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Gelatine QUESTION:
Gelatine - Is it Tahir?
ANSWER: Salamun
Alaykum, A similar question was answered by Syed Seestani
in his book
"al-Mustahdathat min al-Masa'il al-Shar'iyyah" I
have reproduced it below. Regards Abbas
Jaffer
Moderator - 'Aalim Network Gelatine QUESTION:
Q90.Gelatine substance is normally made from the bones of a cow.
If it is
taken from animals not slaughtered in the Islamic manner, with
the knowledge
that it is not permissible to eat it, is it ruled to be
ritually pure for
external usage? ANSWER: Yes,
because the bone is from the part in which life does not dwell;
therefore,
it is ritually pure, even if it were from a dead (animal).
God knows best.
(MMS, p. 36, Q75) Original Question: I
read the questions and answers in the archives on whether gelatin is haraam
or
halaal. The answers cited Imam Khoei (1989), but I would like to know what
the
current Imam has to say about this. Also, do all moulanas/mujtahids etc.
agree
on this solution (istahaza makes gelatin tahir) ? Gelatine
QUESTION: Salamun aleikum..
I follow in my taqlid Sayyid Ali Khamenei. And I would
like to know
what is the judge of gelatin, is it haram , halal, or shubuha
? and if
it is shubuha, if we got as a gift some food with gelatin, is it
better to eat it or to throw it away?? Afeedouna
jazakum allah khayran
ANSWER:
Salaamun 'alaykum, Since
gelatin is normally taken from the bones of a cow, it can be consumed
even
if the animal has not been slaughtered in an Islamic manner. This is
because
the bone is a part of the body in which there is no life. Ref.
Contemporary Legal Rulings, Q 90. With salaams and du'as
Liyakatali Takim | |
Gelatine
- Beef / Fat Question 1: What
is the ruling on Gelatin? Can gelatin derived from cows and pigs be
used?
Answer RE: Gelatin On
the queston of gelatine, I am quoting what I have written in January 1989
in
the Shama newsletter produced in Vancouver, BC. I have just added few
comments
to further clarify the issue. A. What is Gelatine? Gelatine
is an animal protein substance having gel-forming properties, and
is used
primarily in food products. It is derived from collagen, a protein
found in
animal skin and bone. This means that gelatine can be derived from
animal
skin or animal bone. B. The Basic Rule of the Shari`ah:
The shari`ah rule about animal skin differs from that
of animal bone:
SKIN: Animal skin or anything made from it can be considered
tahir
(pak) only if the animal had been slaughtered Islamically.
Consequently,
the gelatine derived from animal skin would be
considered najis unless we
know that the animal had been slaughtered
Islamically. [Those present-day
mujtahids who consider the animal
slaughtered unIslamically as tahir but haram
-- their opinion does not
affect this answer that much because in their opinion,
even if that animal
skin is tahir, it is still haram for consumption by human
beings.]
BONE: Animal bone is considered tahir even if the animal had
not
been slaughtered Islamically. Bones have been exempted from the rule of
maytah [i.e., an animal slaughtered unIslamically or died by itself].
However,
this does not include the bones of pigs and dogs. (See Minhaju
's-Salihiyn
[vol. 1, p. 109 and vol. 2, p. 336] of the late Sayyid al-Khu`i
and al-`Urwatu
'l-Wuthqa, p. 20-21)
Consequently, the gelatine derived from animal bones
(other than
pigs and dogs) is tahir even if the animal was not slaughtered
Islamically. C. The Practical Problem:
Having stated the above, we are faced with a practical problem: The
labels
on food products do not specify whether the gelatine was derived from
animal
skin or animal bones. So what should we do? Can we assume that it has
been
derived from animal bones and consider it tahir or not?
When I sent this
question to the late Ayatullah al-Khu`i in December
1989, he replied: "Yes,
it can be considered tahir." This answer is based on
the shari`ah principle
that if an item can originate from two sources: one
pak and other najis --
in cases of ambiguity, you can assume that it is pak. D.
Accepted that it is tahir; but is it also halal? There
are some people who would not be satisfied with the answer of
Ayatullah al-Khu`i
and pose the following question: "Accepted that it is
tahir (pak); but
is it halal for consumption as food item?" In my question
to Ayatullah
al-Khu`i, I gave the example of cheese and sweets with
gelatine. It is quite
obvious that I was asking the late marja` about eating
those items, and not
just touching and feeling them!!!
However, to satisfy those who would
like to see the words "halal and
religously eatable," I will quote
a detailed answer of the Ayatullah
al-Khu`i to three questions sent to him
from London.
Q. Is gelatine derived from dog or pig tahir?
Is gelatine
derived from halal animals (like cows, goats, etc)
but not slaughtered according
to shari`a tahir?
Is gelatine derived from non-halal animals other than dog
or pig,
tahir? A. "If a najis or haram matter
from any category whatsoever changes
into another than its original category,
then it is considered tahir as long
as it did not come into contact with another
source of najasat. And the rule
for gelatine in all the three cases is same
as what we have mentioned above.
"But in case the gelatine does
not change, then:
"If it is derived from parts of dogs and pigs or an
animal which
feeds on human excrement and has not been quarantined, then it
is haram
and najis.
"Similarly, [it is haram and najis] if it is
derived from those
parts of the maytah which are other than its bones.
"But if the gelatine is derived from the bones of other than dogs
and
pigs, and has not become najis because of a secondary najasat, then it is
permissible
to eat it and eat whatever has been mixed and submerged into
it."
The last paragraph of Ayatullah al-Khu`i's answer fully supports
what I had
written in Shama in Janaury 1989.
E. Issue of Istihalah
in Gelatine:
In the first part of Ayatullah Khu'i's
answer, he says: "If a najis
or haram matter from ANY CATEGORY whatsoever
changes into another than its
original category, then it is considered tahir
as long as it did not come
into contact with another source of najasat."
This is based on the rule of
istihalah -- chemical change which makes a najis
item tahir (mutahhirat). To know if such a change occures
in the final product known as
gelatine, we have to refer to the experts of
food industry. After my article
was published, a brother from Minnesota, USA,
was kind enough to send for me
a copy of an hand-out distributed by General
Foods (the manufacturer of
Jell-o, the gelatin dessert). A paragraph in that
hand-out, in my opinion,
clearly gives the expert's view about the chemical
change (istihalah) which
takes place in manufacturing of gelatine. While reading
the below quotation,
keep in mind that these people do not have the slightest
clue about the
issue of istihalah in our shari`ah! It says: "It
is interesting to note that during manufacture of gelatin,
chemical changes
take place so that, in the final gelatin product, the
composition and identity
of the original material is completely eliminated.
Because of this, gelatin
is not considered a meat food product by the United
States government. The
plant is under supervision of the Federal Food and
Drug Admininstration. If
the government considered gelatin a meat food
product, the plant would operate
under the Meat Inspection Branch of the
Department of Agriculture." (From
General Foods Corp. New York.)
If this is not istihalah, then what is
it? In final conclusion, all types of gelatine
is tahir and halal.
For those interesting in reading my 1989 article
on 'RENNET, PEPSIN
& GELATINE' may contact my office at:
Islamic
Education & Information Centre,
135 Sheppard Avenue East, North York,
Ontario, Canada M2N 3A6
Tel: (416) 223-2162 Fax: (416) 223-2528 Question
2:
A change in the state of a najis
substance is deemed to make it
halal. Can you elaborate on this? What level
of change is required? Is
beef fat or other animal fat used in cookies/dougnuts/cakes/fries
deemed
to have been transformed so as to make it halal?
Answer:
You are talking about istihalah which we have mentioned
above in
answer to question no. 1. Istihalah means change or more precisely,
a
chemical change which places the item under a list which is different from
its original grouping. The examples you have mentioned do not qualify for
istihalah; and are, therefore, still najis and haram. On
details on the issue to taharat and najasat, see my "RITUAL & SPIRITUAL
PURITY" available from IEIC whose address and tel. # have been given
under
answer no. 1. Yours in Islam, Sayyid
M. Rizvi Gelatine
Follow up Question Just for clarification, you stated
in the last posting regarding gelatine
that "all types of gelatine is
tahir and halal." Does this mean that when
we see gelatine in a list
of ingredients where nothing else is
questionable, ethn we are to assume that
the gelatine comes from an
animal other than a pig or a dog i.e. an animal
that is tahir but has not
been slaughtered according to Shari`ah. Please
answer this question as per Ayatullah Khui and Seestani.
ANSWER:
As mentioned under "C" in the original
answer, you can assume that it is
tahir and halal. And if you read the last
part about istihala "E", then all
kinds of gelatine becomes tahir
and halal. Yours in Islam, Sayyid
Muhammad Rizvi | |
Genetic
Engineering
Question:
I
have a few questions relating to genetic engineering.
i) it is permissible
in a general sens? Answer:
Every situation has it's own rule, general sense rullings do not apply. Question: ii)
you might be familiar with recent reports about the breeding of pigs
as organ
donors, which has been approved by the BMA - would it be
permissible for a
muslim who needs an organ to take an organ which has
been grown in a pig's
body? Answer: According
to our 'Ulema, if this means life or death, or if not
doing so, harms ones
life, then it is permissible under "The most
important, then the important"
and "ethterar, or being forced to do so",
remember that pig is halal
if one does not find food and is in danger of
dying.. Question: iii)
if one extracts genes from a pig to reconstitute foodstuffs in some
manufacturing
process, is that food halal?
Answer:
Extract is the key word here. if a substance is extracted
without going
through a chemical or other changes which modify it's nature
to render it
something else, then it is haraam. Allah
knows best
Do good to others | |
Ghusl
of Janabah Question: I
would like to have the answer to the following question according to
the rulings
of Al-Khui and As-Seestani. Is the method (and the process)
of performing Ghusle Janabat any
different if the action leading to the Janabat
is illegal, i.e.,
masturbation, zina, etc..? May
Allah forgive our sins.
Answer:
As
far as the method of the ghuls of Janabat caused by haram acts is
concerned,
there is no difference between the fatawa of Ayatulla Al-Khui and
Ayatullah
Seestani. The method of ghusl for halal and haram JUNUB is the same. Note:
Both of them rule that the sweat of Junub bil Haram (having ghusl
Janabat
wajib due to a haram act) is Taahir, but as a recommended
precaution, the
clothes soiled with such sweat should not be worn for
salaa(namaz).
Both
of them rule that after Ghusl of Janabat (caused by halal or haram)
wudhoo
is not necessary, unless any such act has been committed which
invalidates
wudhoo.
Except in the case of the homosexual act between males where wudhoo
after
ghuls is wajib for both. (May Allah save us from all evils). |
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Ghusl
with a cast QUESTION: I
have a cast on my left hand (as a result of a fracture) which cannot be
exposed
to water... Therefore, I cover it with a plastic bag when I
shower. How am
I to do Ghusl-e-Janabat if I cannot wash my hand, which is
a part of that
Ghusl? Thank you. ANSWER:
Please find below the relevant ruling from Ayatullah
Seestani's 'Islamic
Laws' at: http://www.al-islam.org/laws/wudhu.html#330
Jabira Wudhu
The splint
with which a wound or a fractured bone is bandaged or held
tight and the medication
applied to a wound etc. is called jabira. 345. * In
all kinds of Ghusls, except the Ghusl of Mayyit, the jabira
Ghusl is like
jabira Wudhu. However, in such cases one should resort to
Ghusl-e-tartibi.
If there is a wound, or a sore on the body, then a person
has a choice
between ghusl and tayammum. If he decides to do Ghusl, and if
there is no
jabira on the place, the recommended precaution is that he should
place a
Pak piece of cloth on the unbandaged wound, or sore, and wipe over
that
cloth. However, if there is fractured bone in the body, he should do
Ghusl
and should, as a precautionary measure, also perform wiping on the jabira.
And if it is not possible to wipe on the jabira, or if the fractured bone
is not in splint, it is necessary for him to perform tayammum. |
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Gold
Chain with Heads
QUESTION:
Salaam-alaaykum,
My Mother has a gold bracelet that is made like a link of coins,
having
a head on the coin part. Is it permissable to pray wearing
such a bracelet?
Thanking you for replying to my question. ANSWER:
Salaamun 'alaykum, There is
no objection to women wearing gold during their prayers Wasalaam
Liyakatali Takim | |
Gold
Jewellery with men QUESTION: I
thought gold was not allowed to be worn by male was due to the metal
composition
in Gold. If a person has a white gold ring, i.e. Northern
American gold rings
are usually 10-15% gold and from the looks of the ring,
it looks more like
a silver then gold ring, I this permissible to be worn
during salaat by a
male?
ANSWER:
If
it is gilded with plate or it is coated in such a way that the urf
(local
custom) do not consider it as pure gold then one is allowed to wear
it even
in prayer
Iltimase du'a
Liyakatali
Takim | |
Gold
/ Najasat of Dogs QUESTION: Salaams,
Most of my friends are not of the Shia faith and many
times they ask me
'practical' questions which I cannot answer.
For example,
they asked me why I am not allowed to wear gold and why is it
forbidden to
keep dogs as pets (why are they haram). As a Shia, I
tell them that the only things I should question are about the
oneness of
God and about the prophethood of Mohammed(a.s.). Once I have
accepted these
things then I should follow the teachings without question.
That is not say
that I don't seek out the answers or the reasons, but I also
accept that Allah
knows much more than I. However, these are usually not
satisfactory answers.
Please give me the answers to the above question and
also some
reference books so that I may look up and answer these questions
myself.
ANSWER:
Wa
Alaikum As-Salaam, The Prophet Muhammad (S) prohibited
the men of his followers from wearing
gold and prohibited all Muslims from
using gold as utensils for eating and
drinking. It is generally understood
that one of the main reasons for this
is that gold was usually used in those
times as jewelry for the very
wealthy and powerful who adorned themselves
as a show of wealth and/or
power. It was usually the rulers who wore gold
and used it as utensils. It
was also usually the case that they acquired their
wealth by force,
oppression and corruption. The Holy Prophet (S) refused such
things for
himself and others even when they were only symbolically connected
with
unjust rulers and oppression. It can be seen
in the incident of Mubahilah when the Christian leaders
first appeared to
meet with out Holy Prophet (S), he observed how lavishly
they were adorned
with gold. He refused to meet with them until they
removed these embellishments
which he complained was inconsistent with
piety and godly men. With
regards to dogs, there are two animals which the Shari'ah has not only
forbidden
its consumption but ruled it as impure. They are the dog and pig.
To make
a long story short, Allah Ta'ala has turned disobedient and sinful
people
into these animals as a punishment. This is mentioned in the Torah
and Islamic
traditions. The Qur'an mentions that man was turned into apes in
a similar
manner. Due to this, these animals have a specific status in
Islamic Law.
Unfortunately, there are not adequate reference books
in English that I
could refer that you might find these answers yourself.
They exist in
Arabic and Persian and perhaps Urdu. You mentioned that after
belief you
should follow without question. I personally disagree. You should
ask
questions which strengthen your understanding and belief. You should avoid
such questions that cause doubt and confusion in your mind. Was-Salaam,
Ali Rasheed | |
Grave
and Salaat al Mayyit QUESTION: Salaam
Is it Makrooh to 1) Walk over a grave;
2)
Recite namaz-e-janaza in a masjid
ANSWER:
Salaamun 'alaykum, It
is not makruh to walk over a grave. However, it is makruh to pray
namaze janaza
(salat al-mayyit) in masjids except in Masjid al-Haram. With
salaams and du'as Liyakatali Takim |
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Graveyard
Visitation QUESTION:
7
8 6
As salamu alay kum. I would like
to know, with references, the specific du'a
and 'aamal one should do when
going to the graveyards, when someone should
visit the graveyards, etc.
ANSWER:
Seyyid Ibn Tawus in Misbah Al-Zair says the best day
to visit the dead is
Thursday, but if you cannot do it on a Thursday, do it
on anyday you can. Upon reaching a grave of believer,
face qibla and place your hand on the
grave. Then recite Surat Inna Anzalna
(Al-Qadr) seven times, Al-Hamd.
Al-Tawheed, Al-Falaq, An-Naas and Ayatul Kursi.
When a person recites Suratul Qadr for a dead Momin
seven times, Allah
creates an angel to sit beside the dead person and protect
the dead person
from all afflictions until the day of judgement. See
Mafatihul Jinan in Adaab Ziyarat Quburul Muminin Pg 655 Arabic Version Wallaahu
A'alam Mustafa Jaffer | |
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