Do you need to know if you can eat mussels when you’re Muslim? We got you covered, read on!
Are mussels halal or haram?
Mussels are haram because they are not alive when they are killed. Mussels are not considered halal because they come from the sea and most of the creatures in the sea aren’t allowed to be consumed by a Muslim.
Mussels have a life cycle, but because mussel’s shells “are so tightly closed that it is impossible to see what is going on inside,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica, it is difficult to impossible for them to die naturally before being harvested.
Are mussels haram in Islam?
Mussels are indeed haram. It’s not as if they were crawling around in the ocean and you ate them, but there was no life inside them. The shell is very well closed.
Mussels are natural shellfish. They have a natural life cycle and grow very quickly. Mussel farms, however, “create little living mussels” that have been treated with antibiotics and hormones to increase their size.
In this regard, mussels are considered dead. In addition, most of the creatures in the sea aren’t allowed to be consumed by a Muslim, so mussels from the sea are considered haram.
Why are mussels haram?
Mussels are haram because they do not have a normal life cycle and, therefore, they aren’t able to die naturally without being harvested. It would be like eating a rabbit that has just one live baby bunny inside it and then consuming all of it together with its mother’s milk.
In the Islamic religion, eating any type of shell fish is not permitted. This includes clams and oysters. The reason behind this is because one cannot be completely certain that the shellfish was alive when it was harvested and killed. Another way to look at it, and what many will say to confirm their ruling, is that you can’t see inside their shells and therefore you can not tell if they died according to Islam or not.
Are there any Muslims that believe mussels are halal?
Mussels are considered haram strictly speaking, but there are some that will not eat them out of respect for their families and communities and what they decided to be halal or haram. This is not something that anyone can force you into doing.
Can mussels be halal?
Can mussels be halal? No, because mussels are alive when they are harvested out of the water. That is when they are killed. It would be considered halal to eat a mussel if its shell was open and it died before harvesting.
Are mussels halal Shia?
No, the Shia do not eat any type of shellfish.
Conclusion: Is eating mussels Halal or Haram?
Mussels are haram because they cannot die naturally and they cannot be killed to be slaughtered. So, that’s the reason why they’re haram. Unfortunately for us as they’re reported to be very good from non-muslims.
Comments from our readers…
“Mussels are definitely not halal.” – Asad Siddiqui
“Mussels are not considered halal because they do not have a normal life cycle and they cannot die naturally before being harvested.” – Zulfiqar Ali
“I believe mussels are haram, but what I am most certain of is that that mussels are extremely delicious! ” – Hanan Starkes
“I do enjoy eating them, but I don’t eat them very often. I guess it depends on the way you look at it.” – Abdul
“Definitely haram. They don’t have a normal life cycle and cannot die naturally before they are harvested.” – Fauzia Ul Haq
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