All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The hamster is a small rodent belonging to the rodent family. It is commonly bred in European and North American countries. It falls under the category of rodents and is distinguished by its wide cheek pouches, allowing it to store food. Hamsters are known for their ability to live in prairies and fields, often away from garbage and waste.
There is no mention in the rulings of the earlier jurists regarding the permissibility or prohibition of consuming hamsters because the discovery of hamsters occurred later, in the nineteenth century AD.
As the hamster belongs to the rodent family, its ruling regarding consumption follows the ruling of consuming mice, and eating mice is prohibited (haram) in Islam. Imam Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli, may Allah have mercy on him, stated: "(It is prohibited to eat what is recommended to be killed, like snakes, scorpions, and harmful animals), including mice, and every harmful creature, meaning creatures that cause harm. The prohibition is based on two reasons: the prohibition of eating them and the command to kill them. The two Sheikhs (Bukhari and Muslim) narrated the hadith, 'Five (kinds of animals) are harmful and should be killed in the Haram (Sanctuary): the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse, and the rabid dog'" [Sharh al-Mahalli 'ala al-Minhaj, p. 569].
The prohibition on eating mice extends to all types of mice. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, stated: "Mice include various types, such as the rat, the camel mouse, the musk mouse, and the field mouse. The ruling regarding them is the prohibition of consumption and the permissibility of killing, both being equal" [Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4/P. 39]. Imam al-Damiri, a Shafi'i scholar, also mentioned: "Eating all types of mice is prohibited, except for the jerboa" [Hayat al-Hayawan, Vol. 4/P. 243].
The jerboa is a type of mouse characterized by short forelimbs and long hind limbs. It is an exception to the general prohibition, and it is considered permissible (halal) to consume according to the more correct opinion. The proof of this is that Imam al-Mawardi said: "Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ruled that the person who hunts a jerboa, while observing Ihram for Hajj or Umrah (Ritual consecration), is required to slaughter a jafrah (female offspring of sheep). Also, the Messenger of Allah ordered the killing of mice but did not command the killing of the jerboa" [Al-Hawi al-Kabir, Vol. 15/P. 139].
In conclusion, it is forbidden to eat hamster meat because it belongs to the rodent family, which is forbidden to eat. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
