ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said I advise you to drink cow’s milk as it eats and is pastured from every tree, and its milk is a cure for all illnesses.
“drink cow’s milk as it eats and is pastured from every tree..” This means that cows eat from all kinds of trees and plants, so its milk is composed of those different plants and trees, it’s like drinking a full course meal.[4]
Translated and compiled by
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah Battle
Quarantined by COVID 19- Doha, Qatar © 1441 H
[1] Al-Mu’jamul Kabeer 18/218 graded as being as being Hasan by Imam Al-Albani in 1533 in Silsilas Saheeha.
[2] Imam An-Manawee , Faydal Qadir 1561
[3] The Prophetic medicine, printed by Dar Al-Ghad Al-Jadeed, 2003, page 582
[4] Imam An-Manawee , Faydal Qadir 5556