My friend told me that in Islam a fish weighing more than 12 kgs is not allowed.
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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:
Assalaam
o alaikum, my question is that somedays back one of my friend told me that in
Islam a fish weighing more than 12 kgs is not allowed. please help me in this.
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Answer:
Big fish not allowed
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 none 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: my
question is that somedays back one of my friend told me that in Islam a fish
weighing more than 12 kgs is not allowed. please help me in this.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 14:
It is He (Allah) Who
has subjected the sea to your service so that you may get fresh flesh from it
to eat and bring out of it articles of ornaments, which you wear.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 83 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
A man asked the Messenger of Allah (saws): ‘O
Messenger of Allah (saws), 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 of Allah (saws) replied: ‘Its
water is pure and (even) what dies in it is lawful food.’
In light of the above guidance of Allah and His Messenger
(saws), every creature that predominantly lives in the sea is absolutely
permissible and halaal as food for the believers to consume, regardless of its
size, shape, or weight, etc.
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). Abu
'Ubaida said (to us), "Eat (of that fish)." When we arrived at
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah
Nahl verse 116:
116 But say not for any false thing that your tongues may put forth
"This is ‘halaal’ (lawful) and this is ‘haraam’ (forbidden)" so as to
ascribe false things to Allah. For those
who ascribe false things to Allah will never prosper.
To declare something as lawful or forbidden is the
Exclusive Right of Allah Subhanah Alone, and the believers must be extremely
careful lest in their ignorance they assume or declare a thing ‘halaal’ which
Allah and His Messenger (saws) have termed ‘haraam’; or declare a thing
‘haraam’ which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have termed ‘halaal’. Just as it is a huge sin to declare lawful
what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have forbidden (swine, alcohol, etc.),
similarly it is a huge sin for one to declare unlawful what Allah and His
Messenger have termed lawful!
Beloved brother, it would only be prudent and an act of
brotherhood to inform your friend regarding the truth from the Quran and the
Sunnah, and as his brother and well-wisher in Islam, you should also politely
and humbly ask him to seek Allah’s forgiveness for inventing such declarations from himself and
attributing them to Islam so that he may save himself from sin.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister