The Law on Food or Drink Mixed With Ant Carcasses

Foods and drinks that have a sweet taste, we often encounter these foods are invaded by ants and they die in them. When it dies in food or drink, it becomes a carcass. If so, is the food or drink that is mixed with the carcass of the ant unclean?

Ants are animals that do not have blood flowing, when they fall into water or mix with food and then they die in it, then the carcass of the ant does not make the water or food unclean. The water and food are still considered holy and lawful to drink or eat.

However, if there are so many carcasses of ants that change the color, taste and smell of the water or food, then the water or food is considered unclean. Likewise, if the ant is deliberately thrown into water or food, then the water or food is considered unclean.

This is as stated by Sheikh Ibrahim Albajuri in his book Hasyiyatul Bajuri below:

ولا يُعفى عن شيء من النجاسات إلا اليسير من الدَم والقيْح فَيُعفى عنهما في ثوب أو بدن، وتصحُ الصلاة معهما و إلا ما أي: شيء لا نَفْسَ له سائلة كذباب ونمل إذا وقع في الإِناء ومات فيه فإنَّه لا يُنَجِّسه…. وأفهم قوله وقع أي: بنفسه أنَّه لو طرح ما لا نفس له سائلة في المائع ضر… وإذا كثرت ميتة ما لا نفس له سائلة وغَيَّرتْ ما وقعت فيه نجّسته

“And nothing is impure except for a little blood and vomit, so both of them are forgiven if they touch their clothes or body and it is lawful to pray with a little blood and vomit. Likewise, an animal that does not have blood flowing when it falls into a container and dies in it, does not make the container unclean. The word ‘fall’ means to fall by itself. Therefore, if an animal that does not have flowing blood is thrown into a liquid, it makes the liquid unclean. And if there are many carcasses of animals that do not have flowing blood that change the object that is infested, then the object becomes unclean.”

The conclusion is that thus, water or food mixed with ant carcasses is not unclean if it fulfills two conditions. First, the ant falls on its own, not thrown. Second, little and no change in the color, taste and smell of the water or food.