The Health Benefits of Eating Liver

Foods of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Liver

Mawlana Ahmad Raza Attari Madani

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم consumed liver as part of his diet. Sayyidunā Anas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ reports that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “The first meal of the people of Paradise will be the caudate lobe of fish liver.”^[1]

Sayyidunā ʿAbdullah b. ʿUmar رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا reports that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood are halal for us. The two kinds of dead meat are fish and locusts, and the two kinds of blood are liver and spleen.”^[2]

The Nature of Liver

Liver is a hot temperament food.^[3] It removes toxins from the body and promotes physical health.

Narrations about Liver

There are several narrations which mention liver. Some narrations inform us that the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم consumed it, while other narrations merely make mention of it.

1.   Sayyidunā ꜤAbd al-Rahman b. Abū Bakr رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا reports:

130 of us were once travelling with the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked us, ‘Do any of you have food?’ One man had a sāꜤ of flour, which was then kneaded into dough. After a while, a tall disbeliever passed by and he was herding his sheep. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to him, ‘Will you sell the sheep or give them as a gift?’ He replied, ‘I will not gift them, but I will sell them.’ So the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم bought a sheep from him and it was slaughtered. Then he instructed for its liver to be roasted.

The narrator states, “By Allah, all 130 men had a share from the liver! The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gave some to those who were present and also kept a share for those who were absent. Then the meat was served on two trays. Although we ate to our fill, there was still some leftover.” The narrator further mentions, “Then I loaded the trays on a camel.”^[4]

2.   Sayyidunā Abū RāfiꜤ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states: I used to roast a goat’s stomach [i.e. heart, liver, spleen, etc.] for the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. After eating it, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would offer salah without renewing his ablution.^[5]

3.   Sayyidunā Salama b. AkwaꜤ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ reports that Sayyidunā Bilāl رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ slaughtered a camel and roasted its liver and hump for the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.^[6]

4.   Sayyidunā Burayda رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that on the day of Eid al-Fitr, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would eat something before offering the Eid prayer. On the day of Eid al-Adha, he would not eat until he had returned from offering the Eid prayer. He would return from the Eid prayer and eat the liver of the slaughtered animal.^[7]

Important Points from the Narrations

* A goat’s liver usually suffices a handful of people, but one was sufficient to feed 130 people. This was a miracle of the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

* Consuming something that is cooked or roasted on a fire does not invalidate wudu according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.

* On the day of Eid al-Fitr, it is a sunnah to eat something before offering the Eid prayer. On the Day of Eid al-Adha, it is a sunnah to eat the liver of the sacrificial animal after the Eid prayer.

* Eating roasted meat is proven through hadith.

Benefits of Eating Liver

As well as being consumed by the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, liver is a delicious food with many health benefits, some of which include:

* Liver contains many important nutrients like vitamin A, D, E, K, folic acid, and minerals that help remove toxins from the body.

* Liver is helpful in treating anaemia.

* It promotes healthy brain functions.

* It is a rich source of iron.

* It is better to cook liver as soon as possible, because fresh liver is more beneficial. Do not overcook it as it will become hard and tasteless. It can be easily digested when eaten with lemon.^[8]

Note: Consult your doctor before consuming food for its medical benefits.