Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

IN THIS EDITION YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT ALL SEA CREATURES ARE HALAL FOR THE BELIEVERS. HOW DO YOU CLASSIFY THE BELIEVERS. YOU FURTHER STATE THAT ALL SEA CREATURES ARE HALAL WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT DEAD OR ALIVE. WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE THAT ARE CAUGHT DEAD ARE HARAM. PLEASE CLARIFY

THANKS

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How do you classify the Believers and Sea food Halaal or Haraam?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your question: HOW DO YOU CLASSIFY THE BELIEVERS.

The believers are those who unconditionally and unreservedly believe in Allah Subhanah as their One and Only True Lord,  and have believed in Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah.   They are the ones who believe and obey Allah and His Messenger (saws) in all aspects of their lives unconditionally.  

Your question: YOU FURTHER STATE THAT ALL SEA CREATURES ARE HALAL WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT DEAD OR ALIVE.   WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE THAT ARE CAUGHT DEAD ARE HARAM.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 83     Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

A man asked the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him): Messenger of Allah, we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water? The Messenger (peace be upon him) replied:  Its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.648         Narrated by Jabir

We set out in the army of Al-Khabt and Abu Ubaida was the commander of the troops. We were struck with severe hunger and the sea threw out a dead fish the like of which we had never seen, and it was called Al-'Anbar.  We ate of it for half a month. Abu Ubaida took (and fixed) one of its bones and a rider passed underneath it (without touching it). (Jabir added:) Abu 'Ubaida said (to us), "Eat (of that fish)."   When we arrived at Medina, we informed the Prophet (saws) about that, and he said, "Eat, for it is food Allah has brought out for you, and feed us if you have some of it."  So some of them gave him (of that fish) and he (saws) ate it.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) termed the sea water pure, and its food halaal; whether caught alive or dead.   And what the Messenger of Allah (saws) makes halaal for the believers, no man has a right to declare it haraam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 116: But say not for any false thing that your tongues may put forth "This is halaal and this is haraam!",  so as to ascribe false things to Allah.  For those who ascribe false things to Allah will never prosper.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 157:(So, now mercy has been assigned to those) who follow this Messenger, the Gentile Prophet, whose mention they shall find in the Torah and the Gospel with them.   He enjoins them to do good and forbids them from evil;  he makes pure things halaal for them,  and impure things haraam;  he relieves them of their burdens and frees them from the shackles (of rites and rituals) that bound them.   For this reason, those alone who believe in him,  support him,  succour him,  and follow the Light that has been sent down with him shall attain true 'success'.

Only Allah and His Messenger (saws) have the right to declare a thing halaal or haraam for the believers; and the Messenger of Allah (saws) has declared the game of the sea halaal for the believers; whether it is caught alive or dead.  

Dear Brother, just as it is a huge sin to declare halaal what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared haraam (eg. Swine, wine, intoxicants, etc.); similarly it is a grave sin to declare forbidden, what Allah and His Messenger have declared halaal for the believers.  One should fear Allah Subhanah, and abstain from declaring something haraam, what Allah and His Messenger have declared lawful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah's Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan