Sea Food in the Four Madhahib

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Posted: 11 Safar 1424, 13 April 2003


Q.) I would like to ask whether oyster or oyster extract, shrimp, lobster, and shark are halal, haram, makrooh, or makrooh-e-tahrimi according to all four madhabs.

Can you please specify the view of each of the four Imams regarding each of the sea foods.


A.) According to the Hanbaliy and Shafi'ee scholars, all living creatures that live in the sea are halal, whether they are in the form of a fish or not. (Fiqh alal Madhaahib al-Arbaa). Based on this, oyster, oyster extract, shrimp, lobster and shark are all halal and permissible.

According to the Maliki scholars, every living creature of the sea is halal except eel. (Ibid) Hence, oyster, oyster extract, shrimp, lobster and shark are halal and permissible.

According to the Hanafi scholars, the only living creatures of the sea that are permissible are those that are in the form of a fish with an exception of the hagfish and eel. (Ibid). (these 2 even though they are not in the form of a fish they will be permissible to consume).

Hence, according to the Hanafi scholars, it will not be permissible to eat oyster, oyster extract, shrimp and lobsters. It will be permissible to consume shark as it is in the form of a fish.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best