Is Escargot (Snails) Halal to Eat?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Sidi Wasim Shiliwala
Question: Is escargot (snail) halal to eat?
Answer: Walaikum As-salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
According to the Hanafi school, it is impermissible to eat snails. This applies to both land- and water-dwelling varieties.
Land Snails
Land snails (which are used for escargot) are judged to be impure and therefore impermissible to eat. Such snails are impure because they are considered pests and also because they are bloodless creatures (rather than blood, they have hemolymph, which is found in spiders and crustaceans). These qualities render them from al-khaba’ith (impure, foul, or evil things) that Allah the Exalted has prohibited in the Qur’an. [7:157]
Sea and Freshwater Snails
Snails that live in water are similarly impermissible to eat. This is because, according to the Hanafi school, the only water-dwelling creatures that can be eaten are fish (samak). [Shurunbulali, Ascent to Felicity]
Further Resources
Please see the following reader for more information on halal and haraam food:
Also see the following answer from Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam, which lists some general principles regarding halal and haram food:
What Animals Are Halal and Haram to Eat in the Hanafi School?
May Allah give us the tawfiq to only eat that which is lawful and pure.
Jazakum Allahu Khairan,
-Wasim
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani
