Sharʿī Ruling on the Permissibility of Marine Creatures
Question:
Are all marine creatures—whether alive or dead—ḥalāl for consumption in Islam?
Answer by:
Shaykh Kāmrān Ilāhī Ẓahīr (ḥafiẓahullāh)
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir (ḥafiẓahullāh)
Foundational Rule on Sea Creatures:
- Any creature whose natural habitat is the sea and lives exclusively in water is, as a general rule, permissible (ḥalāl) to eat.
Ḥadīth Evidence:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال رسول الله ﷺ:
"هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ، الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ"
"Its (the sea’s) water is purifying and its dead (creature) is lawful (ḥalāl)."
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd (83)
Authenticity: Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd
General Guidelines (Qawāʿid):
✔ Permissible (Ḥalāl):
- Marine animals that live exclusively in water, such as:
- Fish (small or large)
- Whales
- Squid
- Crabs (according to some opinions)
Not All Are Permissible:
- Animals that live both in water and on land, such as:
- Frogs
- Crocodiles
- Turtles (differences exist)
- Such creatures are not universally ḥalāl and may fall under doubtful or ḥarām categories.
Ḥarām Marine Creatures (by comparison with land animals):
- Creatures that are:
- Predators with fangs or claws (e.g. sea lions, sea snakes)
- Harmful or poisonous
- Similar to land-based prohibited animals in nature or function
Such creatures are excluded from the general permissibility and may be ḥarām or makrūh.
Summary:
✔ Marine animals that live exclusively in the sea are ḥalāl, including dead ones.
Amphibious creatures or those resembling forbidden land animals may not be ḥalāl. The Prophet ﷺ affirmed the permissibility of dead sea creatures.وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
