Why Eating Shrimp is Not Haram in Islam with Convincing Proofs
C.J Ahmed-05.04.2023
Shrimps are small crustaceans which live in the ocean and eating it has many health benefits becauseit is high in omega3 oild and protein. Etaing shrimp is not haram in Islam because there is no clear text prohibiting it and animals that lives in the ocean is not prohibited to eat. There is confusion among some Muslims on whether eating shrimp is halal due to various deviant opinions of madhhabs and sects such as the Shia. If there is a difference of opinion, Allah(Swt) tells us to refer to him and his messenger(Sal).
" if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination".(Al-Quran-4:59)
Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
"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)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) explained the above verse as mentioned in Ibn kathir as "Sayduhu (lit. hunting, pursuit) refers to whatever is taken from it alive, and ta’aamuhu (lit. its food) means whatever is taken dead.”
This verse is clear proof that any animal that lives in the sea is halal and Sharks live in the sea hence it falls under the explanation of the above chapter in the Quran. Nowhere in the Quran or authentic hadiths does it say that predatory animals that live in the sea is haram. What needs to be understood is that Islam is a religion of ease. Allah (Swt) says in the Quran,
"Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you”
(Al-Quran-2:185)
Abu Thalaba(Rali) narrated,
The prophet (Sal) forbade the eating of the flesh of every wild beast having fangs"(Bukhari)
What is mentioned in the above hadith is about eating the flesh of wild predators like lions and tigers. Sharks, although are predators, live in t he sea and all forms of fish in the sea is halal in Islam. There are several hadiths prohibiting the eating of animals with fangs but this is only limited to non-sea predators and not all animals.
Abu Thalabah (Rali) narrated,The prophet (Sal) forbidding the eating of all beast of prey with fangs"
(Sahih Muslim)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated the prophet(Sal) was asked about sea water and he said, “Its water is purifying for ablution, and its dead animals are lawful to eat.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih by imam Tirmidhi)
Islam is very clear that eating Sharks is completely halal but due to various differing opinions and disagreements that have existed among deviated sects like the Shia and four schools of thought, For an example,imam Malik in Al Lubab p.533 v.7 and Hidayah p.442 v.4 said that all living creatures in the ocean are halal except for eel. This is only imam Malik's opinion and as a human being he made a mistake. Imam Malik said,
"Truly I am only a mortal: I make mistakes (sometimes) and I am correct (sometimes). Therefore, look into my opinions: all that agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, accept it; and all that does not agree with the Book and the Sunnah, ignore it."
(Ibn 'Abdul Barr in Jaami' Bayaan al-'Ilm (2/32), Ibn Hazm, quoting from the former in Usool al-Ahkaam (6/149), & similarly AlFulaani (p. 72))
Some later opinions in the madhhabs make differences of land and sea crabs and define that land crabs are haram or makrooh. If we stick to the Quran and the Sunnah, it is clear that Islam does not distinguish between sea crabs and land crabs and any crab be it land or in sea is halal.
Among the deviant sects, the Shia are among the most deviated sects that forbid eating fish without scales and have gone against the Quran. The Shia argue that only a portion of the Quran has been given to mankind and the Shia imams are infallible hence what they say is what that needs to be followed. According to them, what Allah(Swt) says in the Quran is lesser in value compared to their imams. This is Kufr. I would like to ask them where the other parts of the Quran are there according to them and in which of these invisible parts of the Quran does it say that eating fish without scales is haram? 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. Although the deviant Shia permits the eating of Shrimp due to it having scales, they forbid other forms of fish which do not have scales. It is clear that eating Shrimp is not haram in Islam.
Shrimps are small crustaceans which live in the ocean and eating it has many health benefits becauseit is high in omega3 oild and protein. Etaing shrimp is not haram in Islam because there is no clear text prohibiting it and animals that lives in the ocean is not prohibited to eat. There is confusion among some Muslims on whether eating shrimp is halal due to various deviant opinions of madhhabs and sects such as the Shia. If there is a difference of opinion, Allah(Swt) tells us to refer to him and his messenger(Sal).
" if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination".(Al-Quran-4:59)
Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
"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)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) explained the above verse as mentioned in Ibn kathir as "Sayduhu (lit. hunting, pursuit) refers to whatever is taken from it alive, and ta’aamuhu (lit. its food) means whatever is taken dead.”
This verse is clear proof that any animal that lives in the sea is halal and Sharks live in the sea hence it falls under the explanation of the above chapter in the Quran. Nowhere in the Quran or authentic hadiths does it say that predatory animals that live in the sea is haram. What needs to be understood is that Islam is a religion of ease. Allah (Swt) says in the Quran,
"Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you”
(Al-Quran-2:185)
Abu Thalaba(Rali) narrated,
The prophet (Sal) forbade the eating of the flesh of every wild beast having fangs"(Bukhari)
What is mentioned in the above hadith is about eating the flesh of wild predators like lions and tigers. Sharks, although are predators, live in t he sea and all forms of fish in the sea is halal in Islam. There are several hadiths prohibiting the eating of animals with fangs but this is only limited to non-sea predators and not all animals.
Abu Thalabah (Rali) narrated,The prophet (Sal) forbidding the eating of all beast of prey with fangs"
(Sahih Muslim)
Abu Hurayrah(Rali) narrated the prophet(Sal) was asked about sea water and he said, “Its water is purifying for ablution, and its dead animals are lawful to eat.”
(Tirmidhi-Graded Sahih by imam Tirmidhi)
Islam is very clear that eating Sharks is completely halal but due to various differing opinions and disagreements that have existed among deviated sects like the Shia and four schools of thought, For an example,imam Malik in Al Lubab p.533 v.7 and Hidayah p.442 v.4 said that all living creatures in the ocean are halal except for eel. This is only imam Malik's opinion and as a human being he made a mistake. Imam Malik said,
"Truly I am only a mortal: I make mistakes (sometimes) and I am correct (sometimes). Therefore, look into my opinions: all that agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, accept it; and all that does not agree with the Book and the Sunnah, ignore it."
(Ibn 'Abdul Barr in Jaami' Bayaan al-'Ilm (2/32), Ibn Hazm, quoting from the former in Usool al-Ahkaam (6/149), & similarly AlFulaani (p. 72))
Some later opinions in the madhhabs make differences of land and sea crabs and define that land crabs are haram or makrooh. If we stick to the Quran and the Sunnah, it is clear that Islam does not distinguish between sea crabs and land crabs and any crab be it land or in sea is halal.
Among the deviant sects, the Shia are among the most deviated sects that forbid eating fish without scales and have gone against the Quran. The Shia argue that only a portion of the Quran has been given to mankind and the Shia imams are infallible hence what they say is what that needs to be followed. According to them, what Allah(Swt) says in the Quran is lesser in value compared to their imams. This is Kufr. I would like to ask them where the other parts of the Quran are there according to them and in which of these invisible parts of the Quran does it say that eating fish without scales is haram? 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. Although the deviant Shia permits the eating of Shrimp due to it having scales, they forbid other forms of fish which do not have scales. It is clear that eating Shrimp is not haram in Islam.