Are Lobsters Halal?

Lobster is a seafood that is liked in various countries around the world, and many people enjoy lobsters. But if you are a Muslim, you must be aware of halal and haram, and you must also know whether eating lobster is halal or not. In Islam, it is just to eat the permissible food (halal), but it is just to abstain from the food that is haram. So let’s find the answer to this question: “Is lobster halal? ”

Lobsters’ Halal Status:

A lobster is a crustacean, which is quite different from fish. Prawns, crabs, and lobsters come under the category of crustaceans. So, when we talk about the halal status of lobster, we have to understand what rulings are there about seafood in Islam.

Quran and Sunnat’s Traditions:

In the Quran, Allah has clarified some things about seafood. In Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:96) Allah has said:

_”.yours is the game of the sea.“_

This means that sea animals are halal. But this Ayah was only for fishes and sea animals, but with clear definitions. And when we talk about the crustaceans (loster, prawns, crab), scholars have different opinion on this.

Various Schools of Thought:

The view of the Muslim scholars regarding lobster is somehow different, and it is on their school of thought or jurisprudence (fiqh).

Hanafi School of Thought:

Lobster is not halal based on Hanafi fiqh. Hanafi scholars have concluded that crustaceans are haram because they are not categorized as fish. According to Hanafi scholars, only fish (which are well-defined) are halal in Islam, and all sea creatures that are not fish are haram. So if you follow the fiqh of Hanafi, you should not eat lobster.

Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali Schools of Thought:

All three schools of thought say that lobsters are halal. These schools generally follow the ruling of the Quran and Sunnah which makes sea creatures halal, either they belong to the category of fish or other sea crustaceans like lobster, crab, and prawns. They take lobsters as halal.

Halal or Haram – What should you do?

The answer to the lobster’s halal status will depend on your fiqh or the Islamic school of thought. If you’re a Hanafi follower, then you should not have lobster since it is considered not to be halal according to your school. But if you follow the Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali school, then it is fine to have lobsters but with it in mind that it is permissible.

If you are under Hanafi Fiqh:

– Do not eat lobster and any other crustaceans.

– Fish or any halal seafood, which is considered halal in your opinion, should be eaten.

If you follow Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali Fiqh:

– Lobster is permissible to be eaten by deeming it as halal.

– Seafood is halal according to these schools of thought, and they should not have an issue with it.

Halal Lobster in Muslim Communities:

Some regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia enjoy a lot of seafood, and the scholars here generally consider lobster halal. If you are in these regions, you can easily find halal lobster.

But if you stay in South Asia or Hanafi-dominant regions then you can’t eat lobsters but can consult with your regional scholars or imams so you may be able to make a suitable decision according to your fiqh.

Conclusion:

– Hanafi School of Thought: If you are belonging to the school of thoughts of Hanafi fiqh, then lobster is forbidden to you and you should completely avoid it.

– Opinion of Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali Schools: If you follow these fiqhs, then lobster is permissible, and you can consume it.

Therefore, if you make your decision based on your fiqh, you will have to make the decision of whether you eat or do not eat lobster according to your school of thought. If you have a confusion, then you must ask your local scholar.

May Allah guide us to eat pak and halal things and give us wisdom and patience in our decisions. Ameen!