Question 2082: Some people in our areas hunt and kill snakes in the summer, then boil them in olive oil and apply the resulting extract to their bodies to treat joint pain. Is such oil ritually pure (pak)?
Answer
✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنْ عَمَّارٍ السَّابَاطِیِّ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْخُنْفَسَاءِ وَ الذُّبَابِ وَ الْجَرَادِ وَ النَّمْلَةِ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِکَ یَمُوتُ فِی الْبِئْرِ وَ الزَّیْتِ وَ السَّمْنِ وَ شِبْهِهِ قَالَ کُلُّ مَا لَیْسَ لَهُ دَمٌ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.
📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 230
Ammar al-Sabati said: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, was asked about a black beetle, a fly, a locust, an ant, and the like that die in a well, olive oil, animal fat, and so on. The Imam said: There is no problem with anything (meaning any creature) that does not have blood!
2 عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ یَعْنِی أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِیسَی عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِیَاثٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ لَا یُفْسِدُ الْمَاءَ إِلَّا مَا کَانَتْ لَهُ نَفْسٌ سَائِلَةٌ.
📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 231
Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Water is not spoiled (meaning made impure) except by a creature that has gushing and flowing blood!
3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ یَحْیَی رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: لَا یُفْسِدُ الْمَاءَ إِلَّا مَا کَانَتْ لَهُ نَفْسٌ سَائِلَةٌ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 5
Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Water is not spoiled (made impure) except by something that has gushing and flowing blood!
4 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِیِّ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَلِیِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِیهِ مُوسَی بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْعَقْرَبِ وَ الْخُنْفَسَاءِ وَ أَشْبَاهِهِنَّ تَمُوتُ فِی الْجَرَّةِ أَوِ الدَّنِّ یُتَوَضَّأُ مِنْهُ لِلصَّلَاةِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.
📚 Qur'b al-Isnad, 84.
Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Imam Kadhim, peace be upon him, about a scorpion, a black beetle, and the like that die in a large jar or barrel (of water), can one perform ablution (wudu) from it for prayer? The Imam said: There is no problem!
✅ Based on the above narrations and others, creatures that do not have gushing blood, whether they are alive or dead, are ritually pure (pak), and since a snake is a creature that does not have gushing and flowing blood, its carcass and dead body are pure, and if its extract is taken for treatment by boiling it in olive oil or otherwise and is rubbed on the body, the body is pure, and one can pray in that state.
✅ Since, according to the hadiths, eating snake meat is forbidden, and by boiling it in olive oil and so on, its extract and some of its components enter the oil, such oil is only suitable for external use and it is not permissible to eat it.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر