List of Halal Seafood

Eating seafood can be tricky for some Muslims trying to stick to a halal diet. For example, some sects do not eat shellfish.

Therefore in this post, we’re hoping to clarify which fish Muslims can eat while also including the sources from where we got our information from.

Table of Contents:

1. Is Octopus Halal?
2. Is Calamari Halal?
3. Is Catfish Halal?
4. Is Eel Halal?
5. Are Oysters Halal?
6. Is Salmon Halal?

What does the Quran say Eating Seafood?

Quranic Verses Declaring the Permissibility of Seafood

The four major schools of Islamic thought consider the majority of seafood halal to be and permissible to eat, with the exception of animals that are poisonous or harmful to consume. The Hanafi school, however, considers fish (e.g catfish) to be halal, and the remainder of seafood to either be makruh (such as crabs) or haram to eat.

The Quranic verse referred to by the scholars is from sūrat l-māidah:

“Lawful to you is the pursuit of water-game (fishing) and its use for food, for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel…”

(Surah al-Ma’ida, V: 96)

Hanafi Mujtahids consider this verse to be applicable to fish only, whereas the remaining major schools of thought believe it applies to all seafood. Since sharks are a type of fish, they are considered halal and permissible to eat by all scholars, including Hanafi scholars.

1. Is Octopus Halal?

The verdict on whether eating Octopus is halal is different as some scholars say that it is haram because octopus is not a fish. In this section, we will discuss whether Octopus is halal in the light of fatwas from various scholars on the subject.

Octopus does not have all the features of a typical fish and is generally categorized as shellfish – mollusks. Therefore, it may not be halal for some Muslims to consume. However, some scholars consider octopus halal on the grounds that Allah has made everything from the sea, that is not harmful, halal for Muslims.

Difference Between Fishes and Octopus

Scientifically speaking, octopuses are different from fishes in one major aspect. A fish is a vertebrate – it has a skeleton and a backbone. While the octopus is a non-vertebrate with no bones or skeleton. Scientists categorize octopuses as mollusks – a group of shellfish.

On the other hand, fishes and octopuses are the same in their ability to breathe in water i.e. extract oxygen from water.

When and Why is Octopus Considered Halal?

Among the three major schools of thought – Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali consider octopus as halal (source). Whereas, according to the Hanafi school of thought, the octopus is considered haram as it does not fall under the category of ‘Samak’ – fish.

Mawlana Faraz ibn Adam was asked if octopus, prawns, mussels, and squid are halal. He replied:

Mussels, squid and octopus do not have all the features of fish; therefore they will not be regarded as fish.  Hence, it is not permissible to eat mussels, squid and octopus in the Hanafī school of jurisprudence.

Islamqa (source)

There is no direct mention in Hadith or Quran about the Octopus being haram. However, scholars use the rules about the permissibility of eating seafood to infer that it is forbidden. This was explained in one of the fatwas on Islam Quest where a person asked:

“Is there any tradition (hadith) regarding octopus? If so, can you please mention it?”

To which he was answered:

“We haven’t found any tradition in which using octopus as food be considered impermissible. However, we can infer this forbidden from other traditions (ahadith) in which the main rules have been stated in this regards.

This means, any types of marine animals which haven’t scale are being declared unlawful (haram) according to these traditions. It should be noted that octopus is belong to the above-mentioned fauna. As a result, eating such that fauna (octopus) is haram.”

Islam Quest (source)

On the other hand, when it comes to seafood that is haram, the octopus does not make the list of forbidden seafood. In one of his fatwas, Shaykh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid listed Crocodiles, frogs, otters, and turtles as water animals that are forbidden for Muslims to consume (source).

2. Is Calamari Halal?

For most Muslims, eating calamari is considered halal according to Islamic scholars. However, Shia Muslims do not consider eating calamari as halal.

Let’s dive into what we found to be the rule that each sect follows to help clarify things.

Is Calamari Halal? –According to Madhab School

Depending on the Madhab and Sect, Shia Muslims think that all Fish without scales are Haram (includes Calamari). Every Sunni Madhab says that all Fish from the sea can be eaten, but the Hanafi Madhab think that Fish without scales is makruh (disliked, not Haram).

Is Calamari Halal?- According to Hanafi School

According to the sect of Hanafi, It is Haram to eat Animals that are not in the form of Fish. According to the sect ofMaliki and Hambali, inclining to Shafie School allows Calamari.

If there is no necessity, it is better not to eat it. It is not true to imitate sects without any necessity.

We came across the short video clip by Sheikh Assim confirming that eating Calamari is Halal unless it is toxic

In Islam, the well-being of Muslims is extremely important. Allah forbids everything bad for health or potentially life-threatening. So when you are uncertain whether a sea creature is halal or haram first check whether it has any venom or neurotoxin.

In the case of Calamari, their offal is poisonous and therefore do not come in the halal category. It is always better to refrain from eating disputed and choose the not disputed one.

3. Is Catfish Halal?

According to the majority of Islamic sources, catfish is considered halal and permissible to eat. This includes whether it dies from natural causes, or is killed. However, the catfish should not be a poisonous or harmful to eat.

To come to this understanding, we researched the fiqh of each major Islamic school of thought, and the evidences from which they derived their rulings.

Majority Opinion on Eating Catfish – Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali Fiqh.

Catfish is an animal from the sea, and the majority of Islamic schools of thought, including Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali, consider most animals of the sea to be halal (provided they are not harmful to eat). This understanding came from the following Quranic verse:

The game of the sea and its eating has been made lawful for you.

(Surah Maaidah v.96)

Another evidence cited is:

“A man asked the Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam) “O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam), we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with seawater? The Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam) replied; its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud p.13 v.1) Narrated by Saaiduna Abu Hurairah (R.A).

These evidences establish that catfish is halal and permissible to eat (and other sea animals too, such as Shrimp, crab, tuna, etc), whether it dies naturally or is killed. The Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools have adopted this opinion, while the Hanafi madhab carries a different understanding.

What does Hanafi Fiqh say about eating Catfish?

The Hanafi school considers only sea animals that are categorized as fish to be halal. Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah, of Darul Ifta Birmingham, clarified this (source):

“In the Hanafi Fiqh, animals that are born and live in the water are unlawful to consume with the exception of a fish.

Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Umar Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam) said; “Two types of dead meat and two types of blood have been made lawful for our consumption; the two dead meats are: fish and locust and two types of blood are liver and spleen.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah)

Furthermore, there is no mention of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam or the companions consuming sea animal besides a fish. (Dars Tirmizi p.280 v.1)”

Now, to determine whether catfish is halal in the Hanafi mudhab, we have to verify the categorization of catfish.

Is Catfish Categorized as fish?

Encylopedia.com characterizes catfish as per the following criteria (source):

Catfish include some 2,500 species of mostly freshwater fish characterized by two to four pairs of whiskers or barbels around their mouth.

Encylopedia

Thus, we can safely categorize catfish as part of the fish family. To our understanding, this makes catfish halal to eat as per the Hanafi Madhab. However, the encyclopedia further mentions that some types of catfish are poisonous – such catfish are not permissible to eat. This is because Islam forbids us from consuming anything that is harmful to us.

The Verdict on Eating Catfish

The majority opinion of Islamic sources support the understanding that catfish is halal and permissible to eat, provided they are not poisonous or harmful to eat. As always, it is best for one to do their own research and check each source before reaching a conclusion. However, from our findings, we confidently believe non-poisonous catfish to be halal to eat.

4. Is Eel Halal?

Eel is also among fishes that confuse Muslims about whether they are halal due to their snake-like body shape. In this section, we will explore the question of whether the eel is a type of fish and if it is halal.

Eel is halal in Islam as it falls under the category of fishes characterized by their elongated worm-like bodies. Since Muslims are permitted to consume all types of fish (Samak), they can also consume eel. There is a difference of opinion among Hanafi scholars because an eel looks a lot like a snake, but the dominant opinion is that of permissibility (source).

Is Eel Halal?

Eel is halal for Muslims to consume despite the unique shape of their body.

According to Hadith, Muslims can eat two types of dead meat – Samak (meaning fish) and locusts (source). Eels fall under the category of fishes that live in both freshwater and saltwater.

We found many fatwas about the permissibility of eel fish being halal to consume. Moulana Yusuf Laher of Islamqa was asked:

What is the ruling regarding calamari, whales and eels according to Hanafis?

Islamqa (source)

To which he replied:

A Hadeeth specifies two things that can be eaten without slaughtering. One of them is fish. This Hadeeth specifically mentions the word ‘As Samak’ which means fish.

The Hanafi jurists, citing this Hadeeth, say that only that is Halaal for consumption from the sea which falls under the category of As Samak. This discussion is lengthy and technical and can be found in the Arabic books of Fiqh. The above is the gist of the discussion.”

Islamqa (source)

Mufti Faizal Riza of Darul Ifta Australia was also asked about the permissibility of eel, to which he said:

Eels are a type of fish. It is permissible to eat eels just like it is permissible to eat all other types of fish.”

Mufti Faizal Riza, Darul Ifta Australia (source)

Is Eel Considered Halal in the Hanafi Jurisdiction?

Even in the Hanafi jurisdiction, where many types of sea animals are considered haram including lobsters and octopus, eel is considered halal.

There is still some difference of opinion among Hanafi scholars because eels have the head of a fish and the body of a snake. However, the majority opinion among Hanafi scholars is that eel is a type of fish and Muslims are permitted to eat it (source).

Is Eel a Fish or Meat?

Due to their uncharacteristic body shape, people often wonder if an eel is a fish or meat.

Eels are fishes that have a body longer than typical fishes and flatter than snakes. Unlike reptiles, eels can breathe underwater using their gills and fins and cannot survive outside of a water body (characteristic of a marine animal).

Britannica defines eels as:

Eel, (order Anguilliformes), any of more than 800 species of teleost fishes characterized by elongate wormlike bodies. Anguilliforms include the common freshwater eels as well as the voracious marine morays

Britannica (source)

5. Are Oysters Halal?

When it comes to fish that look nothing like fish, oyster tops the list. Often eaten raw, oysters are a seafood delicacy and an acquired taste. This is why Muslims often wonder whether oysters are halal.

Regarding oysters, Muslim scholars have a difference of opinion. According to the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi’i schools of thought, oysters are living creatures of the sea and are therefore halal. In the Hanafi school of thought, only fish (not shellfish or other sea creatures) among sea animals is halal. In the rulings where oysters are haram, oysters sauce, which is made from them is also haram.

In this section, we will discuss whether oysters fall under the category of fish and whether oyster and oyster sauce is halal.

Are Oysters Fish?

Oysters are not technically fish. They belong to a family of shellfish — crustaceans along with clams, mussels, and scallops (source). Oysters are broadly categorized as true oysters and pearl oysters. True oysters are edible and are considered a delicacy in many places.

Are Oysters Halal or Haram?

Muslim scholars offer two different opinions about oysters being halal or haram. The first group — Hanbali, Shafi’i, and Maliki believe that all types of sea animals are halal including prawns, shrimp, lobsters, oysters, etc (source).

The second group — Hanafi consider it impermissible for Muslims to eat oysters as they do not fit under the category of fishes (source).

Oysters are usually oval or pear-shaped, but they can take various shapes depending on their environment. When it comes to looks, oysters are invertebrates and look nothing like fishes.

Is It Haram to Eat Raw Oysters?

Oysters are among the seafood that is mostly consumed raw. They’re typically served on half the shell alongside plenty of lemons.

In Islam, eating raw fish is permissible, but you need to ensure that it does not make you ill (source). We did not find any evidence suggesting that you can’t consume raw oysters.

Is Oyster Sauce Halal in Islam?

Oyster sauce is traditionally made by simmering oysters for a long time until the liquid caramelizes and turns into a sauce. The answer to whether the oyster sauce is halal is the same as whether oysters are halal.

In the Hanafi school of thought, eating oysters is impermissible and the oyster sauce comes under the same ruling. However, in other schools of thought, oysters are halal and so is the sauce made from them (source).

6. Is Salmon Halal?

Salmon being a scaled fish falls right into the category of halal sea food.

Though several schools of thoughts in Islam are divided in their opinion on placing certain seafood under the category of halal or haram.

Sunni schools tend to say that all the fruit of the sea are halal, whether fish, shellfish, what have you. Hanafis’s a little more complex.

Shia scholars mostly teach to only eat scaled fish and no other water creatures, although a minority, including the late Muhammad Hussain Fadlallah, said it was disliked, but allowable to eat other water creatures.

But adducing to Iman Al Baqirs’ dictum which states that “eating scaled fish is permitted while the non-scaled ones are prohibited” proves that Salmon fits into the halal food category.

Salmon has scales in the form of concentric rings; thus, it is counted as a halal sea food.

This narrows us to the conclusion that salmon itself is considered halal.

Is Smoked Salmon Halal?

It depends how it is smoked and marinated. For example, whisky smoked salmon has been declared haram because of the use of whisky in its marination. Obviously, use of any alcohol with food is haram.

However if the salmon is marinated with halal ingredients, then smoked salmon is considered halal.