The short answer is Yes.

Octopus is halal and Islam does not prohibit the consumption of octopus.

Majorities of Muslims community do not believe the fact that octopus is halal due to different factors and thoughts.

 

But if you are still on the fence, then read more in this article as we explan why octopus is permissible (halal) under islamic law.

 

Of all the sea animals, Octopus is one of the rarest and most popular kinds of seafood halal that you can hardly get in your local market.

 

They survive at the deepest depth of the sea, which makes them one of the rarest seafood you can ever find anywhere but that doesn’t mean it is strictly impossible to purchase them, in fact, people often use them as their favorite dishes.

 

In some parts of the world like Japan, Mauritania, South Korea, Morocco, and Mexico, globally, they produce the highest numbers of octopuses in the market, most of the octopuses caught by these countries may end up in countries like USA, Spain, Vietnam, and China.

Octopus is considered one of the sumptuous, delicious, and nutritious types of halal food.

 

As we all know, Islam has certain laws that guide the foods we consume such as halal meat. You can get zabiha halal meat delivered to you when you shop online.

Is Octopus Haram to Eat?

 

Nothing beats seeking answers from the Holy Book. when you seek knowledge and find scriptures that relate to your thoughts and questions from the Holy Book, you tend to consume accurate answers that answer your thoughts.

A reference from “Surah Al-Maidah verse 5:96” of the Holy Qur’an, which reads: “Lawful to you is what you catch from the sea and (use) it for food as provisions for yourselves and travelers.”

Therefore, everything that comes from the sea includes plants like see-weeds and animals which are primarily fishes. Since Allah has made it lawful to consume. As long as that seafood does not cause you any allergies, and is not poisonous.

 

Why is octopus halal?

Reflecting on the verse of the Quran (Surah Al-Maidah 5:96) we can easily say Allah has permitted us to consume anything from the sea as it has been made lawful. This includes animals like octopuses, meanwhile, plants like seaweeds are also permissible since Allah has made everything edible from the sea lawful for our consumption.

Although some Islamic scholars agree with this Qur’an verse but disagree with what it means by anything that comes from the sea.

The Hanafi says only fishes that have scales are considered Halal and the ones that have no scales are considered makruh, these kinds of seafood include shellfishes like oysters, mussels, crabs, and Lobsters however on the other hand, the Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hambali considered seafood like octopus and shrimps with some other sea creatures as halal and can be eaten with no requirement of slaughtering as long as the animal does not suffer pain before killing them.

 

Are there any Muslims that believe octopus is haram?

Yes, there are Muslims who believes that eating octopus is strictly haram and impermissible, according to many of them they believe that the only permissible animals that come from the sea are fishes and not just any type of fish, they believe that it is only fishing with scales that are permissible (Halal). Since Octopus isn’t a fish and it has no scale, this makes them believe it is haram to consume.

 

Opinions Based on Islamic school Perspectives

Based on numerous beliefs from different Islamic schools concerning the consumption of Octopus, whether it is halal or it is haram.

Some Islamic schools and scholars have condemned the consumption of octopus because it is considered another type of creature and not a fish even tho a verse in the Qur’an says it is permissible to eat anything that comes from the sea as they are considered clean and halal by Allah.

Here are what some Islamic schools have to say about the eating of octopus.

 

What does Salafi say about the consumption of Octopus?

The most crucial of the signs, according to Salafism, is that an octopus’s head contains a central nervous system, which enables it to experience extreme pain when being slaughtered or killed. Therefore they are forbidden to eat according to Salafi for this reason.

Is octopus halal in Shia?

The Shia Muslims believe that only fish with scales are considered Halal of all the animals of the sea. And also because of its tentacles, they believe that octopus is another kind of creature and should not be eaten, therefore it is considered haram.

Is octopus halal in Sunni?

There is once a piece of information that says the Sunni islam school categorizes Octopus with sea creatures like Shrimps, Prawns, Lobsters, Shellfish, Crustaceans, Clams, Crabs, Scallops, Snakes, Frogs, and Crocodiles together and considered them to be haram.

Their reason for this is that these creatures are not fish and do not have scales so they are haram and should not be eaten.

 

What does Hanafi say about Octopus being halal or haram?

According to the Hanafi school belief, Octopus is haram for Muslims to consume, however, to understand that octopus is haram, they give reasons for this belief.

They believe that only fishes with scale are the only permissible kinds of seafood that can be eaten by the Muslims, other animals of the sea that are fishes without scale are also considered haram e.g mackerel.

Animals like octopuses, shellfish, crabs, and lobsters are also considered to be haram by the Hanafi.

 

Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi’i scholars say about an octopus?

According to these three scholars, they classify octopus as Halal based on the Qur’an verse “Surah Al-Maidah verse 5:96”, which reads: [Lawful to you is what you catch from the sea and (use) it for food as provisions for yourselves and travelers.]

They believe that as long as it is not a harmful or poisonous type of sea creature, then it is permissible to be used as a source of food for yourself and travelers.

 

Is octopus halal Islamqa?

Just like the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi’i scholars, Islamqa also portrays the same belief that octopus is good and healthy and can be consumed.

 

 

Is eating octopus Halal or Haram?

Eating octopus cannot be haram, Allah has made everything in the sea as a provision of food for ourselves and travelers unless it is dangerous, poisonous, or harmful to our health. Meanwhile, if you follow the beliefs of some Islamic schools and scholars, you may not want to consume octopus, but apart from that many scholars and schools have convinced many Muslims with enough proof and explanations from different perspectives of why an octopus can be eaten by Muslims and considered Halal.

 

What other halal seafood do we have?

Sea animals and plants including See-Weeds, Sea Turtles, Crabs, Prawns, shrimp, Lobsters, and Oysters are all examples of shellfish. Interestingly, the majority of Islamic scholars believe that all varieties of shellfish halal because they are foods from the sea since Allah has made everything that comes from the sea permissible to be used for food as provisions to ourselves and travelers. Therefore Shrimp, crabs, lobsters, oysters, and other shellfish are all considered halal in Islamic dietary laws. Meanwhile, some sets of Muslims believe that all shellfish are Makruh (detestable).

 

 

Conclusion

Now that we have come to the end of this article, we have learned about different points of view and opinions from different Islamic schools and scholars. Each of these scholars and schools tried to extract proofs that backed this topic from the Holy Qur’an.

 

Now it depends on you to decide whether you want to consume octopus or not, or you want to know if they are Halal or not. This blog has provided you with sufficient information you need for you to decide.

May Almighty Allah continues to guide us to the right path and protect us from unclean things. See a list of other halal seafood animals

 

Is Octopus Hala or Haram Frequently Asked Questions

Here are collections of frequently asked questions concerning the consumption of an octopus, and answers based on thoughts and facts will be attached to each of the questions.

 

1: Can the way octopuses are being slaughtered make it haram to consume?

According to scientific studies, octopuses have two characteristics of their nervous system that stand out as being distinctive and atypical, as opposed to the centralized neural system that vertebrates have. The capacity to distribute neurons throughout the body is one of them (between its arms).

As a result, the brain is unable to support somatotopic representation or moment-in-time mapping of the body. Scientists have also discovered that each sucker on an octopus’s arm may have up to 10,000 neurons to manage taste and touch.

In the essence of these reports, an octopus can feel pain and touch and should not be cooked alive, the Qur’an says all animals should be killed humanely.

According to Sahih Muslim (Book 21, Chap–11, Number 4810) which records Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: “Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably.”

 

2: Can the preparation of octopus make it haram?

Yes, because they can feel touches and pain, although may not be as sensitive as other species of animals. Before cooking an octopus, make sure you humanely kill them using a sharp knife. Octopuses should never be cooked alive as it is considered inhumane.

 

3: Can octopus ink be eaten by Muslims?

The ink released by an octopus can be considered as dirt or bodily waste that comes out from an opening in its body which can also be considered as an anus, this ink is being discharged into the water to confuse predators hunting them. Yes, they use the ink as an escape mechanism. From this, we can say the ink which ejects from the octopus is unclean and should not be eaten.