Q: Can you explain why only fish is Halaal among sea food?
A: A Hadeeth specifies two things that can be eaten without slaughtering. One of them is fish. This Hadeeth specifically mentions the word 'As Samak' which means fish. The Hanafi jurists, citing this Hadeeth, say that only that is Halaal for consumption from the sea which falls under the category of As Samak. This discussion is lengthy and technical and can be found in the Arabic books of Fiqh. The above is the gist of the discussion. (Raddul Muhtaar V26 P193, Kashful Khifaa V1 P59, Al Mabsoot of Imam Sarakhsi V11 P398)
Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai