- Camel meat has an especially strong effect on the body and this is why the Prophet b ordered the Muslims to perform ablution after eating it.* We should state here that it is an erroneous method to alter the meaning of the two correct Ahadeeth on this subject so that 'ablution’ only means washing the hands, thus altering the true meaning of the word. In addition, the Prophet b made a distinction between eating camel meat and sheep meat, as he gave the choice to Muslims if they want to perform ablution after eating sheep meat. Meanwhile, the Prophet m, commanded the Muslims to perform ablution after
eating camel meat. If ablution in these Ahadeeth was held to mean just washing the hands, it should In addition apply to what the Prophet b said:
"Whoever touched his sexual organ is obliged to perform ablution."
Furthermore, those who eat camel meat might not touch the meat with their hands. So if 'ablution' in this case means just washing the hands, it would be a senseless act and would alter the true meanings desired by the Ahadeeth. In addition, claiming that the Hadith which states,
"The last ruling that the Prophet b chose is that he abandoned performing ablution from eating what is cooked by fire," includes camel meat is not correct.
First, this Hadith carries a general meaning, while the Hadith about camel meat is specific.
Second, the two Ahadeeth are not talking about the same subject. For instance, one should perform ablution even if he eats dried, cooked or uncooked camel meat. Using fire does not have a bearing on the ruling about camel meat. As for abandoning performing ablution after eating what is cooked by fire, it only indicates that using fire does not require ablution. Therefore, there is a difference between the two Ahadeeth, as one of them
orders the Muslims to perform ablution after eating camel meat while the other indicates that performing ablution is not required after eating the food that was cooked by fire.
Third, the Hadith about the Prophet » abandoning performing ablution afier eating the food that was cooked on fire came after the Prophet b had performed ablution from eating such meat earlier. The Hadith states that the Prophet SB was once brought meat and that he ate from it and then performed ablution and prayed. Later on, he was brought meat and he ate from it and then prayed without performing ablution. The Hadith states, the last ruling on this matter is that it is not necessary to perform ablution after eating what was cooked by fire. So there are two rulings regarding the same subject [eating what was touched by fire], one came earlier than the second ruling. Some of the narrators of the Hadith only mentioned the latter incident to make the story short. Therefore, how can anyone use this Hadith to prove that it overrules performing ablution from eating camel meat (when the earlier Hadith that was overruled talks about another subject)? Even if the Ahadeeth in general allow not performing ablution after eating what was cooked on fire, the specific Hadith still stands because it entails a specific ruling [concerning camel meat].