Halal.Wiki
Seafood
The scholars of all schools of jurisprudence agree that all types of fish are halal. There are also no special regulations to be observed when catching them. There is no ritual slaughter required and it does not matter whether the animals were caught by a Muslim fisherman However, opinions differ among Sunni schools of law on the subject of seafood.
Unlike cattle and poultry, sea animals do not have to be slaughtered halal. The Prophet said: "Surely Allah slaughtered the living creatures that live in the sea for the people."[1]
The enjoyment of all edible animals and plants living in the water is permitted without restrictions. The Qur'an says: "It is lawful for you to catch, eat and enjoy all aquatic creatures."[2] “And the two waters are not alike: one (is) tasty, sweet and pleasant to drink, and the other (is) salty, bitter. And from both of them you eat tender flesh.”[3]
Is Seafood Halal?
Malikites and Hanbalites: All aquatic animals are halal, even if they do not belong to the genus of fish.
Hanafiten: The consumption of crustaceans and molluscs such. B. crab, shrimp, shrimp, squid, mussel, etc. is not halal. The Hanafi refer to the following verse of the Koran: "[...] and (he) will allow them the good (food) and forbid the bad [...]."
The "bad" (Habîs) is interpreted by the Hanafi scholars as something that causes disgust. It also includes all marine animals except fish. They also justify the prohibition with a tradition according to which the Prophet prohibited the killing of a turtle and pointed out that it was an unclean animal.
Shafi'i: According to the Shafi'i school, all aquatic animals that are similar to the permitted land animals are halal. However, those that are similar in characteristics to the pig, the dog, or other land animals prohibited for consumption are classified as haram.
The consumption of snakes, turtles, crocodiles or toads, which live both in water and on land, is also evaluated differently in the four schools of law.
The reasons for the differences of opinion among the scholars of the four schools of law are, on the one hand, the different interpretation of the relevant verses of the Koran, and, on the other hand, the influence of the cultural areas in which the imams lived. Imam Shafii (150-204 AH) spent much of his life in Egypt. On the Red and Mediterranean coasts, seafood was a common food source. Under this impression, he changed some of his previous views regarding their consumption.
Imam Abu Hanifa (80-150 AH), on the other hand, lived in Kufa/Iraq, an oasis town quite far from the coast. Seafood represented something disgusting in this social and cultural setting, which explains the Hanafi classification of seafood as “bad/habîs” and consequently non-halal.
References
- Darukutnî, Sunan, IV, S. 267
- Sûrah Al'Maida, 5:96
- Sûrah Fâtir, 35:12