Darul Ifta Ibn Masood

Consuming Crabs

· 20 Rabiʻ I 1445 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

Is eating crab Makrooh-e-Tanzihi or Haraam? Is it permissible to eat it for medical purposes?

Answer

It is not permissible to consume anything from the ocean besides fish, according to the Hanafi Mazhab. Hence, consuming crabs is Haraam since they are not part of the fish family.

If a pious, upright, Muslim doctor advises that one should consume crabs as a treatment and there are no other alternatives, then it will be permissible to consume it for medical reasons.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

فعند الحنفية يحرم ما عدا السمك (إعلاء السنن17/186)

الضرورات تبيح المحظورات (الأشباه والنظائر 1/73)

Answered by
Maulana Abdul Kader Fazlani
Checked & approved by
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
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Source: Darul Ifta Ibn Masood — https://fataawa.co.za/consuming-crabs/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/ibnmasood-27374

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