Is Crab Halal In Islam? What You Need To Know

One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘is crab halal?’. This article will thoroughly explain the facts, as well as answer some frequently asked questions about seafood consumption.

Is Crab Halal In Islam?

Yes, Carb is Halal in Islam. As per Sunni school of thought, all the creatures which resembles the shape of fish are regarded as Halal. As per Hanafi, all the crustaceans including crawfish, crap, clam are regarded as Haram.

Shellfish are aquatic shelled fish that are often classified as mollusks or crustaceans. Shellfish include prawns, crabs, shrimp, lobsters, and oysters.

The vast majority of Islamic scholars consider all types of shellfish to be halal. So prawns, shrimp, lobsters, crabs, and oysters are all halal seafood in Islam.

Shellfish is considered halal by three of the four Sunni schools of thought. All non-harmful shellfish are halal to eat, according to the Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbalis. The only exception is the Hanafi school of thought. All shellfish are considered Makruh (detestable).

• Related Is Lobster Halal ?
• Is Shrimp Halal?

Generally, all kinds of food from the sea are halal (permissible), whether they are plants or animals, alive or dead. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

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

Surah al-Maidah 96

Ibn ‘Abbas said: “ Sayduhu (lit. hunting, pursuit) refers to whatever is taken from it alive, and ta’amuhu (lit. its food) means whatever is taken dead.”

However, There are certain types of water animals which are forbidden such as crocodiles, frogs, otters and turtles.

In the Hanafi Madhab, fish is the only halal seafood available to consume. As a result, according to Hanafis, crab is not permitted, it is considered haram.

However, there are other views within the Hanafi school that suggest prawns, crabs, lobster, and other foodstuffs in the sea that are not considered to be fish are in fact considered to be part of the category of fish from a linguistic standpoint.

Read also Are Port Tarts Halal? What You Need To Know.

In response to whether crabs are halal or haram, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: Allah Almighty says,

“The game of the sea and its food are lawful unto you.” Surah Al-Ma’idah verse 96

He said since neither Allah nor His Messenger excluded any type of fish from this permission and we know that “Allah is never forgetful“, the vast majority of scholars hold the view that all varieties of fish found in water (including the sea, lakes, rivers, ponds, wells, and so on) are permissible for us to consume.

The wording here is general and it should be applied generally.

In addition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the sea, and his reply was,

“Its water is pure (for the purpose of purification rites) and its fish is lawful for you to eat.”

Abu Dawud

This was the view of Imams such as Imam Malik, Imam Ash-Shafi`i and Imam Ahmad. It is also the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah and his two foremost disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad, with regard to all types of fish, including shellfish.

Those scholars who exclude shellfish from this category of lawful games of the sea have no solid proof. Therefore, the view of the former is considered to be the strongest.

Shaikh Assim Al Hakeem, an Imam of a masjid in Jeddah and a graduate of Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, stated that unless Allah mentions a specific food in the Quran as haram, it is safe to assume that it is Halal.

He also mentions that there are foods that are obviously haram. This includes foods that were not slaughtered in accordance to Islamic guidelines.

Eating crab is Halal, according to Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. On a YouTube video, Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf tells viewers that lobster is Halal and lawful to consume in Islam.

He did point out that Hanifis are the only people who have a problem with crab and believe that eating them is not Halal. 

Is Crab Haram?

No, crab is not Haram. It is permissible in Islam to eat crab and other sea foods. It is derived from what Allah and His beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW said in the Quran and Sunnah respectively.

For more clarification, refer to the above explanation.

Can Muslims Eat Crabs?

Yes, Muslims can eat crab simply because eating crab is halal and permissible in Islam.

To be on the safe side, the rule in this case is that in the case of animals that live both on land and in the sea, the rules concerning land animals should take precedence, so they must be slaughtered properly, except for crabs, which do not need to be slaughtered even though they live both on land and in the sea because they do not have blood.

Everything that can cause harm as food is haram or forbidden, even if it comes from the sea, because Allah says (interpretation of meaning):

“… And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you.” Surah al-Nisa verse 29

and He also says: “… and do not throw yourselves into destruction…”Surah al-Baqarah 2:195