FatwaFederal TerritoriesFood & Halal
IRSYAD HUKUM KE-195 : HUKUM MENCUCUK UMPAN HIDUP DI MATA KAIL DAN KAITANNYA DENGAN ANAK SUMBING
What is the ruling on using live bait such as shrimp or worms on a fishing hook, and does a husband's fishing while his wife is pregnant cause the child to be born with a cleft lip?
Short answer
Using live shrimp or worms as bait is not forbidden but is disliked (makruh), because the creature dies slowly.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Food & Halal
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Using live shrimp or worms as bait is not forbidden but is disliked (makruh), because the creature dies slowly. It is permitted when there is a genuine need, such as catching fish for food or another lawful purpose. It is preferable to kill the bait humanely first, for example by cutting a critical part or drowning it. The belief that fishing causes a cleft lip in a child is superstition and an innovated belief, which is forbidden to hold and must be abandoned.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Berdasarkan keterangan ini, diqiyaskan bahawa tidak haram menggunakan umpan udang hidup, atau cacing, tetapi makruh kerana demikian membuatnya mati dengan lambat namun atas keperluan yang betul
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM KE-195 : HUKUM MENCUCUK UMPAN HIDUP DI MATA KAIL DAN KAITANNYA DENGAN ANAK SUMBING”, 11 May 2017. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/860-irsyad-al-fatwa-ke-194-hukum-mencucuk-umpan-hidup-di-mata-kail-dan-kaitannya-dengan-anak-sumbing. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-live-bait-fishing-hook-cleft-lip/