FISHING FOR SPORT AND LEISURE

ANSWER 1: To hunt an animal for the purpose of eating, or for medicine or for attaining benefit or to alleviate any harmful thing or for trade is permissible and to hunt just for the sake of fun or entertainment is unanimously regarded as being completely forbidden, as Imam e Ahle Sunnat Huzoor Ala Hazrat Alaihir Rahma writes in Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef: To hunt just for the sake of sport and for leisure is known as game hunting for pleasure. Now, if a person hunts using a gun or goes fishing just for sport and for fun, and whether it is done daily or occasionally, then it is unanimously regarded as being completely forbidden. It is only regarded as Halaal and permissible if it is specifically for eating or for attaining benefit or to alleviate any harmful thing. (Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef Volume 20 page number 333).

ANSWER 2: It is forbidden and impermissible to use live bait for fishing because causing pain or harm to any creature without any reason is forbidden by Shariah. Yes, if the fish or Gheeñsa (a type of earthworm) was already dead then one can place it on the hook and can hunt (i.e. fish with it), and there is nothing wrong in doing so, as Huzoor Ala Hazrat Alaihir Rahma writes in Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef: It is permissible to hunt a fish in a lawful manner, and it is not permissible to use a live bait (live worms or fish). Yes, there is nothing wrong in using dead fish or worms, and some lifeless thing. (Fataawa Razviyyah Shareef Volume 20 page number 333). And it is in Bahaar e Shariat: Some people in the hunting of a fish use live fish or live frog to catch a big fish which is forbidden according to Shari'ah because doing so causes unnecessary pain and harm to the live animal, likewise using a live worm on the hook to hunt a fish is also forbidden. (Bahaar e Shariat part 17 page number 30).