Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thanks for your important question, and we implore Allah to guide us all to the best and to help us gain insight to understand the teachings of Islam in our daily lives.

Muslim scholars have discussed the issue raised in the question in cooperation with food specialists and they concluded that there is nothing wrong with eating the fish in the water of the areas hit by the tsunami. There are many supporting arguments as well as clear evidence cited in this regard.

Responding to the question, the International Union for Muslim Scholars states the following:

Praise be to Allah, peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his household, Companions, and those who followed his guidance.

The IUMS Secretariat General contacted the international organizations that are responsible for food safety, especially the World Health Organization (WHO) with its regional offices and its headquarter, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and knew for sure that the result of tests on fish caught after the tsunami showed no harmful substances that may come as a result of the fish feeding on the drowned corpses and this is applicable to tuna. The lack of any harmful effect on health eliminates the restriction on these fish because it has been proved that they are free from any harmful substances, then it has nothing to do with the hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, "No harm shall be inflicted or reciprocated in Islam" (Al-Bukhari).

Another reason for this assumed restriction is related to the thought that eating these fish is unlawful or reprehensible because they feed on human corpses and this can be analogous to being jallalah (an animal that feeds on impurities). Actually, there is no wrong in the case in hand because tests have proven that these fish did not feed on the corpses. Moreover, the well-established legal principle of genuine permissibility is not to be abandoned because of a mere doubt. Allah says, (To hunt and to eat the fish of the sea is made lawful for you, a provision for you and for seafarers) (Al-Ma'idah 5:96).

He also says, (And He it is Who has constrained the sea to be of service that you eat fresh meat from thence) (An-Nahl 16:14).

Moreover, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said about sea water, "Its water is pure and its carrion is lawful" (Ahmed and Abu Dawud, from Abu Hurairah).

Based on the above, the IUMS issues its fatwa for Muslims in such disaster-hit areas, holding that it is permissible to eat these fish and urging Muslims to eat these fish in order to be able to be better able to perform their acts of worship, and to avoid malnutrition diseases that may afflict them if they refrain from eating these fish that are granted to them by Allah to meet their for energy and protein.