Rubbing a fish against a stone

Question

Question: If a fish, without its head being broken, is rubbed on a stone and its skin is thus removed, will there be a sin or not?

Answer

If the fish is already dead, there is no harm in rubbing it with a stone without breaking its head, or in removing its skin. But if it is alive, this should not be done, since it is the infliction of pain and torment without need; rather, it should first be killed.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.