Praying Over The Food, Instead Of Cursing The Food.

Above is a short 36 second clip of the preview segment for an episode of Wicked Tuna.

This is an excerpt from "Wicked Tuna" on National Geographic. This type of show has just about most of the signs of my favorite type of show. The only reason that I have not purchased every season on iTunes is...the pronunciation of "Wicked" upon this precious (if not Sacred animal of Allah (swt)). But, also this clip gives a glimpse of it going even further than that with the severest curse possible for anyone on Earth to invoke upon the animal. Coming out of the mouth of one of the fishermen and pronounced upon the giant Bluefin Tuna that they had just hooked.

The wisdom behind praying blessings upon the lives of livestock suitable for food of the water, land and air is profound. The wisdom behind invoking the Sacred Names of Allah whether the Arabic or True Hebrew Names of God is also profound. From showing gratitude for the life of that animal and species to it's Creator. To the concepts of the continuity of the blessings coming from that livestock, versus, fear of depletion of the livestock caused by over-fishing or Hand of God. But, these animals also lose their lives to sustain us. This is something that has been decreed by God from as far back as the 5th Day of Creation, of the 6 Days of Creation in the Book of Genesis. Because of that significant event of an animal losing it's life to feed us, God gave us a Rule (in both Holy Books) for Kashrut and Halal (and Zabiha). Fish fall under the category of not requiring Zabiha or Halal certification. However, to invoke a curse upon the animal does seem to violate the non-rigid ordinances concerning fish.

The very reason that we, human beings, are here on Earth has direct connection with the plate or food. It was appetites unchecked by restraint that lead to the tasting of the fruit from the Forbidden Tree. That is right. Something served as food. So while some may say that the fisherman in this clip cursing the Tuna on his line as the (evil one) is insignificant, I would just point to the Garden of Eden and what caused this whole thing on Earth from the beginning.

This more so, being the threat that God would deplete provisions, bounties, resources, or even species. Or that God would send some type of plague or disease, as opposed to what happened in the Garden of Eden. The Bluefin Tuna is so valuable and respected in Japan that 1 fish could sell for over $1 million USD. These fishing vessels make a livelihood on fishing the oceans stocks. They are able to feed, cloth, shelter their families from the bounties of the oceans. These fishermen can make $10s of thousands, or even $100s of thousands US, in a single season. Honestly, these are the only 2 reasons that I have not purchased every season of this show. It has many of the signs of a pretty decent show, with the exception of a few things like those.

There have been shown YouTube videos of a short-tempered cattleman that punches in the head or body a cow that he had become frustrated with. Abuse. Or, the abuse of humans, such as the elderly in nursing homes. The nature of abuse is something that is an unfortunate occasional human tendency. Some of us have been on the receiving end of it; some on the dispensation end of it; and others a combination thereof.

In short, it seems counter-intuitive to curse the livestock that one derives profits from. Is it sustainable to curse livestock that brings one profits and the fruits of life?