Question

Sir i,m fond of hunting.can i play hunting with hunting dog and net while i,m fasting...........jaza k Allah

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is permissible for a fasting person to hunt but if hunting requires diving in water, then there is a difference of opinion among the scholars about whether or not it is permissible for him to dive in water. Some of them permitted it on the condition that one is safe from water going down his throat or getting into his ears, and some of them are of the view that this is disliked, whereas some others permitted it.

If the water goes down his throat without deliberately causing it, then his fasting is valid according to the Hanbali School and according to some scholars of the Shaafi’i School and he is not obligated to expiate for it.

However, in order to be on the safe side, it is better for a fasting person to keep his fasting away from anything that may render it void.

Furthermore, you should know, dear brother, that even though hunting is permissible in principle, being preoccupied with it and practicing it very often may lead to missing some religious obligations or being negligent in regard to some desirable acts, as it was reported that the Prophet said: “…and whoever occupies himself with hunting, he will become heedless.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood]

Occupying one’s self with hunting means to like hunting and to be interested in it to an extent that one’s heart is attached to it. Being heedless means being negligent about the obedience of Allah, the acts of worship, performing the prayer in congregation and praying the Friday prayer, and it also means being far from having a soft and merciful heart, because of resembling beasts and animals.

It is for this reason that some jurists are of the view that it is disliked to devote too much time to hunting, to an extent that Imaam Al-Layth Ibn Sa’d said: “I don’t know a right that resembles falsehood like hunting.”

Allah Knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb