Sahih Muslim , Hadith 1951 ⓘ

Abu Sa'id reported that a person said: Messenger of Allah, we live in a land abounding in lizards, so what do you command or what verdict you give (about eating of it)? Thereupon he said: It was mentioned to me that a people from among Bani Isra'il were distorted (so there is a likelihood that those people might have been distorted in the shape of lizards). So he neither commanded (us to eat that) nor forbade (us). Abu Sa'id said: After some time Umar said: Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has made it (a source of) benefit for more than one (person), for it is the common diet of shepherds. Had it been with me, I would have eaten that. Allah's Messenger disliked it.

وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا بِأَرْضٍ مَضَبَّةٍ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا أَوْ فَمَا تُفْتِينَا قَالَ ‏ "‏ ذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ أُمَّةً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُسِخَتْ ‏" ‏ ‏.‏ فَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ وَلَمْ يَنْهَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيَنْفَعُ بِهِ غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَطَعَامُ عَامَّةِ هَذِهِ الرِّعَاءِ وَلَوْ كَانَ عِنْدِي لَطَعِمْتُهُ إِنَّمَا عَافَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Abu Sa'id reported that an Arab of the desert came to Allah's Messenger and said: I live in a low land abounding in lizards, and these are the common diet of my family, but he (the Holy Prophet) did not make any reply. We said to him: Repeat it (your problem) and so he repeated it, but he did not make any reply. (It was repeated thrice ) Then Allah's Messenger called him out at the third time saying: O man of the desert, verily Allah cursed or showed wrath to a tribe of Bani Isra'il and distorted them to beasts which move on the earth. I do not know, perhaps this (lizard) may be one of them. So I do not eat it, nor do I prohibit the eating of it.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَقِيلٍ الدَّوْرَقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا، أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنِّي فِي غَائِطٍ مَضَبَّةٍ وَإِنَّهُ عَامَّةُ طَعَامِ أَهْلِي - قَالَ - فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ فَقُلْنَا عَاوِدْهُ ‏.‏ فَعَاوَدَهُ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ نَادَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الثَّالِثَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ أَوْ غَضِبَ عَلَى سِبْطٍ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَمَسَخَهُمْ دَوَابَّ يَدِبُّونَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلاَ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ هَذَا مِنْهَا فَلَسْتُ آكُلُهَا وَلاَ أَنْهَى عَنْهَا ‏" ‏ ‏.‏