Is crab halal in Islam? Islamic perspective on eating crabs

Dear Reader, Your Question – Is Crab Halal? I understand the importance and significance of this. Because Halal gives you peace, and Haram gives you discomfort.

So I am writing this answer based on the Islamic knowledge obtained from the research of Quran – Hadith and Fiqh books since 2010.

I hope you will not be disappointed because I am writing this article to clear all your doubts and enrich the Islamic knowledge about eating crab.

Table of contents

What is a crab?

The crab is a marine or aquatic animal like a prawn. A thick skeleton covers their body. They have a pair of sturdy stands.

So far, 6,793 species of crabs have been found. Crabs are found in all oceans, ponds, and canals worldwide.

Crab species can vary in water and land. There is a big difference between freshwater crabs and saltwater crabs.

Is crab halal in Islam?

Yes, crab is halal. Fukahaye Kerams say crab and all its types are halal. So Muslims all over the world can eat crab. It will not be Haram or a cause of sin for them in Sha Allah.

Generally, Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh books prohibit animals that harm human health and the brain.

But crabs are not harmful. Its meat is delicious. In terms of taste and class, it belongs to the shrimp species. In addition, crab meat has many nutrients.

This is why crab is halal in Islam. Another reason crab is halal is that Quran – Hadith nowhere clearly says it is Haram. And the animal that is not Haram is halal.

Contrary to this, some statements in the Qur’an and Hadith prove that crab is halal. I am giving some evidence below.

Evidence of crab halal

Allah says –

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ ٱلْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُۥ

Meaning: ‘He has made lawful for you all kinds of marine prey and its food. (Surat al-Ma’ida – 96)

The guidance in this verse is quite extensive. This proves that all animals that move in the sea or underwater are halal.

The Prophet (SAAS) said,

هو الطهور ماؤه الحل ميتته

‘Seawater is pure, and its dead animals are halal.’ (Musnad Ahmad)

So In this hadith, an animal found dead in the sea has been declared halal. But no type of animal was specified.

Therefore, all kinds of marine animals will be included in the breadth of the meaning of the hadith. And by making the dead marine animals halal, the living animals will be better.

The famous Companion Shuraih said eating all the animals in the water is lawful. (Sahih Bukhari 5/2091)

Moreover, one of the basic principles of Islam is that all worldly things are valid unless they are forbidden in Islam.

Opinions of Islamic scholars

Islamic scholars have declared eating crab as lawful. However, some Islamic scholars have given a different opinion in this regard. I am giving below the view of those who said valid.

Al-Bukhari, may God have mercy on him, said in his Sahih (5/2091):

 َقَالَ عُمَرُ : صَيْدُهُ مَا اصْطِيدَ ، وَطَعَامُهُ مَا رَمَى بِهِ ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : الطَّافِي حَلَالٌ ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ  : طَعَامُهُ مَيْتَتُهُ ، إِلَّا مَا قَذِرْتَ مِنْهَا . وَقَالَ شُرَيْحٌ صَاحِبُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : كُلُّ شَيْءٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ مَذْبُوحٌ 

Omar said: Its game is what it hunts, and its food is what it throws. And Shuraih, the companion of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Everything in the sea is slaughtered.

قال في “المدونة” : “مَا أُضِيفَ إلَى اللَّحْمِ مِنْ شَحْمٍ وَكَبِدٍ وَكَرِشٍ وَقَلْبٍ وَرِئَةٍ وَطِحَالٍ وَكُلًى وَحُلْقُومٍ وَخُصْيَةٍ وَكُرَاعٍ وَرَأْسٍ وَشِبْهِهِ، فَلَهُ حُكْمُ اللَّحْمِ “تهذيب المدونة”، للبراذعي (1/93)، وانظر: مواهب الجليل (6/204) .

In “Al -Mudawna,” “What was added to the meat is a grease, a slander, a throne, a heart, a lung, a joke, a whole, thorns, thorns, a sorrow, a wickedness. I finish. “Tahdheeb Al-Modawana” by Al-Barada’i (1/93), and see: Mawahib Al-Jalil (6/204)

Is crab Haram in Hanafi?

Yes, eating crab is haram, according to the Hanafi Madhhab. They consider it halal to eat only fish from among sea creatures. All marine animals other than fish are haram.

Hanafi scholars say that marine animals are among the unclean animals. The Qur’an-Hadith prohibits eating animals that are dirty or dislike human nature.

But their words are not acceptable in all cases. Because some people like to eat some animals, but not everyone wants them.

Why crab Haram in Hanafi?

Eating crab is forbidden in the Hanafi Madhhab because they consider all marine animals haram animals except for the ‘Khabaish’ or fish mentioned in the Holy Quran. So they call it haram.

We are now discussing the references in favor of their words.

In the Holy Quran, Allah Ta’ala says,

Translation: He has made their sacred objects lawful. And forbade filthy things. (Surat al-A’raf: 156)

So In that verse, Allah Ta’ala has forbidden ‘Khabayes’ (dirty things). It belongs to Khabayes. This is what people naturally dislike.

Meanwhile, human nature hates to eat crab, so it belongs to the dirty stuff. And Allah has forbidden dirty things. So crab is not halal.

Thus there is no evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions ate such aquatic animals.

In addition, there is a hadith narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade a doctor to make medicine by killing frogs. (Abu Dawood – 361)

All these verses and hadiths prove that marine animals are forbidden. Of these, crabs are particularly notable.

Summary of answers

A large congregation of Islamic scholars says that crabs are halal. They bolster their claims with references from the Qur’an and Hadith to support their words.

But unlike them, the scholars of Hanafi Madhhab consider eating crab as haram. There is evidence in the Qur’anic Hadith for their claim.

My view on eating crab in Islam

The opinion that eating crab is halal seems strong and acceptable to me because the crab is not an animal harmful to human health.

In addition, crabs contain a variety of nutrients. So eating crab will not be haram. Likewise, eating crabs is not explicitly prohibited in the Qur’an and Hadith.

Therefore, the Hanafi madhhab that eating crabs are considered haram is not justifiable. It is acceptable and good, like the scholars who have made it halal to eat crab.

FAQs – About is crab Halal

Q. Is crab halal Sunni?

A. Ha, crab is halal in Sunni view. The article we have written above is entirely from the Sunni point of view. So Sunni Muslims can eat crab.

Q. Is crab halal in Shia Islam?

A. Yes, eating crab is halal according to Shia ideology. However, some Shia imams have said that eating crab is haram. Therefore, those who follow those imams who consider eating crab as haram cannot eat it.

Q. is crab halal islamqa?

A. Yes, IslamQA‘s famous website for answering Islamic questions has asked whether it is halal to eat crab. As well as overall, all animals are halal, they say.