Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu alaikum
On behalf of one of my freinds i am wondering whether Calamari is haram or halal? if you could respond as soon as possible it would really help, jazak allah khair. Salaam 

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Answer:

Squid calamari sea food

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 14: It is He (Allah) Who has subjected the sea to your service so that you may get fresh flesh from it to eat and bring out of it articles of ornaments, which you wear.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 83 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

A man asked the Messenger of Allah (saws): ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water?’ The Messenger of Allah (saws) replied: ‘Its water is pure and (even) what dies in it is lawful food.’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.648 Narrated by Jabir

We set out in the army of Al-Khabt and Abu Ubaida was the commander of the troops. We were struck with severe hunger and the sea threw out a dead fish the like of which we had never seen, and it was called Al-'Anbar. We ate of it for half a month. Abu Ubaida took (and fixed) one of its bones and a rider passed underneath it (without touching it). (Jabir added:) Abu 'Ubaida said (to us), "Eat (of that fish)." When we arrived at Medina, we informed the Prophet (saws) about that, and he said, "Eat, for it is food Allah has brought out for you, and feed us if you have some of it." So some of them gave him (of that fish) and he (saws) ate it.

Whenever one wishes to determine whether an animal is permissible or impermissible for the believers to consume, the principle law is look in the list of what has been declared haraam by Allah and His Messenger (saws); and if one does not find the name or type of the animal in the haraam list, its flesh would be presumed halaal for the believers.

In light of the above clear guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws), every animal that predominantly lives in the sea would be absolutely halaal for the believers to consume. Calamari or squid is a creature of the sea, thus its flesh would be deemed absolutely halaal and lawful for the believers as food.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan