Question:

Is oyster sauce halal?

The Fatwa

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Answer

According to the Hanafi Madhhab, oyster sauce must be avoided as it contains extracts of oyster.

The Fiqh of the Answer 

Imam al-Qudūrī (d.428 AH), Imam al-ʿAynī (d.855 AH), Imam al-Haṣkafī (d.1088 AH) and many other Fuqahā’ have discussed in regard to the permissibility of consuming sea creatures. They discuss that anything other than Samak is Harām (impermissible) to eat.

We have not been able to locate clear criteria and conditions for what qualifies something as Samak from the classical Fuqahā’. What we have located are four concepts:

1. The clear statements of Samak being lawful.
2. Clear statements of the lawfulness of Mārmāhī and Jirrīth.
3. Clear statements that Khabā’ith are unlawful.
4. Examples of sea creatures that are unlawful.

Hence, contemporary scholars have attempted to define or understand Samak in different ways. The three common approaches and trends that have developed are as follows:

1. Fish attributes – the most notable in this regard is what was mentioned and enumerated by Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Ludyanwi (Rahimahullah). He mentions that there are three distinguishing features in fish, the spine, the gills, and the fins. Something which does not possess this is not deemed to be Samak.  
2. The visible appearance and shape – Shaykh Nur al-Din Itr (Rahimahullah) in I’lām al-Anām explains the Hanafi view on Samak by stating that whichever aquatic creature resembles a land creature is prohibited and is not Samak. Hence, Samak can be understood and was commonly known among people due to the clear body shape of the aquatic creature; they have a distinct shape from land creatures.
3. ‘Urf (customary practice) – These jurists and contemporary scholars look at the customary practice of how people consume and understand Samak, and categorise Samak for example, Mufti Abdur Rahim Lajpuri (Rahimahullah) and others who suggest prawns are lawful to consume are inclined to the idea of ‘Urf defining Samak.

For further information on Samak and what can be consumed from the sea, please refer to the following link:

https://darulfiqh.com/consuming-a-sauce-with-crustacean-based-ingredients/

And Almighty Allah Alone Knows Best

Maulana Adam Nathani
Trainee Mufti

Reviewed and approved by
Mufti Faraz Adam
Darul Iftaa Muadh ibn Jabal
www.darulfiqh.com 

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م: (قال: ولا يؤكل من حيوان الماء إلا السمك) ش: أي قال القدوري – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – في ” مختصره “: وقال الكرخي – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: كره أصحابنا كل ما في البحر إلا السمك خاصة فإنه حلال أكله إلا ما طفى منه فإنهم كرهوه. وقال شيخ الإسلام خواهر زاده: ويكره أكل ما سوى السمك من دواب البحر عندنا كالسرطان، والسلحفاة، والضفدع وخنزير الماء. م:

ص604 – كتاب البناية شرح الهداية – حيوان البحر من السمك ونحوه

(ولا) يحل (حيوان مائي إلا السمك) الذي مات بآفة ولو متولدا في ماء نجس ولو طافية مجروحة.

ص642 – كتاب الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار – كتاب الذبائح

ولا يؤكل من حيوان الماء إلا السمك ويكره أكل الطافي منه ولا بأس بأكل الجريث والمارماهي

ص207 – كتاب مختصر القدوري – كتاب الصيد والذبائح

سمندری جانوروں میں حضرت امام ابو حنیفہ کے نزدیک مچھلی کے علاوہ دیگر جانور حلال نہیں ہیں اورجوبھی جانور مچھلی کی تعریف میں شامل ہے، وہ امام صاحب کےنزدیک حلال ہے اورمچھلی کی تعریف میں داخل ہونے اور نہ ہونے کامدار ماہرین حیوانات اور مبصرین کی آرا ء پر موقوف ہے اور ماہرین حیوانات اور مبصرین کی تحقیق اور رائے یہی ہے کہ دریائی جھینگہ مچھلی ہی ہے؛اس لئے اسے حلال کہتے ہیں اور اس مسئلہ پر ایک زمانہ سے بعض لوگوں کواشکال ہوتا رہا۔(مفتی شبیر صاحب فتاوی قاسمیہ: ج: ۲۴)