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"The best form of worship is to wait (patiently) for a happy outcome."

The following hadith is found in the book of At-Tirmidhi:  

"The best form of worship is to wait (patiently) for a happy outcome."

Is not the morning near? (Qur'an 11: 81)

The morning of the afflicted is looming, so watch for it. An Arab proverb says, "If the rope becomes too tight, it will snap."

In other words, if a situation reaches the level of crisis, then expect a light and an opening to appear. Allah says:

And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will remit his sins from him, and will enlarge his reward. (Qur'an 65: 5)

And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. (Qur'an 65: 4)

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) relates this saying from Allah:

"I am with the thoughts of my slave towards me, so let him think of me as he pleases."

Allah, the Almighty, says:

They were reprieved] until, when the Messengers gave up hope and thought that they were denied [by their people], then came to them Our Help, and whosoever we willed were delivered. (Qur 'an 12: 110)

Know that, truly, with hardship there is relief. Some commentators of the Qur'an said (considering it to be a hadith) that: "One hardship cannot overcome two reliefs."

The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith:"And know that victory comes with patience and that relief comes with hardship."An Arab poet said:

Some eyes are restless while others are in sleep, In meditating that which may or may not occur, So leave worrying as much as possible, As carrying the burdens of anxiety is madness.

There is your Lord, who provided you with solutions to yesterday,

And He will similarly provide for what is to come tomorrow." Another said:

"Let events flow in their predestined path,And do not sleep except with a clear mind,Between the period of the blinking of the eye and its opening, Allah changes things from one state to another." 

The Fiqh Of Halal And Haram Animals

The Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence/Understanding) f Halal And Haram Animals
by Muhammad Ibn Adam - Darul Iftaa
Question:
Can you give me a list of animals that are Halal and Haram according to the Hanafi School?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion. It only commands and prohibits that which is in the best interests of the human being. The human mind however, due to it being very limited and restricted, may not be able to understand the logic behind every ruling. It may not be able to comprehend properly why a particular ruling is given, but Allah Most High- the Merciful and All-Knowing- is the best to decide what is beneficial and harmful for us, for He is the one who created us.

Allah Most High blessed humanity with His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace), as a light and light-giving. The Sacred Law (Shariah) of Islam that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) came with from Allah differentiated between a living and a dead animal. Dead animals were declared unlawful (haram). Certain animals that were harmful to the welfare of humans were also prohibited, such as pigs, dogs, cats and wild animals. Thus, the animals that have been prohibited for consumption by Shariah is due to the fact that they are harmful for human consumption, whether we realize and understand this or otherwise.

After understanding the above, it should be noted that each of the four Sunni Schools of Islamic law (madhhabs) have their own principles (based on the guidelines of the Qur’an & Sunnah) with regards to which animals are lawful (halal) and which are unlawful (haram) for consumption.

Below are the basic principles of permissibility and impermissibility in the Hanafi School with regards to animal consumption, as mentioned in the classical books of Hanafi jurisprudence. (Culled from: al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/289-291, Bada’i al-Sana’i, 5/35-39 and Radd al-Muhtar, 304-308)

1) Animals that have been clearly and explicitly prohibited in the Qur’an or Sunnah are without doubt Haram, such as a swine, donkey, etc.

2) Animals that are born and live in water are all Haram with the exception of fish. All types of fishes are Halal, with the exception of that which dies naturally in the sea without any external cause. However, if a fish was to die due to some external cause such as cold, heat, being thrown to the shore by the water, colliding with a stone, etc, then it would be Halal.

Allah Most High says:

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine…..” (Surah al-Ma’idah, V: 53)

In the above verse, Allah Almighty forbade the meat of all dead animals without differentiating between sea-animals and land-animals. Thus, all sea-animals would also be included in this general prohibition. However, fish has been exempted from this general ruling due to the explicit mention of its permissibility by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace).

Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him eternal peace) said: “Two types of dead meat and two types of blood have been made lawful for our consumption: The two dead meats are: fish and locust, and the two types of blood are: liver and spleen.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Ibn Majah)

Moreover, there is no mention in the Sunnah literature that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) or his Companions (Allah be pleased with them all) ever consumed the meat of a sea-animal besides the fish, hence if it was permitted, it would have at least been consumed once in order to show its permissibility. (Dars Tirmidhi, 1/280)

As far as the fish which dies naturally in the sea without an external cause (samak al-tafi) is concerned, Sayyiduna Jabir ibn Abd Allah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “What the sea throws up and is left by the tide you may eat, but what dies in the sea and floats you must not eat.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3809 & Sunan Ibn Majah)

Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) forbade the selling of naturally dead fish (floating fish) in the markets. (Bada’i al-Sana’i, 5/36 and al-Ikhtiyar)

In light of the above, all sea-animals are Haram except for fish. It will be permitted to eat a fish even without slaughtering it according to the rules of Shariah. However, a fish that dies naturally without an external cause and begins to float on the surface of the water (Samak al-Tafi) is also considered Haram.

3) The third principle is that, amongst the land-animals, those that have no blood in them are considered Haram, such as a hornet, fly, spider, beetle, scorpion, ant, etc.

Allah Most High says:

“…for he (the Prophet) commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure)…” (Surah al-A’raf, V: 157)

Thus, animals that don’t contain blood such as spiders and others are considered to be from “what is impure” because a sound natured person would detest their consumption.

The only exception is that of a locust, for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) clearly permitted its consumption, in the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud and Musnad Ahmad quoted earlier.

Similarly, Ibn Abi Awfa (Allah be pleased with him) was asked concerning the consuming of a locust and he said: “I fought with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in six or seven battles, and we used to eat it (locust) with him. “ (Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3806)

4) The forth principle is that those land-animals who have blood in them but the blood does not flow, in other words animals that do not have flowing blood, are also considered Haram, such as a snake, lizard, chameleon, etc.

5) The fifth principle is that all types of pests (hasharat al-Ardh) are also considered Haram, such as a mouse, hedgehog, jerboa, etc.

The reasoning behind the prohibition of these animals is the same verse of Surah al-A’raf quoted above, in that they are considered impure (khabith) for consumption.

6) The sixth principle is, land-animals who have flowing blood in them and they survive on grass and leaves, and do not prey on other animals (i.e. non-predatory terrestrial animals) are all considered Halal, such as a camel, cow, goat, buffalo, sheep, deer, etc, although there is a slight difference of opinion within the Hanafi School with regards to the consumption of horse-meat, as will be discussed later. Also, a donkey is exempted from this general ruling, in that its meat in considered Haram for consumption.

Allah Most High says:

“And cattle (an’am), He has created for you, from them you derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their (meat) you eat.” (Surah al-Nahl, V: 5)

And:

“It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that you may use some for riding and some for food.” (Surah al-Mu’min, V: 79)

In the above two verses, Allah Most High uses the term “al-An’am” (cattle) which refers to non-predatory animals, according to the unanimous agreement of all the linguistics.

As far as the consumption of horse-meat is concerned, Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) considers is somewhat disliked (makruh tanzihan) due to its honour and due to the fact that a horse is needed in Jihad. Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad (Allah have mercy on them both) consider it Halal, and it is said that Imam Abu Hanifa also retreated to this opinion. Thus, it would be permitted to consume horse-meat, although better to avoid.

With regards to the meat of a donkey and mule, Allah Most High says:

“And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which you have no knowledge.” (Surah al-Nahl, V: 8)

So, in regards to all other non-predatory animals, Allah Almighty mentions that He has created them for consumption (as we have seen in the verses mention earlier). However, with regards to donkeys and mules, He mentions that they are for riding and adornment (zeenah). Had consumption of these animals been Halal, Allah Almighty would surely have mentioned it.

Moreover, Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the meat of donkeys on the day of the battle of Khaybar.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5202)

Sayyiduna Abu Tha’laba (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) prohibited the eating of donkey’s meat. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5205)

Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said: “The donkeys have been (slaughtered and) eaten.” Another man came and said: “The donkeys have been destroyed.” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) ordered a caller to announce to the people: “Allah and His Messenger forbid you to eat the meat of donkeys, for it is impure.” Thus the pots were turned upside down while the (donkey’s) meat was boiling in them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5208)

With regards to the mules, Sayyiduna Khalid ibn al-Walid (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the meat of horses, mules and donkeys.” (Musnad Ahmad, 4/89, Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 3790, Sunan Nasa’i and Sunan Ibn Majah)

However, the fuqaha mention that the ruling on a mule would be that of its mother. If the mother is a donkey, then it would be definitely Haram. If the mother is some Halal animal such as a cow, it would be completely Halal, and if the mother is a horse, then the rules of eating horse-meat would apply. (See: Radd al-muhtar)

7) The seventh principle is that all terrestrial predatory animals and beasts, i.e. animals that hunt with their teeth, are considered Haram, such as a lion, cheetah, tiger, leopard, wolf, fox, dog, cat, etc.

8) The eighth principle is that all birds of prey, i.e. those that hunt with their claws/talons, are considered Haram, such as a falcon, eagle, kite, hawk, bat, etc.

The proof for both these principles (seven and eight) is the famous Hadith of Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) prohibited the eating of all fanged beasts of prey, and all the birds having talons.” (Sahih Muslim, no: 1934)

Hence, all beasts and birds of prey, beasts that hunt with their teeth and birds who hunt with their talons/claws, are unanimously considered Haram.

9) The ninth principle is that birds who do not hunt with their claws and do not prey on other animals, rather they merely eat grains and crop, are all considered Halal, such as a chicken, duck, pigeon, dove, sparrow, crow, etc.

Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (Allah be pleased with him) says: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) consuming (the meat of) chicken.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5198)

10) The tenth principle is that if a Halal animal only consumes impure things to the extent that it creates bad odour in its meat and milk, then it will be Makruh to consume its meat and drink its milk. However, if it consumes other things along with the impure, or if it does not create bad smell in its meat and milk, then the meat and milk will be totally Halal. (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/340)

It is stated in al-Fatwa al-Hindiya:

“A chicken will only be considered a jallalah (hence makruh) if the majority of what it eats is impure, and that it penetrates into the meat in such a way that it creates a bad smell.” (See: al-fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/289)

11) The last principle is that if one parent of an animal is Halal and the other Haram, consideration will be taken of the mother. Thus, if the mother is a Halal animal, the offspring would also be Halal, such as a mule whose mother is a cow. If however, the mother is a Haram animal, the offspring would also be Haram, such as a mule whose mother is a donkey.

The above were eleven general and broad principles with regards to the consumption of animal meat, according to the Hanafi School of thought. It should be noted here that the meaning of Halal is merely that one may eat of the animal, but there are separate rules with regards to slaughtering and hunting these animals, for which one may refer to previously posted articles or the books of Fiqh. Failure to comply with these rules may well render a Halal animal Haram.

In light of the above general principles, the following is a list of Halal and Haram animals in the Hanafi School: (Both these lists of animals are not exclusive)

Animals whose meat is Halal:

1) Camel

2) Goat

3) Sheep

4) Buffalo

5) Stag

6) Rabbit

7) Cow (including mountain cow)

8) Wild-ass (The prohibition in the Hadith is of domesticated donkeys)

9) Fish (of all types, including prawns according to those who consider prawns to be a form of fish. Others however, don’t permit its consumption, for they don’t consider prawns to be from the fish family. For details, see an earlier post).

10) Deer/Antelope/Gazelle

11) Duck

12) Heron (grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill).

13) Nightingale

14) Quail

15) Parrot

16) Francolin

17) Locust

18) Partridge (heavy-bodied small-winged South American game bird)

19) Lark (North American yellow-breasted songbirds)

20) Sparrow

21) Goose

22) Ostrich

23) Dove

24) Pigeon

25) Stork

26) Rooster

27) Chicken

28) Peacock

29) Starling

30) Hoopoe (any of several crested Old World birds with a slender down-curving bill, known in Arabic as Hudhud- that was sent by Sayyiduna Suleyman (peace be upon him).

Animals whose meat is Haram:

1) Wolf

2) Hyena

3) Cat

4) Monkey

5) Scorpion

6) Leopard

7) Tiger

8) Cheetah

9) Lion

10) Jerboa

11) Bear

12) Swine/pig

13) Squirrel

14) Hedgehog

15) Snake

16) Tortoise/Turtle

17) Dog

18) Crab

19) Jackal

20) Donkey (domesticated)

21) Lizard (The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the eating of a Lizard. Recorded by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan from Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl (Allah be pleased with him). Hadith no: 3790)

22) Fox

23) Crocodile

24) Weasel

25) Elephant (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/306)

26) Falcon

27) Hawk

28) Kite

29) Bat

30) Vulture

31) Mouse

32) Rat

33) All insects, such as a Mosquito, Fly, Wasp, Spider, Beetle, etc.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester, UK

Article source: http://www.daruliftaa.com/question.asp?txt_QuestionID=q-18090311

What is Halal?

Resources | What is Halal?

WHAT IS HALAL? This article provides an overview of 'Halal' i.e. permissible or lawful in Islam, and 'Haram' i.e. impermissible or unlawful in Islam:

1. Halal and Haram
2. Halal Animals
3. Haram Animals
4. Unlawful Organs of Animals Slaughtered as Halal
5. Haram Fluids

Halal and Haram

HALAL: This is an Arabic term which means permissible or lawful in Islam. In reference to food, it is the Islamic dietary standard, as prescribed in the Shari’ah (Islamic Law).

HARAM: This is another Arabic term which means impermissible or unlawful in Islam.

Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “Halal is clear and the Haram (unlawful) is clear. Between the two there are doubtful matters concerning which people do not know. One who avoids them in order to safeguard his deen (religion) and his honour are safe, while if some one indulges in it, he may be indulging in the unlawful……”  (Bukhari)

General Qur’anic guidance dictates that all foods are Halal except those that are specifically mentioned as Haram (unlawful or prohibited). The Glorious Qur’an reads:

“O ye who believes! Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you, and render thanks to Allah, if it is He whom ye worship. (chapter II, Verse 172)”

The unlawful foods are specifically mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an, in the following verses:

“He hath forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked any other name besides Allah’s……..” (Chapter II, Verse 173)

“Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion and blood and swine flesh, and that on which hath been invoked the name other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been gored to death, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by slaughter) and that which hath been immolated to idols and that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination….” (Chapter V, Verse 3)

Consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants is prohibited according to the following guidance:

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance, and idols and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.” (Chapter V, Verse 9)

Meat is the most strictly regulated of the food groups. Not only are blood, pork, and the meat of dead animals or those immolated to other than Allah strongly prohibited, it is also required that the Halal animals be slaughtered while pronouncing the name of Allah at the time of slaughter.

“Eat of that over which the name of Allah hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in his revelations” (Chapter VI, Verse 118)

“And eat not of that whereon Allah’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo! It is abomination. Lo! The devils do inspire their friends to contend with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolaters”. (Chapter VI, Verse 121)

Attempts have been made to explain or justify some of the prohibitions based on scientific reasoning as follows:

• Carrion and dead animals are unfit for human consumption because the decaying process leads to the formation of chemicals which are harmful to humans
• Blood that is drained from the body contains harmful bacteria, products of metabolism, and toxins
• Swine serves as a vector for pathogenic worms to enter the human body. Infections by Trchinella spiralis and taenia solium are not uncommon. Fatty acids, composition of pork fat have been mentioned as incompatible with human fat and biochemical systems
• Intoxicants are considered harmful for the nervous system, affecting the census and human judgement leading to social and family problems and in many cases even death.

Although these explanations are sound, the underlying principle behind the prohibitions remains the above mentioned Divine orders.

Accordingly, Muslims permit all foods, pure and clean for consumption. Islamic Jurisprudence has derived certain principles from the Ahadeeth to determine whether a particular animal or bird is lawful or unlawful.

Halal Animals
The following animals are fit for Muslim consumption:

• All domestic birds
• All cattle
• Sheep
• Goats 
• Camels
• All types of buck
• Rabbits
• Fish
• Locusts

The aforementioned animals excluding fish and locusts will only be considered Halal when they are slaughtered according to the following guidelines:

• The slaughter man must be a Muslim
• Prior to slaughter, the slaughter man must invoke the name of Allah upon the animal to be slaughtered by reciting “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” or at the very least recite “Bismillah”
• He must immediately slaughter the animal after the recital without any significant delay
• His knife must be extremely sharp in order that the slaughter may be conducted efficiently and easily and the animal suffers minimal agony
• He must sever the following arteries:
  Trachea (windpipe), Oesophagus (gullet), both Jugular Veins
  If it is not possible for the slaughter man to cut all four arteries due to whatever reason then he must sever at least three in order to render the meat Halal.
• He must conduct the slaughter manually (i.e. by hand) and swiftly. The knife must not be lifted before the cut is complete and the cut must be below the Adam’s apple

Haram Animals
The consumption of the following animals is against the dietary laws of Islam. Likewise any ingredient or product derived from them or contaminated with them is also prohibited for a Muslim to consume:

• Meat of swine (pig) including all it’s by products
• Meat of an animal that was not blessed with the name of Allah at the time of slaughter
• Meat of dead animals (carrion) 
• Meat of animals that were strangled to death
• Meat of animals that were beaten to death
• Meat of animals that died due to falling from a height
• Meat of animals that were gored to death by a horn
• Meat of animals that were devoured by wild beasts
• Animals killed in a manner which prevents their blood from being fully drained from their bodies;
• Carnivorous animals with fangs, e.g. lions, dogs, wolves, tigers, etc…
• Birds of prey e.g. falcons, eagles, owls, vultures, etc
• Reptiles, snakes, crocodiles
• Mules and Asses
• Pests’ e.g. rats and scorpions
• Insects excluding locusts

Unlawful Organs of Animals Slaughtered as Halal

• Flowing Blood
• Male reproductory organ
• Testicles
• Female reproductory organ
• Pancreas
• Gall bladder
• Bladder

Haram Fluids

• All types of alcohol
• Blood
• Intoxicating of all types, including alcohol and drugs
  

Further Reading

• The Fiqh of Halal and Haram Animals

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Halal Food

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا: Seafood - Which seafood is halal?

Seafood - Which seafood is halal?

Question:Assalamu-Alaikum Brother Nasir,
Sorry to bother you.
i have a question regarding which sea food is halal. i have got many references from different sources but they conflict. i am specifically being askedfor these sea food:
- Octopus-
Crab-
Clam-
Oysters-
Shell-
Fish-
Scallop-
Squid

According to quran sea-food is halal (except eel) but then different imams givedifferent reasonings about which ones are halal and which ones are not. can you provideme with any reference or source/information from where i can precisely find which onesare halal?

Thanks for your help

:-:

Answer:
Assalam o allaikum Brother,

May you be in the best of health and imaan.. amiin.

When I was in university a few years ago, I faced a similar problem as to how to know what is halal for me when it came to sea food. It is true that when you look at Quran it is very much simplified ( or so it seems) that seafood in general is made halal but when you look at the opinions of the scholars, you find that there is a difference of opinion.

Now, one should bear in mind that when we talk about Aimma-Mujtahideen, the imams of the 4 madhabs, we should keep in mind that they were all mujtahids ( their opinions are highly revered), and so an opinion coming from them has to have a strong reasoning behind it. I am not an expert on all madahibs, neither do I know the dalaail (reasonings) of the verdicts from all madaahibs however, I have learnt from ulema who follow the hanafi madhab. So I can only give you information based on this school of thought. It is also noteworthy that one should adhere to one school of thought for all the problems since every school of thought has a strong base of principles of jurisprudence that determines the validity and invalidity of certain actions.

I have read that other schools, shafii, maliki and hanbali are laxed on this particular issue where they regard most of the creatures of the ocean to be halal including fish. The view in Hanafi scholarship is very much restricted, so much so that Hanafi school of thought only allows fish to be consumed from the sea. All other creatures like crabs, prawns, etc. are considered non-halal creatures. Now ofcourse there is a daleel (reasoning) for this verdict in Hanafi school of thought.

Let's see the ayah that talks about seafood ( or shall I say, the ayah that is given as a proof that all sea-creatures are allowed for consumption):

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَرِّ مَا دُمْتُمْ حُرُمًا وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ الَّذِيَ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَTranslation: Lawful to you is the pursuit of water-game and its use for food,- for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel; but forbidden is the pursuit of land-game;- as long as ye are in the sacred precincts or in pilgrim garb. And fear Allah, to Whom ye shall be gathered back. (Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

Based on this ayah, it is usually interpreted that Allah SWT has made all creatures in the ocean halal. The words that are used '...Sayd ul Bahr Wa Ta'aamuhu' which means 'Lawful is made unto you hunting in sea and its food...'.

SAYD UL BAHR
Sayd can be translated in two different forms - Literally meaning hunting or figuratively meaning hunted animal.

So if we try to translate ayah based on these two meanings we will get:
1)Lawful is made for you sea-hunting and its food. (literal)
2) Lawful is made for you sea-animal and sea-food. (figurative)

In the usool of fiqh, one cannot abandon the literal meaning at the expense of a figurative meaning without a valid daleel. In this particular case, scholars of Hanafi school have adhered to the literal meaning, that is 'Lawful is made for you sea-hunting and its food'.

The reason for adhering to the literal meaning is because of the second part of the ayah. The meaning of the complete ayah is:

Translation (5:96):Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water game and its use for food – for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel, but forbidden is (the pursuit of) land game as long as you are in a state of Ihrâm (for Hajj or 'Umrah). And fear Allâh to Whom you shall be gathered back.

It should be noted that this ayah is talking about the people who are in Ahraam ( Pilgrimage garb) and Shariah decrees that during the state of ahraam, one is permissible to hunt in the sea while it is unlawful to hunt on the land and therefore we see in the ayah that the context of Saydul Bahr (hunting in sea) flows into the context of Saydul Barr (hunting on land) and the meaning of the ayah becomes:

Hunting of sea animals is halaal for a muhrim (one in ahraam) while hunting of wild animals on land is unlawful for him.

If we take the figurative meaning, the meaning of the ayah will become:

Sea-animals are halaal for a muhrim while wild animals on land are unlawful to him.

But this is not true. We know that a person in ahraam is allowed to eat the halal wild animal meat as long as he has not hunted that animal himself or was not involved in hunting or catching the animal. This proves that we ought to stick with the literal meaning in this ayah and not the figurative (or interpreted) meaning.

WA TA'AAMUHU

Wa Ta'aamuhu - meaning its food.

We read and hear that when it is said 'its food' , it means all the creatures in the ocean and not just the fish. To support this argument, often a hadeeth is quoted from Rasulallah SAW that:
'It's (the ocean's) water is pure and its carrion (the dead) are halaal."

Based on this hadeeth it is said that anything that is found in sea is halaal for us. But if one sees the hadeeth of the Rasulallah SAW where he specifically mentions the carrions being halaal for us, one would see that infact here carrion means only fish.

Rasulallah SAW is reported to have said:
"Two carrions are made Halaal for us; Fish and Locust" [ Mishkaat Vol 2: P361]
It means that fish and locust are the only two animals/insects that do not need to be slaughtered. So Rasulallah SAW gave us the explanation of the carrion being halaal restricted only to fish and not the sea animals in general.

Another hadeeth that is often quoted to prove that all animals in sea are halaal is:

"Everything in ocean is Madhbooh (slaughtered)." [Bukhari]

In the book Fathul Bari, we see with strong chains of narrations that Umar RA and Ali RA said:
"All fish are slaughtered already by Allah SWT"

So again it was clarified by the Sahaba that when it came to understanding of lawful from sea, it was only fish that was meant as lawful.

Wallahualam.

Note: The references for this article are from the fatwas of Mufti Ebrahim Desai , Madrassah Innamiyah, South Africa.

http://hanafifiqh.blogspot.com/2007/02/seafood-which-seafood-is-halal.html

 Muslim Food

 

We always consume any kinds of food every time. whatever it is, we have to be careful with food to eat, because delicious foods are not absolutely good for us. With the complication of today's manufacturing and food production, it's hard to know what goes into the food we eat. Food labeling helps, but not everything is listed, and what is listed is often a mystery. Most Muslims know to look out for pork, alcohol, and gelatin. But can we eat products that contain ergocalciferol? What about glycerol stearate?

Dietary laws for Muslims are very clear. As outlined in the Qur'an, Muslims are forbidden from consuming pork, alcohol, blood, meat dedicated to false gods, etc. It is easy to avoid these basic ingredients, but what about when the ingredients are disguised as something else? Modern food production allows manufacturers to start out with one basic product, then cook it, boil it, and process it, until they can call it something else. However, if its original source was a forbidden food, then it is still forbidden to Muslims.

So how can Muslims sort through it all?

Some Muslim dietitians have published books and lists of products, from Burger King hamburgers to Kraft cheese, to indicate which things are forbidden and which are permitted. The soc.religion.Islam newsgroup compiled a FAQ file using this approach back in the 1990s. But as Sound-vision points out, it is nearly impossible to list every possible product. In addition, manufacturers often change their ingredients, and international manufacturers sometimes vary the ingredients from country to country. Such lists often become outdated and obsolete rather quickly.

As another approach, the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America has compiled a list of ingredients that is very helpful. You can use this list to check labels for items that are forbidden, permitted, or suspect. This seems to be the most reasonable approach, as the short list is not likely to change over time. With this list in hand, it can be very simple for Muslims to purify their diets and eat only what Allah has permitted.

http://romdon-nurdiansyah.blogspot.com/2010/05/with-complication-of-todays.html