Stuffed Fish as a Decoration Piece

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Posted: 18 Shawwal 1423, 23 December 2002


Q.) We are a group of fisherman almost 20 of us. Please can you tell us what is your view on catching a big fish, then removing the meat in a certain way and eating it, then mounting the fish (which is not tasweer or picture, but the creation of Allah) and then hanging it up in the lounge as a real stuffed fish?

So we ate the meat, and we did not make a tasweer, but just mounted the same. What is the difference between that and keeping live fish in a tank? And what if I keep a full fish in a glass refrigerator in the lounge for as long as it stays for people to see the big fish I caught?


A.) The above method of stuffing and mounting the fish you caught will be permissible in itself but if such an action will be the cause of pride creeping into the heart that I am the one that caught such a big fish then, the action of mounting the fish on the wall will not be worth the price. Also, if unnecessary attention and respect will be accorded to the mounted item then this will result in the action to be impermissible.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best