Sea Creatures

QUESTION:

Please provide a detailed list of which seafood is Haraam for a Hanafi to eat?

ANSWER:

According to the Hanafi school of thought, only those sea creatures which are classified as fish are Halaal. Mufti Rasheed Ahmed Ludyanwi Rahimahullah in Ahsanul Fataawa mentioned that there are three features in fish:

1) Spine

2) Gill

3) Fins

Hence, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, mussels, calamari, etc. will not be permissible according to the Hanafi school of thought. It would be difficult to mention each and every sea creature. However, we have stated the principle above.

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

ويجوز أكل الجراد ولا ذكاة له (مختصر القدوري ص207):

فالحيوان في الأصل نوعان: نوع يعيش في البحر، ونوع يعيش في البر أما الذي يعيش في البحر فجميع ما في البحر من الحيوان محرم الأكل إلا السمك خاصة فإنه يحل أكله إلا ما طفا منه وهذا قول أصحابنا (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع 5/ 35)

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani

Date: 22 Shabaan 1447 / 11 February 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb