This reminds me about the case in Sarawak, a state in Malaysia. Peoples there (not all) eats larvae of a species of beetle that are found in Sago tree (the tree’s rotten trunk especially). Sometimes you can find these larvae sold in the wet market there.

Local ulama say that it is Halal, but doesn’t comply with the manners of a Muslim.

Based on my little knowledge, the hadith you mentioned of forbading is only hadith which is found in Sunan Abu Dawood but no where else.

In fact if you will lookup Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Malik’s Muwatta, you will find numerous ahadith saying, Rasool Allah sallahu alayhi wa aalehi wassalam said [meaning in context], “it is not found in my land, thus I do not like eating it but I do not forbade it”.

Thus, it is not Haram but Rasool Allah (saw) did not ate it. However, according to Hanafi Fiqh (as per one scholar) it is Makruh Tanzih (i.e. Mubah or minor disliked, that is closer to being lawful rather than unlawful).

“Khaalid ibn al-Waleed reported that some grilled lizard meat was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and put in front of him. He stretched out his hand to take some, but one of the people present said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, it is lizard meat,’ so he pulled his hand back. Khaalid ibn al-Waleed asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, is lizard haraam?’ He said, ‘No, but it is not known among my people and I cannot face eating it.’ So Khaalid took some of the lizard meat and ate it, whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) looked on.”

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4981, al-Nisaa’i, 4242, and Abu Dawood, 3300).

According to Shaykh Munajjid Al Salih, above hadith is clear to see that Rasool Allah did not forbade lizard, even though he did not ate it on different occasions.

This is based on what I know.

Wallahu ta’ala alim bis-sawab.

How would you take this hadith?