Fishing

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ صَيْدِ الْحِيتَانِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يُسَمَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about catching fish without a mention of the name of Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِنْ كَانَ حَيّاً أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ.

‘It is not unlawful if it is alive when he catches it.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ السَّمَكِ يُصَادُ ثُمَّ يُجْعَلُ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ ثُمَّ يُعَادُ إِلَى الْمَاءِ فَيَمُوتُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ لَا تَأْكُلْهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about fish which is caught, then placed in something but it returns into the water and dies in it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not use it for food.”’

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ اصْطَادَ سَمَكَةً فَرَبَطَهَا بِخَيْطٍ وَ أَرْسَلَهَا فِي الْمَاءِ فَمَاتَتْ أَ تُؤْكَلُ قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who catches fish, then ties it to a string, then sends it in the water where it dies; if he can use it for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he must not use it for food.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ صَيْدِ الْمَجُوسِيِّ لِلسَّمَكِ حِينَ يَضْرِبُونَ بِالشَّبَكِ وَ لَا يُسَمُّونَ وَ كَذَلِكَ الْيَهُودِيُّ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ إِنَّمَا صَيْدُ الْحِيتَانِ أَخْذُهَا.

‘It is not unlawful, fishing is to catch it alive.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْحِيتَانِ الَّتِي يَصِيدُهَا الْمَجُوسِيُّ فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ع كَانَ يَقُولُ الْحِيتَانُ وَ الْجَرَادُ ذَكِيٌّ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the fish caught by Zoroastrians. He (the Imam) said that Ali (a.s.), would say, ‘Fish and locusts are clean (slaughtered properly).”’

إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ص كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي صَيْدِ السَّمَكَةِ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهَا الرَّجُلُ وَ هِيَ تَضْطَرِبُ وَ تَضْرِبُ بِيَدَيْهَا وَ يَتَحَرَّكُ ذَنَبُهَا وَ تَطْرِفُ بِعَيْنِهَا فَهِيَ ذَكَاتُهَا.

‘When a man catches fish and it struggles, hits with its fins, moves its back fins and looks with its eyes, this is its properly slaughtering.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ صَيْدِ الْمَجُوسِيِّ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِذَا أَعْطَوْكَهَا حَيّاً وَ السَّمَكَ أَيْضاً وَ إِلَّا فَلَا تُجِزْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَشْهَدَهُ أَنْتَ.

‘It is not unlawful, if he gives it to you alive as well as the fish also, otherwise, their testimony is not acceptable unless you witness its being fished alive.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِصَيْدِهِمْ إِنَّمَا صَيْدُ الْحِيتَانِ أَخْذُهُ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْحَظِيرَةِ مِنَ الْقَصَبِ تُجْعَلُ فِي الْمَاءِ لِلْحِيتَانِ تَدْخُلُ فِيهَا الْحِيتَانُ فَيَمُوتُ بَعْضُهَا فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِنَّ تِلْكَ الْحَظِيرَةَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَتْ لِيُصَادَ بِهَا.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the fishing by Zoroastrian by means of fishing nets and with a mention of the pagan consecration expressions. He (the Imam) said, ‘Their fishing is not unlawful; fishing is catching them (alive).’ I then asked about a barricade of reeds with water in it for fish. Fish enters

مَا عَمِلَتْ يَدُهُ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِأَكْلِ مَا وَقَعَ فِيهَا.

“It is the case of a man who sets a fishing net in water, then returns home leaving the net in water when thereafter he comes back he finds fish caught in it but they are dead. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is what his hands have done. It is not unlawful and he can use what is in it for food.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ سَمَكَةٍ وَثَبَتْ مِنْ نَهَرٍ فَوَقَعَتْ عَلَى الْجُدِّ مِنَ النَّهَرِ[2] فَمَاتَتْ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ أَكْلُهَا فَقَالَ إِنْ أَخَذْتَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَمُوتَ ثُمَّ مَاتَتْ فَكُلْهَا وَ إِنْ مَاتَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَأْخُذَهَا فَلَا تَأْكُلْهَا.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a fish that jumps out of the canal and lands on the side and it then dies: if it can be used for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you pick it up before it dies you can use it for food but if it dies before you pick it up, then do not use it for food.’”

أَنَّ عَلِيّاً ع سُئِلَ عَنْ سَمَكَةٍ شُقَّ بَطْنُهَا فَوُجِدَ فِيهَا سَمَكَةٌ فَقَالَ كُلْهُمَا جَمِيعاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Ali (a.s.), was asked about fish inside which another fish is found. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use both of them for food.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا بَأْسَ بِالسَّمَكِ الَّذِي يَصِيدُهُ الْمَجُوسِيُّ.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘It is not unlawful to use for food the fish which is caught by Zoroastrians.’”

قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ اصْطَادَ سَمَكَةً فَوَجَدَ فِي جَوْفِهَا سَمَكَةً فَقَالَ يُؤْكَلَانِ جَمِيعاً.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who catches a fish and finds another fish inside it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can use both of them for food.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبِي ع يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا ضَرَبَ صَاحِبُ الشَّبَكَةِ بِالشَّبَكَةِ فَمَا أَصَابَ فِيهَا مِنْ حَيٍّ أَوْ مَيِّتٍ فَهُوَ حَلَالٌ مَا خَلَا مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ قِشْرٌ وَ لَا يُؤْكَلُ الطَّافِي مِنَ السَّمَكِ‌[3].

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I heard my father saying, “If a man sets a fishing net whatever is caught in it dead or alive is lawful for food, except that which does not have scales and the dead fish floating on the water.’””

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَقُولُ فِي حَيَّةٍ ابْتَلَعَتْ سَمَكَةً ثُمَّ طَرَحَتْهَا وَ هِيَ حَيَّةٌ تَضْطَرِبُ أَ فَآكُلُهَا- فَقَالَ ع إِنْ كَانَتْ فُلُوسُهَا قَدْ تَسَلَّخَتْ فَلَا تَأْكُلْهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَمْ تَتَسَلَّخْ فَكُلْهَا.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. What do you say about a snake that has swallowed a fish then has thrown it out and it still is alive and struggling; if it can be used for food. He (the Imam) said, ‘If its scales are peeled off then do not use it for food

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ نَهَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَنْ يَتَصَيَّدَ الرَّجُلُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ كَانَ ع يَمُرُّ بِالسَّمَّاكِينَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنْ أَنْ يَتَصَيَّدُوا مِنَ السَّمَكِ- يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin prohibited a man’s fishing on Fridays before Salat (prayer). He (a.s.), would go to the fish market on Fridays and prohibit them from fishing on Fridays before Friday Salat (prayer).”’

إِنَّمَا الطَّافِي مِنَ السَّمَكِ الْمَكْرُوهُ وَ هُوَ مَا يَتَغَيَّرُ رَائِحَتُهُ.

“Once, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), mentioned fish which floats on water and what people dislike. He (the Imam) said, ‘The fish floating on the water are disliked because their smell has changed.’”