Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Ruling on various Seafood

· 28 Rajab 1445 AH1 min readFatwa 47243English

Question

Asalaamualaykum

I would like to know the ruling on Crayfish, crabs, prawns prawns, muscles.

Answer

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

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

According to the Hanafi school of thought, only those sea creatures which are classified as fish (Samak) – are Halal. Crayfish, crab and muscles don’t fall into this category and therefore will not be permissible to consume. There are differences of opinion with regards to the permissibility of consuming prawns among the Hanafi contemporary Ulama on the pretext of whether it falls under the category of samak or not; some Ulama are of the opinion that prawns are fish and is permissible whilst other Ulama say that they are not fish.

In conclusion, there are two reliable opinions with regards to the issue of prawns. Taqwa would demand that a person refrains from eating prawns, though there is a leeway in consuming it.[1]

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

Zaakir Ismail

Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

(2021-04-04)

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1] «مختصر القدوري» (ص207):

«‌ولا ‌يؤكل ‌من ‌حيوان ‌الماء ‌إلا ‌السمك ويكره أكل الطافي منه ولا بأس بأكل الجريث والمارماهي

ويجوز أكل الجراد ولا ذكاة له»

«المبسوط للسرخسي» (11/ 220):

وَالْحَيَوَانَاتُ نَوْعَانِ: نَوْعٌ مِنْهَا مَا لَا دَمَ لَهُ، فَلَا يَحِلُّ تَنَاوُلُ شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا ‌إلَّا ‌السَّمَكَ، وَالْجَرَادَ؛ لِأَنَّ شَرْطَ تَنَاوُلِ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ الذَّكَاةُ شَرْعًا، وَذَلِكَ لَا يَتَحَقَّقُ لَهُ فِيمَا لَا دَمَ لَهُ، إلَّا أَنَّ السَّمَكَ وَالْجَرَادَ مُسْتَثْنَى بِالنَّصِّ مِمَّا شُرِطَ فِيهِ الذَّكَاةُ لِقَوْلِهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: «أُحِلَّتْ لَنَا مَيْتَتَانِ وَدَمَانِ أَمَّا الْمَيِّتَتَانِ فَالسَّمَكُ وَالْجَرَادُ، وَأَمَّا الدَّمَانِ فَالْكَبِدُ وَالطِّحَالُ»

«كنز الدقائق» (ص601):

«ولا يؤكل مائيٌّ ‌إلّا ‌السّمك غير طافٍ»

فتاویٰ دار العلوم زکریا(6:271)

فتاویٰ محمود يۃ (2:625)

Answered by
Zaakir Ismail
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/47243
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-47243

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