FatwaFederal TerritoriesFood & Halal
IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-409 : HUKUM MEMASAK ATAU MEMAKAN HAIWAN YANG MASIH HIDUP
What is the ruling on cooking or eating live animals such as live octopus?
Short answer
Cooking fish, octopus or other lawful aquatic creatures while they are still alive is considered makruh (disliked), and they should be killed first.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Food & Halal
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Cooking fish, octopus or other lawful aquatic creatures while they are still alive is considered makruh (disliked), and they should be killed first. Land animals are only lawful if slaughtered according to Islamic law, and parts cut from them while alive count as carrion. For fish swallowed alive or cut in half while alive and then eaten, the most authentic Shafi'i view is makruh rather than haram, while Imam al-Ghazali held it to be haram.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Oleh itu, kami berpendapat memasak ikan atau sotong kurita atau lain-lain hidupan air (yang halal dimakan) ketika masih lagi hidup adalah makruh.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-409 : HUKUM MEMASAK ATAU MEMAKAN HAIWAN YANG MASIH HIDUP”, 9 February 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/4149-irsyad-al-fatwa-siri-ke-409-hukum-memasak-atau-memakan-haiwan-yang-masih-hidup. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-cooking-eating-live-animals-octopus/