Names
1. In Hadees they are called as Samak (السمك).
2. In English they are called as Fish.
3. In Hindi they are called as Macchli.
Please remember the above names are general manes & they are of many types, having different shapes, sizes, types, small, big, different structures & etc.
Quranic references
1. In Sura, Nahl, chapter No. 16, verse no. 14, it is mentioned as “And he is, Who has subjected the sea (for you), that you eat these of fresh tender meat. (I.e. Fish).
2. In Sura, Fatir chapter No. 35, verse no. 12, It is mentioned as “And the two seas (kind of sea water) Are not alike, (one is) this is palatable sweet & pleasant to drink & and (other) that is salt & bitter, and from them both, you eat fresh tender meat (fish) & derive the ornaments that you wear.
3. In Sura Ma’idah chapter no 5 verse no. 96. It is mentioned as “Lawful to you I (the pursuit) water game & its use for food-for the benefits of yourselves & those who travel.
Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم’s guidance about Samak (السمك) fish
Arabic words written in below references are the words mentioned in respected Hadees. You can confirm the references of Hadees at sunna.com & Al-Maktab Al-Shamilah (المكتبة الشاملة) also.
Two dead & two types of blood are Halal
1. Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umer رضي الله عنه says that Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said “Two dead things & two types of blood are allowed (to eat), the two dead things are Fish & Locusts (الجراد) (Jaradh), & two types of blood are Liver & Spleen”. : Reference Ibn Ma-jah: 3439; Book no. 29; In English volume no. 4 Book 29, Hadees no 3314.
Locusts (الجراد) (In Hadees they are called as Jaradh) are type of eatable grasshopper green, in Hindi & Urdu it is called as Tidda.
About Locust
2. Narrated by Abu Ya’far Al-Abdi رضي الله عنه said that he participated in 6 military expeditions with Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم & we eat Locust (الجراد). : Reference Tirmizi: 1821; Book No. 25, Hadees No. 36; In English volume no.3 Book 23, Hadees no 1821.
Sea water & its products
3. Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه says that one person asked to Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم that “we are travelers on sea, & we do not have lot of water with us, can we do wazoo with sea water?
Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم answered that, sea water is pure (usable) & its products are also permissible. Reference An-Nasa’i: 332; Book no. 2; In English volume no. 1; Book 2, Hadees no 333.
First food, eaten by people of Jannah
4. Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه (it is a long Hadees) a Jew asked to Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم that what will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم answered “The first food that will be eaten by people of Jannah will be Caudate or extra lobe of fish liver”. : Reference Bukhari: 3329; Book no. 60; In English volume no. 4; Book no. 55; Hadees no. 546.
Amber (sperm whale) fish
5. Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه says that a group of a Sahabah (companions of Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) told to Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم about their getting & eating of a huge fish for 15 days, (Amber)(sperm whale) which was throw out by the sea, actually they were 300 Sahabah on a journey & all eatables were finished, they had nothing proper to eat since many days, & they saw a huge fish thrown out on the bank, its ribs were very huge & they ate it, Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم answered “It was a provision, which Allah brought for you” (people) & asked, do you have any of its flesh, that you can give us to eat? Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه was pleased & he sent some meat to Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم which Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ate. : Reference Muslim: 1935; Book no. 34; In English Book no. 21; Hadees no 4756.
6. Narrated by Abu Zar رضي الله عنه that “I heard Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم saying ‘Everyone in the universe, in the heavens and on earth, prays for forgiveness for the scholar (Aalims), even the fish in the sea.” : Reference Ibn Ma-jah: 245; Book no. 1; In English volume no. 1 Book 1, Hadees no 239.
Qualities of Fish
The fish which has good taste, smell, is of medium size, thin skinned, meat is not tough or dry, lives in clean fresh water, eats plants & do not eat dirt, is of whitest colour etc are best for use.
Scientific benefits
1. Beneficial in hydrocephalus, T.B, ulcers, kidney problems, pain in back & joints, increases libido. It is also beneficial for metabolism because they have natural Sulphurs & good for skin, hairs, nails, joints, brain, heart, kidney, liver, thyroid gland, bones.
2. Helpful to reduce heart problem, obesity, (because fish oil has Conjugated linolenic acid, DHA, EPA), reduces cholesterol, triglycerides, controls blood pressure.
Contents of it
Vitamin A, D, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, iodine, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, chloride, sulphurs, iron, linolenic acid, D.H.A, E.P.A, unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, omega 3 fatty acids etc.
Uses
1. Cooked in Gravy, Fried or roasted, Fish oil like salmon oil, evening primrose oil, cod liver oil, shark lever oil, etc has great health benefits.
The explanation & conclusion of the Hadees
The Hadees declares that these things were “made lawful”, meaning they were made lawful by Allah for Muslims to eat, since it is only Allah who makes things lawful and unlawful. It can be assumed that this Hadees was mentioned after the verse was revealed in which Allah says: “Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine.” [Surah al-Mâ’idah: 3]
Its legal implications:
The Hadees evidences that the dead of the sea are lawful to eat. It says in the Qur’an: “Made lawful for you are the game of the sea and its food, a provision for you and for the travelers.” [Surah al-Mâ’idah: 96]
A good number of Companions, including Abu Bakr, Abu Ayyub, and Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه have explained that “the game of the sea” refers to what is acquired by fishing and that “its food” refers to the sea animals that have died in it. [Tafsîr al-Tabarî (7/63-69) and Sunan al-Bayhaqî (9/253-255)]
Scholars, however, have different opinion regarding the dead fish that float belly-up upon the surface of the water when its occurrence is not as a result of a recent event.
The first opinion is that such fish are lawful to eat. This, as we already mentioned, was the opinion of Abu Bakr, Abu Ayyub, and Ibn `Abbâs رضي الله عنه and a number of other Companions. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, for instance, said plainly: “The fish floating upon the surface of the water are lawful, so whoever wants to do so may eat of it.” [Musannaf `Abd al-Razzâq (4/503) with an authentic chain of transmission]
This opinion was held by a number of successors and jurists, like `Atâ’, Abu Rabâh, Mahkûl, Ibrâhîm al-Nakha`î, and Abu Thawr. It is also the view of the Mâlik, al-Shâfî`î, and Ahmad Bin Hanbalî as well as their respective schools of law.
Of course, the proponents of this view cite the Hadees under discussion as evidence. They also cite the Hadees what Prophetﷺ said about the sea: “Its water purifies and its dead are lawful.” It is the generality of both these Hadees, as well as of the verse mentioned above, that makes their case. The wording of these texts is sweepingly general, not allowing for the exception of anything.
They also cite as evidence the Hadees related by Jabir رضي الله عنه about the expedition under the leadership of Abu `Ubaidah that they faced starvation. While they were traveling along the coast came across the carcass & a whale was thrown by the sea on the bank, from which they ate and from which they took some of the meat with them as a provision. When they returned to Madinah, they informed Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم of what they did. & He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said to them: “This is a provision that Allah had brought for you. Do you have with you any of the meat to give to us to eat?” They later sent some of the meat to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) and He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ate from it.
This story is evidence that the dead of the sea are lawful to eat. It also shows us that it makes no difference whether the animal died at sea or after it was cast out upon the land, since neither the Companions nor the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم concerned themselves with ascertaining how the whale had died. One of the well-known principles of Islamic jurisprudence is that whenever the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم refrained from inquiring into the details of a situation when various possibilities existed, it indicates that the ruling is general and applies regardless of the circumstances.
The second opinion on this matter is that it is disliked in Islamic Law to eat the dead fish that float upon the surface of the water. This was the opinion of Jâbir Bin Zayd and Tâ`ûs. It is also the view that was held by Abu Hanîfah and his colleagues.
They cite the Hadees related by Jâbir رضي الله عنه that states: “From what the sea casts out or leaves behind you may eat, but from what dies at sea and floats to the surface you may not eat.” However, Abu Dâwûd says: “Sufyân al-Thawrî, Ayyub, and Hammâd relate this Hadees from Abu Zubayr as being a statement of Jâbir رضي الله عنه. This Hadees has been attributed to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم with a weak chain of transmission form Ibn Abî Dhi’b from Abu Zubayr from Jabir رضي الله عنه.”
Besides the fact that it cannot be authentically attributed to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم it has another defect even when it is related merely as a statement of Jâbir رضي الله عنه. Abu Zubayr relates it without saying decisively that he heard it from Jâbir رضي الله عنه. For a narrator like Abu Zubayr, this is a problem, since he was known for relating things that he had heard indirectly.
A good number of scholars have declared this to be weak, including “Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbîlî, Ibn al-Qayyim, and more recently al-Albânî.
Al-Nawawî writes:
As for the Hadees that is related from Jâbir رضي الله عنه, scholars of Hadees agree on the fact that it is weak and that it cannot be used as evidence even if no other evidence exists to contradict it. How, then, can it be used when it is contradicted by other evidence?
The strongest opinion on the matter is the opinion held by the majority of scholars, since this is the opinion that is supported by the evidence. And Allah knows best. This lesson has 6 Hadees.
Science & Hadees regarding Fish & locust
According to the book “Insects” by Steve Parker, Locusts are an excellent source of protein and contain a variety of fatty acids and minerals, vary in protein content from about 50 percent of dry weight to almost 60 percent, It contains adequate amounts of iodine, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, as well as traces of calcium, magnesium and selenium. Carbohydrate levels are very low in locusts, which makes them a good candidate for Atkins and Paleo types of diets. It has 20 grams of protein and just 6 g of fat per 100g.
Fish liver or fish liver oil
“The livers of edible fish are a good source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially those in the omega 3 family, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),” José Luis Guil-Guerrero, lead author of the study, said. These fatty acids are used to prevent and treat various complaints, such as some kinds of cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, behavioural problems and cardiovascular diseases.
The study focused on 12 kinds of fish that are commonly eaten in south eastern Spain, such as hake, shortfin mako and European pilchard. The livers of the great weever (Trachinus draco) and the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were those that showed up the highest levels of LCPUFA (51.4% and 47.9% out of the total fatty acids, respectively). In addition, all the species had a combination of omega-3/omega-6 acids that was “beneficial for human consumption,” especially in the case of the liver of the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou).
“Unfortunately, discarding these livers means that all their nutritional properties are missed,” says Guil-Guerrero, “and if they were used this would also reduce the environmental pollution caused by throwing innards into the water, which is an inherent problem in the fish product processing industry in coastal areas.”
Fish oil
1. Fish oil decreases cholesterol level, protects from heart disease and brain strokes, Also protects from arterial hypertension, rheumatoid, eczema and cancers, weight loss, formation of the tissues of the brain, the eye, the ear, the reproductive glands and the other glands’ tissues, formation of the membranes surrounding all the cells of the body and acting to protect the cells, repairing the nervous tissues as in the case of a herniated disk, one of the principal causes of Sciatica, inflammation of nervous tissues, which is the second main cause of Sciatica.
2. Fish oil contains omega-3, omega 6, which contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are important in preventing and managing heart disease.
Findings show omega-3 fatty acids may help to Lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, slow the development of plaque in the arteries, reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm, reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke, and lessen the chance of sudden cardiac death in people with heart disease, good for brain, bones, skin, hairs, nails, eyes & etc. Fish is beneficial for hydrocephalus, tuberculosis, ulcers, kidney problems, pain in the back & joint, increases libido,
