Question:
The scientists have classified the whale as a mammal and not a fish. Does it mean that whales are not permissible to consume?
Answer:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
أحلت لنا ميتتان ودمان، فأما الميتتان فالجراد والحوت، وأما الدمان فالطحال والكبد هـ
أخرجه أحمد وابن ماجه والدارقطني و البيهقي (و الحديث صالح للاستدلال)[1]
“Two types of dead creatures and two types of blood are made permissible for you, as for the two dead; Fish and Locust and as for the two blood; live and spleen”
Based on this, the Hanafi Jurists unanimously declare that the only sea creature permissible for consumption is the Fish. Scientists have classified whales as mammals and not as fishes because they are warm blooded and give live birth to their young.
However, there are not substantial evidences in the Shariah to support the claim that a whale is not a fish. Rather, the evidences from the Shariah oppose such a claim. The scholars of Islam, in all fields of knowledge viz. Hadith, Jurisprudence, Tafeer, Arabic Language, consider the whale a fish and they make no differentiation between them except in size. Thus the consumption of the whale would be permissible on the basis that it is a Fish.
It is also established from authentic narrations that the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions ate the meat of a Whale.
صحيح البخاري (5/ 167)
قال كُلُوا رِزْقًا أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ، أَطْعِمُونَا إِنْ كَانَ مَعَكُمْ فَأَتَاهُ بَعْضُهُمْ فَأَكَلَهُ
صحيح البخاري (7/ 90)
أَلْقَى البَحْرُ حُوتًا يُقَالُ لَهُ العَنْبَرُ
The type of fish specifically mentioned in the hadith is the Amber. The scientists consider the Amber to be a whale (sperm whale). The Scholars of Islam do not negate the Amber being a whale however, they do not accept the claim that a whale is not a fish. The Amber (sperm whale) being a fish is clear from the aforementioned hadith and the reason why The Holy Prophet ﷺ ate the meat of the Amber Whale and approved its consumption by his companions,was on the basis of it being a fish.[2]
The experts in the field of Arabic Linguists agree that the Sperm Whale (Amber) is a fish;
(1) Abu Mansoor al- Azhari in his Tahdheeb al-Lughah (3/ 233)
قلت: وَإِنَّمَا قيل للترس: عنبر لِأَنَّهُ يتَّخذ من جلد سَمَكَة بحريّة يُقَال لَهَا: العنبر
(2) Ibn al-Athir in his An-Nihaya fi gharib al-hadith (3/ 306)
(س) فِي حَدِيثِ جَابِرٍ فألْقَى لَهُمُ البَحْرُ دَابَّة يُقَالُ لَهَا: العَنْبَر هِيَ سَمَكة بَحْرِيَّة كَبِيرَةٌ (عَنْبَرَ)
(3) Murtadha al-Zubaidi a- Hanafi in his Taj al Uroos (13/ 148)
قَالَ: العَنْبَرُ سَمَكَةٌ كبيرةٌ
(5) Hafiz Ibn Hajar al Asqalani in his Fath al Baari (8/ 79)
قال أهل اللغة العنبر سمكة بحرية كبيرة يتخذ من جلدها
(6) Al-Damiri in is Hayat al-Hayawan (2/ 214)
العنبر: سمكة بحرية كبيرة يتخذ من جلودها الترس. ويقال للترس عنبر. وقد تقدم ذكرها في باب الباء الموحدة
The scientists describe the Amber (sperm whale) by stating; its average length is approximately fifty two feet long. This also corresponds to the description given by Abu Mansoor Al-Azhari, fourth century expert in Arabic language.
وقال الأزهري العنبر سمكة تكون بالبحر الأعظم يبلغ طولها خمسين ذراعا[3]
The Amber (sperm whale) is that whale in which the sweet scented amber substance is emitted from its stomach.[4]
The scholars of Hadith and Jurisprudence after commenting on the on the aforementioned hadith clearly state that the Amber (sperm whale) mentioned is a fish.
(1) Imaam al Qastalaani mentions in his Irshaad as- Saari
(يقال له العنبر) وهو سمكة بحرية يتخذ من جلدها الأتراس
Amber is a fish that lives in the sea, its skin is used to make shields
(2) Imām Badr al-Dīn al-‘Aynī mentions in his Umdatul Qaari
وفي الحديث أن ميتة الحوت تؤكل
It is proven from the Hadith that a dead fish is permissible to eat.
(3) Imam al-‘Asr ‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri mentions in his Fayd al-Bari
فيه تصريح بكون العنبر حوتا، فلا دليل فيه على جواز أكل حيوانات البحر غير الحوت، فاحفظه!
The Hadith clearly shows that the Amber (sperm whale), thus there is no evidence for the permissibility of sea creatures other than fishes.
(5) Sheikh Zafar Ahmad al-‘Uthmani in his masterpiece titled I’la al-Sunan refutes Imam Ibn Hazm who claims that “the Anbar mentioned in the Hadith was not a fish. (see page 185-186 vol17)
(6) Sheikh Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri (ص 93 ج 16)
العنبر سمكة كبيرة
The Amber is a huge fish
(7) Mufti Muhammad Taqi al-‘Uthmani in his Takmila Fath al-Mulhim
هو السمك الذي يسمى البال أو وهيل اليوم …..الى ان قال وهو أكبر انواع السمك جسامة
The Amber is a Samak (fish) which is known today as a Whale and it is one of the biggest types of Fish.
(ص413 ج 9 دار احياء التراث العربي)
He also states that, the reason why The Holy Prophet ﷺ approved and endorsed its consumption was due to the fact that it was a fish. He further states that the amber whale being a fish is a matter agreed upon, without any differences amongst the Islamic Scholars.
Even though a whale may have slightly different from the normal fishes it is still regarded as a fish and cannot be excluded from the fish category. The Hanafi Jurists clearly state that the all types of fishes are permissible for consumption, without any distinction.
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (5/ 36)
فيؤكل ويستوي في حل الأكل جميع أنواع السمك من الجريث والمارماهي وغيرهما؛ لأن ما ذكرنا من الدلائل في إباحة السمك لا يفصل بين سمك وسمك إلا ما خص بدليل، وقد روي عن سيدنا علي وابن عباس – رضي الله عنهما – إباحة الجريث والسمك الذكر ولم ينقل عن غيرهما خلاف ذلك فيكون إجماعا
قال: (ولا يؤكل من حيوان الماء إلا السمك) لأنه ميتة فيحرم بالنص، وإنما حل السمك بما روينا من الحديث وأنه يشمل جميع أنواعه الجريث والمارماهي وغيرهما
البناية شرح الهداية (11/ 612)
وإنما أحل أنواع السمك لعموم قوله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أحلت لنا ميتتان . الحديث
المبسوط للسرخسي (11/ 248)
ثم جميع أنواع السمك حلال الجريث والمارهيج وغيره في ذلك سواء
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 307)
على أن حل السمك ثبت بمطلق قوله تعالى – {لتأكلوا منه لحما طريا} [النحل: 14]- كفاية، وما عدا أنواع السمك من نحو إنسان الماء وخنزيره خبيث فبقي داخلا تحت التحريم
Sheikh Zafar Ahmad al-‘Uthmani mentions that; there are no differences amongst the Jurist regarding the permissibility of fishes despite the different types that exist. The jurists only differ regarding those sea creatures that resemble the land animals, e.g. Dogs, pigs, snakes etc.[5]
In conclusion, the whale is regarded as a fish according to the Shariah and would thus be permissible to consume.
NB: The same ruling would apply for dolphins and porpoises
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Kaleem Muhammad
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom
Trinidad, West Indies.
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
[1] تكملة فتح الملهم ص 422 ج 9 دار احياء التراث العربي
[2]فتح الملهم للشيخ تقي العثماني تكملة (9/ 419)
و لكن لم يثبت على ذلك تقرير من النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم وانما وقع التقرير من جهة كون السمك حلالا اذا جزر عنه البحر فمات
[3] فتح الباري لابن حجر(8/ 80)
[4] Wikipedia: Ambergris (/ˈæmbərɡriːs/ or /ˈæmbərɡrɪs/, Latin: Ambra grisea, Ambre gris, ambergrease or grey amber) is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.[1] The word amber is derived from the Arabic word ‘anbar'(عنبر).[2]
فتح الملهم للشيخ تقي العثماني تكملة (9/ 417)
و انما يسمى بالعنبر لان العنبر وهو الطيب المعروف و يستخرج من امعائه وهو أكبر انواع السمك جسامة
[5] اعلاء السنن ص 186 ج 17
لا خلاف بين العلماء في حل السمك على اختلاف انواعه و انما اختلفوا فيما كان على صورة حيوان البحر كالآدمي و الكلب و الخنزير و الثعبان فعند الحنفية وهو قول الشافعي : يحرم ما عدا المسك
