In Islam, there is two names one is Halal and other is Haram. Halal means you can do & you can eat. Haram is you can't do & you can't eat.
Islam is a religion where you can find your complete life solutions and directions.
Let's talk about some Halal and Haram Seafood.
• Is Seafood Halal?
»Yes, majority of the scholars of Islam consider almost all food that comes from the sea halal to eat. This includes sea fishes and plants whether they are dead or alive.
The evidence for this is the verse of the Holy Qur’an where Allah says that:
“Lawful to you is what you catch from the sea and (use) it for food as provision for yourselves and for the travelers…” – [Qur’an 5:96]
It is a miracle of Allah and a proof of His Divine Power that He has created animals of all kinds. Those that walk on land and those that swim in the sea and those that fly in the sky. And from them he has made their meat that is nutritious and beneficial for us. Especially seafood that is praised in the Qur’an in a unique manner like no other food. Indeed this is something to be grateful for and say Alhamdulillah.
“And not alike are the two bodies of water. One is fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one is salty and bitter. And from each you eat tender meat and extract ornaments which you wear” – [Qur’an 35:12]
Some scholars hold the opinion that dead fish (like dead animal carrion) is haram to eat. This is because of the verse of the Qur’an where Allah Almighty states:
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals (carrion), blood, the flesh of swine…” – [Quran 2:173]
However, there are many narrations from the Prophet that dead fish are an exception to this rule. This is because unlike animal meat fish do not require slaughtering in the sharia.
In the following sahih (authentic) hadith the Messenger of Allah said:
“Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood have been permitted for us. The two kinds of dead meat are fish and locusts, and the two kinds of blood are the liver and spleen.” – [Collected by Sunan ibn Majah]
This narration from our beloved Prophet is explicit evidence that dead fish 🐟 are halal.
• Is Sushi Halal or Haram?
»Sushi is a Japanese inspired seafood dish made from raw fish such as salmon. It is usually prepared with rice, vegetables and a variety of other ingredients.
All fish from the ocean that doesn't cause harm is halal. So, as long as the other ingredients used in the preparation of the sushi are also halal. Then that sushi is halal and permissible to eat in Islam.
• Is Whale Halal or Haram?
»Whale meat is seafood that is halal and perfectly fine to eat in Islam. All the four Sunni schools of thought (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali) consider whale to be halal.
Though in modern biological classification whales are classified as mammals and not fish. From an Islamic perspective whales are still creatures from the ocean and so they are halal to eat.
The evidence for this is an authentic narration in the sahih of Imam al-Bukhari. In this narration we see that the companions ate a giant fish (whale). Later the Prophet (peace be upon him) was informed about this and he approved of it and ate some himself.
We were struck with severe hunger and the sea threw out a dead fish (whale) the like of which we had never seen. It was called
Al-`Anbar. We ate of it for half a month. Abu Ubaida took (and fixed) one of its bones and a rider passed underneath it (without touching it). (Jabir added:) Abu ‘Ubaida said (to us), “Eat (of that fish).” When we arrived at Medina, we informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) about that. He said, “Eat, for it is food Allah has brought out for you, and feed us if you have some of it.” So some of them gave him (of that fish) and he ate it. – [Sahih al-Bukhari]
• Is Shark Halal or Haram?
»Shark meat is seafood that majority of scholars classify as halal to eat for Muslims.
Shark is a fish that comes from the ocean.
BUT,
The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars all consider shark meat to be halal. The Hanafi school is the only school in Sunni Islam that consider sharks to be haram.
Though shark is a carnivorous fish whose main diet is meat this does not make it is haram (impermissible) to eat. The ruling that forbids consumption of carnivorous animals such as tigers and lions is only for land animals.
Generally speaking, many halal fish eat other small fish and invertebrates in the ocean. Bluefin tuna eat squids and shrimps as part of their diet. And salmon eat herrings, amphipods and krill. This does not make them haram (impermissible) to consume for Muslims.
All fish from the ocean whether tuna, salmon, shark or whale are halal to eat. Whether they eat other small fish as part of their diet or whether they are fish with or without scales. They are all considered halal by majority of the scholars of Islam.
• How can Sharks be Halal when they eat Human Flesh?
» Despite of, the bad reputation Hollywood monster movies have given to sharks. Sharks do not eat humans as part of their normal diet. According to the National Ocean Service, sharks only attack humans when they are confused or curious. They do not feed or attack on humans. The normal diet of a shark is smaller fish and invertebrates found in the ocean, not human beings.
If a shark happened to take a bite off a wandering human in the ocean this would still not make the shark haram to eat. It is impossible to monitor what a shark consumes throughout it’s life. Such rare anomalies do not have any impact on sharia rulings.
The Messenger of Allah (peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Verily Allah has laid down religious obligations (fara’id), so do not neglect them. And He has set limits, so do not overstep them. And He has forbidden some things, so do not violate them. And He has remained silent about some things, out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness — so do not seek after them.” – [Sunan Al-Daraqutani]
• Is Shellfish(Prawns, Crabs, Shrimps, Lobsters, Oysters) Halal or Haram?
»Shellfish are aquatic shelled fish often categorized as mollusc or crustaceans. Prawns, Crabs, Shrimps, Lobsters and Oysters are all examples of shellfish.
Majority of the scholars of Islam consider all types of shellfish to be halal. So Prawns, Shrimps, Lobsters, Crabs and Oysters are all seafood that are halal to eat in Islam.
Three out of the four schools of thought in Sunni Islam consider shellfish to be halal. The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbalis all state that all non-harmful shellfish are halal to eat.
The Hanafi school of thought is the only exception. They consider all shellfish to be Makruh (detestable).
• Is Squid and Octopus Halal or Haram?
» The Majority of the scholars of Islam consider squid, octopus and calamari to be halal (Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali). The Hanafi scholars say it is Makruh.
Squid, Octopus and Calamari are sea creatures and Allah has made everything from the sea that is not harmful, is halal. Besides the exceptions named....Calamari, octopus and squid are not named in this exception. So, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that octopus, calamari and squid are all halal seafood.
• Are Crocodiles and Alligators Halal or Haram?
» The Majority of the scholars of Islam consider crocodiles and alligators to be haram. This is because crocodiles and alligators are predators with fangs. And they also spend time on land not only water.
The Maliki school of thought is the only school that considers crocodiles to be halal. The former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaykh Bin Baz, also agreed with the Maliki opinion. According to him crocodiles are halal.
• Are Sea Turtles Halal or Haram?
» The Majority of the scholars of Islam consider sea turtles as a seafood that is halal.
The Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars all consider sea turtles to be halal.
Sea turtles are halal but one would need to slaughter them for it to be halal.
• Are Frogs Halal or Haram?
» Majority of the scholars of Islam consider frogs to be haram.
The Malaiki school of thought is the only exception to this. They consider frogs to be halal.
The evidence for frogs being haram is that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded us not to kill them. Because they are forbidden for us to kill, they are also haram for us to eat.
Conclusion
Allah in His Divine Wisdom has made a large and certain animals halal and others haram. Obeying the commands of Allah in halal and haram, is a central part of a Muslim’s daily life.
Majority of the scholars of Islam consider most seafood to be halal. So, we should enjoy these blessings and show thanks and gratitude to Allah for providing nutritious seafood for us.
If you’ve benefited from this analysis on ‘is seafood halal’ then please share it with others.
• Is Dead Fish Halal or Haram?
» Dead fish is fish that died of natural causes or was killed by another animal before being caught.
Some scholars hold the opinion that dead fish (like dead animal carrion) is haram to eat. This is because of the verse of the Qur’an where Allah Almighty states:
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals (carrion), blood, the flesh of swine…” – [Quran 2:173]
However, there are many narrations from the Prophet that dead fish are an exception to this rule. This is because unlike animal meat fish do not require slaughtering in the sharia.
In the following sahih (authentic) hadith the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood have been permitted for us. The two kinds of dead meat are fish and locus......kinds of blood are the liver and spleen.” – [Collected by Sunan ibn Majah]
This narration from our beloved Prophet is explicit evidence that dead fish are halal. And that dead fish do not hold the same ruling as eating dead land animals (carrion).
A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said. “O Messenger of Allah, we travel by sea and carry a small amount of water with us. If we use it for ablution, we will become thirsty. Can we perform ablution with seawater?’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Its water is a means of purification, and its dead meat is permissible.” – [Collected by Sunan-ibn- Majah]
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