Question
What do the scholars say about whether it is permissible to eat snails?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب
Answer
Snails are soft-bodied creatures that are usually found in moist environments. They have shells that provide them with protection. There are various types of snails, some of which live in water and others on land. They generally move slowly and feed on plant leaves to meet their nutritional needs.
The Islamic ruling regarding snails is that whether they are terrestrial or aquatic, they are not Halal (permissible) to eat.
The reason for aquatic snails being Haram is that, according to the Hanafi School of Islamic Law, only fish are Halal from sea creatures. Any aquatic creature that is not classified as a fish is not Halal. Since snails are considered invertebrates and not fish, consuming them is not permissible.
Similarly, terrestrial snails fall under the category of Hasharat al-Ard (such as insects ), and all Hasharat al-Ard are Haram.
The following are the references:
In Bada’i al-Sana’i, it is mentioned
أما الذي يعيش في البحر فجميع ما في البحر من الحيوان محرم الأكل إلا السمك خاصة فإنه يحل أكله إلا ما طفا منه وهذا قول أصحابنا
Translation: “As for those that live in the sea, all of the animals in the sea are forbidden to eat, except fish, so indeed it is permissible to eat fish except those fish that float (i.e. they are found floating after dying naturally). This is the position of our scholars.”
(Bada’i al-Sana’i, Vol. 5, Pg. 35, Al-Jamaliya Press, Egypt)
In Fatawa Radawiyyah, it is stated:
“The conclusive ruling in our (Hanafi) school is that all aquatic animals, except fish, are absolutely haram.”
(Fatawa Radawiyyah, Vol. 20, Pg. 336, Raza Foundation, Lahore)
In Al-Mabsut al-Sarakhsi, it is mentioned:
والمستخبث حرام بالنص لقوله تعالى: ﴿ويحرم عليهم الخبائث﴾ ولهذا حرم تناول الحشرات، فإنها مستخبثة طبعا، وإنما أبيح لنا أكل الطيبات
Translation: “Foul things are Haram due to deicisve evidence, because Allah says, “وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ”. (Translation: ‘And He صلى الله عليه وسلم makes unlawful for them foul things.’) And for this reason, the consumption of insects is forbidden, as they are naturally considered foul. Only pleasant things are made lawful for us to eat.”
(Al-Mabsut al-Sarakhsi, Vol. 11, Pg. 220, Al-Saada Press, Egypt)
In Bahar-e-Shariat, it is mentioned:
“Hasharat al-Ard are Haram, such as rats, lizards, chameleons, bandicoots, snakes, scorpions, ants, mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, flies, locusts, frogs, and others.”
(Bahar-e-Shariat, Vol. 3, Part 15, Pg. 324, Maktaba al-Madina, Karachi)
Answered By: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated Answer
Date: 16th September, 2024