The Religious Status of Using Wild Pigeons to Treat Black Jaundice
Jaundice, known as “Hepatitis” in English, is a liver-related disease that is caused by a virus and can be transmitted to others. There are five types of hepatitis: Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis A is referred to as yellow jaundice, while Hepatitis B and C are known as black jaundice. This disease is common around the world, and many patients can be found in almost every country. As a result, various treatment methods have been developed, and new cures for the disease are being continuously explored. In the medical field, there are treatments available for all forms of hepatitis, and in many countries, large cities offer free treatments. People have also come up with their own home remedies. One popular method currently circulating is the use of wild pigeons for the treatment of black jaundice.
The method involves placing the feces of a wild pigeon (male) on the navel of a person suffering from the disease. It is believed that this will transfer the virus from the person to the pigeon, causing the pigeon to die on its own. The process is continued until the pigeon dies after touching the navel, and if it stops dying, it is assumed that the patient has recovered. A test would confirm whether the hepatitis C virus has been eliminated from the body. This is a common belief.
The question arises: If this method is true, what is its religious status? To answer this, we need to understand how Islam instructs us to treat animals and whether it is permissible to kill a living creature for the purpose of treatment.
Our belief is that Allah is the Creator of the entire universe, including both humans and animals. He is merciful and compassionate toward all His creations. Allah’s command is:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (النحل:7)
Translation: “Surely, your Lord is full of kindness, Most Merciful.”
Just as Allah is merciful toward His creation, He has instructed His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to show kindness to all living beings on earth. The Prophet ﷺ said:
الراحمون يرحمهم الرحمن، ارحموا اهل الارض يرحمكم من في السماء (صحیح ابی داؤد:4941)
Translation: “Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Have mercy on those on the earth, and you will be shown mercy by Him who is in heaven.”
This hadith teaches us to treat all creatures on earth with love and kindness and avoid causing any creature unnecessary harm, even to an ant. It is claimed that in the treatment of black jaundice, the pigeon dies naturally, without being strangled. However, it is also reported that dozens of pigeons die during the treatment process, with some patients requiring eighty or forty pigeons.
If this is true, it means the pigeons likely experience a painful death due to the way their lives are taken, because when they are not slaughtered properly with a sharp instrument, the death process becomes painful. Keeping this in mind, let us reflect on the following hadith, where the Prophet ﷺ instructed that animals should be slaughtered in a manner that avoids inflicting pain:
إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شيء، فإذا قتلتم فاحسنوا القتلة، وإذا ذبحتم فاحسنوا الذبح وليحد احدكم شفرته، فليرح ذبيحته (صحيح مسلم:1955)
Translation: “Allah has prescribed kindness in everything. So, if you kill, kill in a good way, and if you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. Let one of you sharpen his knife, and let him relieve the animal of its suffering.”
The command to act kindly when killing or slaughtering a creature implies that it should be done in a way that avoids pain. If this is the case, the death of dozens of pigeons for the sake of one person’s treatment, causing them to suffer, cannot be justified in any way, especially when there are numerous other treatments available for this disease.
This should not be regarded as a necessary killing, but rather as the unjust killing of an animal. This killing resembles that described in the hadith about killing animals for target practice, which is clearly prohibited. Let us look at the following hadiths:
عن سعيد بن جبير، قال: مر ابن عمر بنفر قد نصبوا دجاجة يترامونها، فلما راوا ابن عمر تفرقوا عنها، فقال ابن عمر: من فعل هذا؟ إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لعن من فعل هذا. (صحيح مسلم:1958)
Translation: “Said bin Jubair narrated that Ibn Umar passed by some people who had set up a hen to be shot at with arrows. When they saw Ibn Umar, they dispersed. Ibn Umar said, ‘Who did this? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who does such a thing.'”
Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the act of tying up animals for target practice:
نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ان يقتل شيء من الدواب صبرا (صحيح مسلم:1959)
Translation: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the killing of any animal by tying it up and letting it suffer.”
Another hadith reports that a woman was punished in the afterlife for killing a cat by keeping it locked up until it died without food or water. The Prophet ﷺ said:
عذبت امراة في هرة، سجنتها حتى ماتت فدخلت فيها النار، لا هي اطعمتها وسقتها إذ حبستها، ولا هي تركتها تاكل من خشاش الارض (صحیح مسلم:2242)
Translation: “A woman was punished in Hell for mistreating a cat. She confined it until it died, without feeding it or allowing it to eat from the earth.”
The Prophet ﷺ further clarified that animals with souls should not be used as targets for practice:
لا تَتَّخِذُوا شَيْئًا فِيهِ الرُّوحُ غَرَضًا (صحیح مسلم:1957)
Translation: “Do not make anything that has a soul a target.”
From all these hadiths, we understand that the act of killing a pigeon for the treatment of black jaundice is indeed a clear act of unjust killing. The practice can be questioned on the Day of Judgment, similar to the woman who was punished for killing the cat.
Additionally, the Prophet ﷺ stated:
ما من إنسانٍ يَقْتُلُ عُصْفُورًا فما فَوْقَها بغيرِ حَقِّها ، إلَّا سَأَلهُ اللهُ عَنْها يومَ القيامةِ قيل : يا رسولَ اللهِ ! وما حَقُّها ؟ قال : حَقُّها أنْ يذبحَها فَيأكلَها ، ولا يَقْطَعَ رَأْسَها فَيَرْمِيَ بِه (صحیح الترغیب:2266)
Translation: “Any person who kills a bird, or any creature, without right, Allah will question him about it on the Day of Judgment. It was asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is its right?’ He replied: ‘Its right is that it should be slaughtered and eaten, and its head should not be cut off and thrown away.'”
Also, the Prophet ﷺ said:
لتؤدن الحقوق إلى اهلها يوم القيامة حتى يقاد للشاة الجلحاء من الشاة القرناء (صحیح مسلم:2582)
Translation: “On the Day of Judgment, the rights of everyone will be restored, even the hornless sheep will seek justice from the horned sheep.”
Considering all these hadiths, it is clear that when there are numerous treatments available, including free and effective methods, it is not permissible to take the life of dozens of pigeons in such a painful manner for one person’s treatment. Moreover, this is not a scientifically proven method. It is a belief promoted by the public, not based on medical expertise. A wise person should seek treatment from certified doctors and hospitals rather than relying on unverified remedies.
Furthermore, anyone who has killed innocent birds for such treatments should repent and avoid such practices in the future.
Finally, if a medical expert determines that this method is necessary to save a life, and there is no other option, then it may be permissible in order to save the patient’s life. However, since effective treatments for Hepatitis C are readily available, the killing of pigeons for this purpose remains sinful.
Research: Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Dawah Center, Northern Taif (Masrah)
