Answer
✅ Answer: Consider the following ahadith:
1 عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ يَقُولُ : لَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِ لُحُومِ الْجَوَامِيسِ وَ شُرْبِ أَلْبَانِهَا وَ أَكْلِ سُمُونِهَا.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 313
Abdullah ibn Jundab said: I heard Imam al-Kazim (peace be upon him) say: There is no issue in eating the meat of buffaloes (water buffaloes), drinking their milk, and consuming their ghee/butter!
2 مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَنْ لُحُومِ الْجَوَامِيسِ وَ أَلْبَانِهَا فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِمَا.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 313
Abdullah ibn Jundab said: I asked Imam al-Kazim (peace be upon him) about the meat of buffaloes (water buffaloes) and their milk, so he said: There is no harm in the two!
3 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ الرَّیَّانِ بْنِ الصَّلْتِ عَنْ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثِ قَالَ: کَتَبْتُ إِلَیْهِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْجَامُوسِ عَنْ کَمْ یُجْزِی فِی الضَّحِیَّةِ فَجَاءَ فِی الْجَوَابِ إِنْ کَانَ ذَکَراً فَعَنْ وَاحِدٍ وَ إِنْ کَانَ أُنْثَی فَعَنْ سَبْعَةٍ.
📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 5, p. 209
Ali ibn Rayyan said: I wrote a letter to Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) asking about the water buffalo, for how many people does it suffice as an Eid al-Adha sacrifice?
So the reply came: If it is male, for one person, and if it is female, for seven people!
4 عَنْ أَیُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثَ عَنِ الْجَامُوسِ وَ أَعْلَمْتُهُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ یَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ مَسْخٌ فَقَالَ أَ وَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ وَ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ اثْنَیْنِ وَ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَیْنِ.
📚 Tafsir al-Ayyashi, Vol. 1, p. 380
Ayyub ibn Nuh said: I asked Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) about the buffalo (water buffalo) and informed him that the people of Iraq say it is among the metamorphosed creatures!
So the Imam said: Have you not heard the divine word (in Surah Al-An'am, verse 144) which states: 'And of camels two pairs (domestic and wild), and of cattle two pairs (domestic and wild).....!'
5 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ فِی الْجَوَامِیسِ شَیْءٌ قَالَ مِثْلُ مَا فِی الْبَقَرِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 534
Zurarah said: I said to Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): Is there anything (zakat) due on buffaloes (water buffaloes)? The Imam said: (Yes) just as it is regarding cattle!
✅ In light of the above narrational evidence and others, it is clear that the buffalo or water buffalo is a type of cattle, and eating its meat, milk, and ghee/butter is halal.
✅ There is no difference between domestic and wild water buffalo, and provided that the rules of ritual slaughter and hunting are observed, the meat of both is halal.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر