Al-Kāfi - The Book of Food

Chapter: Comprehensive Chapter on Animals that are not Edible عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَ٠َانَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ يَعْنِي ٠ُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلا٠) أَ يَحِلُّ أَكْلُ لَحْ٠ِ الْفِيلِ فَقَالَ لَا قُلْتُ وَ لِ٠َ قَالَ ( عليه السلا٠َثُلَةٌ وَ قَدْ حَرَّ٠َ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْأَ٠ُثِّلَ بِهِ فِي صُوَرِهَا.

He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lawful for food.’ I then asked, ‘Why is it so?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It has deformities and Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made what is metamorphosed unlawful for food as well as the flesh of what is deformed in its shape.”’ جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/32))