Is Eating Crabs Haram in Shia Islam? Must Read Scholarly View
C.J Ahmed-05.04.2023
Although eating crabs is completely halal in the true teachings of Islam based on the Quran and Sahih hadith as understood by the Salaf, Shia fiqh prohibits the eating of crabs. The Shia scholar, Hussein al Sistani gave his fatwa on marine animals that have has no scales such as crabs and he said the following,
“It is not permissible to eat from marine animals anything except fish that has scale; shrimp is considered from that category [of permissible sea animals]. But other than fish, like lobster, and similarly the fish that does not have scale is forbidden.” (https://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01251/)
The most authentic hadith book of the Shia mentions as follows
Imam Al-Baqir said,
"Eat any fish that has scales, and do not eat what does not have scales."
(Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol.6, p. 219)
Muhammad bin Muslim asked Imam Baqir: "They bring us fish without scales (what should we do)?"
Imam Baqir replied: "Eat the fish that has scales and do not eat the fish that does not have scales?" Scales are the small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles, typically overlapping one another"
(Wasail al-Shi'ah, vol.16-hadith 3 and 7)
Ayatollah Khomeini is a well know heretic and he gave his fatwa that fish without scales is haram after a huge drama on whether sturgeon (a type of fish) had scales or not. His fatwa was published in the newspaper, Keyhan, no. 11,959, 6 September 1983-18.
The Shia ideology of not eating fish or sea creatures without scales is the same as what is in the Torah."But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you".
(Leviticus 11:10)
"Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you"
(Leviticus-11:12) Based on these verses, The Jews do not eat fish which do not have scales or fins and modern day Kosher is also based on this. It is clear that the Shia and the Jews do not eat fish which do not have scales or fins. Altough the Shia prohibit eating crabs, the Quran permits eating sea animals including crabs in the following verse,
"The game of the water and eating thereof are permitted to you as a provision for you and for those on a journey"(Al-Quran-5:96)
Based on Shia fiqh, eating crabs is not permissible.
Although eating crabs is completely halal in the true teachings of Islam based on the Quran and Sahih hadith as understood by the Salaf, Shia fiqh prohibits the eating of crabs. The Shia scholar, Hussein al Sistani gave his fatwa on marine animals that have has no scales such as crabs and he said the following,
“It is not permissible to eat from marine animals anything except fish that has scale; shrimp is considered from that category [of permissible sea animals]. But other than fish, like lobster, and similarly the fish that does not have scale is forbidden.” (https://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01251/)
The most authentic hadith book of the Shia mentions as follows
Imam Al-Baqir said,
"Eat any fish that has scales, and do not eat what does not have scales."
(Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol.6, p. 219)
Muhammad bin Muslim asked Imam Baqir: "They bring us fish without scales (what should we do)?"
Imam Baqir replied: "Eat the fish that has scales and do not eat the fish that does not have scales?" Scales are the small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles, typically overlapping one another"
(Wasail al-Shi'ah, vol.16-hadith 3 and 7)
Ayatollah Khomeini is a well know heretic and he gave his fatwa that fish without scales is haram after a huge drama on whether sturgeon (a type of fish) had scales or not. His fatwa was published in the newspaper, Keyhan, no. 11,959, 6 September 1983-18.
The Shia ideology of not eating fish or sea creatures without scales is the same as what is in the Torah."But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you".
(Leviticus 11:10)
"Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you"
(Leviticus-11:12) Based on these verses, The Jews do not eat fish which do not have scales or fins and modern day Kosher is also based on this. It is clear that the Shia and the Jews do not eat fish which do not have scales or fins. Altough the Shia prohibit eating crabs, the Quran permits eating sea animals including crabs in the following verse,
"The game of the water and eating thereof are permitted to you as a provision for you and for those on a journey"(Al-Quran-5:96)
Based on Shia fiqh, eating crabs is not permissible.