Are Muslims Ordered to Drink Camel Urine?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We wrote this article to refute the claims of disbelievers. Otherwise, we affirm our belief in all statements of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as true and authoritative. There is no need to subject his statements to scientific validation, as we believe them based on revelation. As Muslims, we submit fully to his guidance, as he is the final and last messenger of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.

A lot of non-Muslims like to bring up Sahih al-Bukhari 6802 as a point against Muslims, claiming that the Prophet of Islam ordered us to drink camel urine. They argue that this is an idiotic command that cannot be from God, since camel urine is a harmful liquid with no beneficial usages.

In this article, we are going to tackle these claims and show that they are all lies or misunderstandings of the text.

1 – The Hadith and Its Explanation

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Some people from the tribe of ‘Ukl came to the Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them, so the Prophet ﷺ ordered them to go to the (grazing) camels of charity and drink their milk and urine (as medicine). They did so, and they recovered their health. But afterwards, they renounced Islam, killed the herdsmen of the Prophet ﷺ, and drove away the camels. The Prophet ﷺ sent (a group of men) after them, and they were captured and brought back. Then the Prophet ﷺ ordered that their hands and feet be cut off, and their eyes branded with heated iron, and they were left until they died.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6802)

Before bringing the explanations of the scholars of Islam regarding this hadith, it is important to point out that this is not a command to all Muslims, as the enemies of Islam claim. Rather, this was given as a medicinal advice to a specific group of people who had a specific illness, which we will discuss in more detail later in this article.

Explanation by Scholars

Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The evidence that this illness was dropsy (al-istisqāʾ) is what Muslim narrated in his Ṣaḥīḥ, in the ḥadīth where they said: “We found the climate of Madinah difficult, so our stomachs became swollen and our limbs trembled,” and the rest of the report was mentioned.

Since the medicines needed for treating it are those that draw out excess matter—having a balanced laxative and diuretic effect according to the need—and these properties are found in the urine and milk of camels, the Prophet ﷺ commanded them to drink it. For in the milk of milch camels there is cleansing, softening, diuretic action, gentle lightness, and the opening of obstructions—since most of their grazing is on wormwood, qaysūm, chamomile, chrysanthemum, al-idhkhar, and other herbs beneficial for dropsy.

This illness does not occur except with a defect in the liver in particular, or along with other complications, most often due to blockages within it. And the milk of Arabian milch camels is useful for such blockages because of its opening effect and the aforementioned benefits.

The author of al-Qānūn (Ibn Sīnā) said: “Do not pay attention to those who claim that the nature of milk contradicts the treatment of dropsy. Know that camel milk is a beneficial medicine, for it has a cleansing effect in a gentle manner and possesses special properties. This milk is highly beneficial, and if a person were to subsist on it in place of both food and water, he would be cured thereby. This was actually tested with a group of people who were driven to the lands of the Arabs and were forced to live on it, and they were healed. The most beneficial urine is that of the Bedouin camel—the noble, strong one.”
End quote.
Source: Zād al-Maʿād, vol. 4, pp. 43–44 by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim RA

What We Learn from Ibn al-Qayyim’s Statement

A – These people who were ordered to drink the urine mixed with milk were sick, and it was prescribed to them as medicine, not as a command to all Muslims as the liars claim.

B – The disease they were probably suffering from is dropsy, as the description of their conditions in the hadith matches the characteristics of the disease.

C – One of the greatest doctors in history, Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), said: Camel milk is a highly beneficial medicine with gentle cleansing and healing properties. It can even replace food and water for recovery, as proven by experience. The most effective urine for treatment is that of a strong Bedouin camel.

Who Was Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna)?

For those who do not know who Ibn Sīnā is: He is one of the greatest figures in the history of medicine. His monumental work al-Qānūn fī al-Ṭibb (The Canon of Medicine) became the standard medical reference in both the Islamic world and Europe for centuries, taught in universities until the 17th century.

He combined the medical knowledge of the Greeks, Persians, and his own clinical observations into a systematic and scientific framework. His emphasis on diagnosis, treatment, and the balance of body systems made him a pioneer in medical science, earning him the title “the Father of Early Modern Medicine.

As Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:
“Ibn Sīnā as he himself reported about himself said: ‘My father and I were among the followers of the daʿwah of al-Ḥākim [meaning: al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh, the Ubaydī, who ruled in Egypt]. So he was among the Qarmatian Bāṭinites, those who do not believe in a beginning nor a resurrection, nor in a Lord Creator, nor in a Messenger sent from Allah تعالى. quote from Ighāthat al-Lahfān (2/1031).

And Ibn al-Qayyim also described him by saying:
An atheist — rather, the leader of the atheists of the Ummah,
as found in al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Mursalah (3/1105).

2 – Urine Therapy in World History

Moreover, the practice of using animal urine as medicine was well known in the old world, across various cultures from Africa all the way to Asia, under what is called urotherapy. It was also practiced in the United States and the UK, even in recent times.

For example, naturopath John W. Armstrong in the early 20th century:

Urine therapy, popularized by John W. Armstrong in the early 20th century, was inspired by his family’s traditional use of urine for minor ailments, a metaphorical interpretation of the Biblical proverb “Drink waters out of thine own cistern,” and his personal experience fasting for 45 days on urine and water. Starting in 1918, Armstrong developed urine-based regimens for thousands of patients and published The Water of Life in 1944, which became a foundational text for the practice. His work influenced later Indian publications, such as Manav Mootra (1959), and often referenced classical yogic and Ayurvedic texts, though modern practices more closely follow Armstrong’s methods than traditional Eastern practices. Urine therapy has also been combined with other alternative medicine approaches and was historically used, for example, by ancient Roman dentists to whiten teeth.

Thus, using such therapy was not something out of the ordinary, especially knowing that it is still practiced all over the world to this day.

3 – Recent Medical Studies

There have been some medical studies conducted recently on this topic. Below is a summary, with links available for those who wish to read in greater depth. Even though I believe this is a subject that requires more research to reach more accurate results before it can be firmly used as a medicine for dropsy, the findings are noteworthy.

Study Overview

The article is a comprehensive review focusing on the historical and modern therapeutic uses of camel urine, particularly within the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions.

Key Findings

Chemical Composition
Camel urine contains a diverse array of compounds. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry identified about 30 different chemical compounds, while analysis of inorganic elements showed elevations in sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, and magnesium compared to bovine urine.

Unique Microparticles
Researchers detected nanoparticles, crystals, and nano-rods within the urine. These structures exhibited selective cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines.

Reported Health Effects
Traditional medicine in many cultures credits camel urine with a wide range of therapeutic properties, including:

Anti-diabetic
Anti-cancer
Antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects
Liver-protective (hepato-protective)
Cardiovascular benefits

Cultural & Religious Context
Historically, camel urine has been used medicinally in parts of Asia, Africa, and beyond—sometimes consumed directly or mixed with camel milk. The practice is also referenced in Islamic tradition, where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recommended its use for companions suffering from abdominal ailments.

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10658017/

4 – People often question unusual remedies, like mixing urine and milk used by certain groups as medicine for healing. Yet, these same people accept surgery, even though it involves cutting the body and blood. This difference shows that what we consider acceptable medicine depends not just on whether it works, but also on our cultural beliefs, trust in doctors, and how risky or strange a treatment seems.

This highlights an important principle: in matters of worldly knowledge, such as medicine and natural phenomena, the Prophet ﷺ gave us the freedom to seek and adopt better solutions as they are discovered. As he clearly stated:

You have better knowledge in the affairs of the world.
(Sahih Muslim 2363)

Conclusion

1 – The hadith in question is not a command directed at all Muslims. It was a specific medical prescription given to a particular group of people suffering from a particular illness. Since this falls under the category of worldly affairs—such as medicine and treatment—the Prophet ﷺ made it clear that Muslims are free to pursue what works best. As he said:

You have better knowledge in the affairs of the world.
(Sahih Muslim 2363)

2 – Urine therapy, or urotherapy, has been practiced globally for centuries. In the 20th century, John W. Armstrong popularized it in the West through his treatments and his book The Water of Life. His methods later influenced practices in India and became more widespread than traditional yogic or Ayurvedic approaches. Even the Romans historically used urine for remedies such as teeth whitening. To this day, urine therapy continues to be practiced around the world.

3 – Modern research highlights the unique chemical composition of camel urine. It is rich in minerals and contains nanoparticles with potential anti-cancer effects. Reported benefits include anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, liver-protective, and cardiovascular properties. Traditionally used across Asia and Africa, camel urine is also referenced in Islamic tradition as a remedy for abdominal ailments.

الحمد لله رب العالمين