As-salamu `alaykum. As we all know eating fish is permissible in Islam. I just landed in a situation where one of my non-Muslim friends asked me of how come Muslims have fish when we don’t do Halal? Even a question raised in my mind whether fish is a form of dead meat? Please, clear my doubt….Regards,

All praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be on His last messenger, Muhammad,

Every dead body is filthy except for certain creatures, of which is the sea creatures that do not live except in it, due to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (sa) regarding the sea: “Its water is pure, and its dead [animals] are permissible (to eat)” (T, D, N, Ma)

Slaughtering sheds the blood from the body of land animals. Such blood would cause harm if remained in the meat. This is not the same for sea food.

Allah knows best.