Which creature ate the food prepared by Sulaymān (`alayhis salām)?

My question is that which creature was it who ate the food cooked by hazrat Suleman Alaihis Salam when hazrat prepared a meal for the whole living-being present on Earth, i was telling this story to someone and that person said that which sea-creature might it be as it ate it all in one bite. Many of the big mammals and creatures have been found such as the dinasours etc.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.  

The story in reference has been mentioned by `Allāmah al-Safūrī in his Nuzhat al-Majālis wa Muntakhab al-Nafāis.[1] However, the authenticity of this story is questionable as it is narrated without any chain of narrators. Nevertheless, the word used for this creature is “Hūt” (حوت). The same word has been used in the story of Yūnus (`alayhis salām) in Qur’ān regarding the sea creature that swallowed him.[2] The following narration of Bukhārī also uses the same word for a large fish-like creature:[3]

جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: «بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلاَثَ مِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ أَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ»، فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ، فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الخَبَطَ، فَسُمِّيَ ذَلِكَ الجَيْشُ جَيْشَ الخَبَطِ، فَأَلْقَى لَنَا البَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا العَنْبَرُ، فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ، وَادَّهَنَّا مِنْ وَدَكِهِ حَتَّى ثَابَتْ إِلَيْنَا أَجْسَامُنَا، فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ، فَنَصَبَهُ فَعَمَدَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ مَعَهُ، قَالَ سُفْيَانُ: «مَرَّةً ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُ وَأَخَذَ رَجُلًا وَبَعِيرًا فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهُ»

Jābir (radiyallāhu `anh) narrates: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ sent us who were three-hundred riders under the command of Abu `Ubaidah bin Al- Jarrāh in order to watch the caravan of the Quraysh pagans. We stayed at the seashore for half a month and were struck with such severe hunger that we ate even the Khabt (i.e. the leaves of the Salam, a thorny desert tree), and because of that, the army was known as Jaysh-ul-Khabt (the Army of Khabt). Then the sea threw out, an animal (i.e. a fish) called Al-`Anbar and we ate of that for half a month, and rubbed its fat on our bodies till our bodies returned to their original state (i.e. became strong and healthy). Abu `Ubaida took one of its ribs, fixed it on the ground; then he went to the tallest man of his companions (to let him pass under the rib). Once Sufyan said, “He took a rib from its parts and fixed it, and then took a man and camel and they passed from underneath it (without touching it).”[4]

Commentators state that this word simply refers to a fish while it is also used to specify those fish that are very large in size.[5] The hadīth above also points out features of a creature that is relatively large in size which has enough meat to feed 300 people for half a month. At most, we can say it resembled a creature similar to what we now know of as a whale. However, newer and more recent discoveries, especially in terms of sea creatures[6] point out that there are many creatures that remain to be discovered. Scientists explain that over 50% of all life is found under the ocean surface and only 10% of that space has been explored by humans. This means that there may be as many 50 million creatures that are yet to be discovered.[7] As such, while we can assume what type of creature this animal “Hūt” may be, it is very likely that such a creature is yet to be discovered even in our modern era.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net