Are Prawns Halal According To The Hanafi's?

Are prawns halal according to the Hanafi's?

Assalam Alaykum

The permissibility of eating prawns or otherwise [according to the Hanafi Fuqaha] depends on whether they are considered from the fish family or not.

Many scholars of the Arabic language like Zabeedi, Fayrozabadi and others have considered prawns as fish. On the other hand the contemporary zoologists do not consider prawns as fish as they do not have a spine..

Normally, the ruling of such issues are not based on technical research rather it is based upon the understanding of the common people, and we have learnt that according to the understanding of the scholars of the Arabic language prawns are considered fish.

Moreover, according to the other 3 schools of Fiqh, to eat prawns is totally permissible which makes a leniency in the ruling.

Therefore it is permissible to eat prawns, but to refrain and abstain is always advisable.

Only Allah knows best

Muhammad Ibn Adam al-Kawthari