Interesting Fatwa for Chemical Engineers – Part III


Continuing from Part I and Part II, (The original article may be found here)

Ruling on using materials to which “animal glycerine” has been added

Question:

What is the ruling on using materials to which “animal glycerine” has been added, such as toothpaste, shampoo and body moisturizers. What is the ruling on mono-glyceride and di-glyceride, which are added to some kinds of bread? Is the basic principle that one should check or ask about the source of these materials, and find out whether they are animal or vegetable? Is checking on these things regarded as a kind of going to extremes? How should we respond to those who say that the basic principle is that a thing is permissible so long as it is not mixed with anything haraam? Or those who say that religion is easy and we should not go to extremes or ask too much?

Answer:

(…)

Thirdly:

If it is not known whether the animals whose meat is permissible but need to be slaughtered properly in order to become halaal were slaughtered according to sharee’ah or not, then the basic principle is that they should not be used, because the basic principle with regard to slaughtered meat is that it is haraam unless it is known that it is halaal. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eating game meat that had drowned in water because it was not known whether it died as the result of being hunted or from drowning. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eating game caught by a dog whose owner had released it and mentioned the name of Allaah when releasing it, but he found other dogs with him. The reason for that is that it is not known whether it was his dog that caught it or the other dogs.

It was narrated from ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you release your dog and mention the name of Allaah, if he catches something for you and you find it alive, then slaughter it; if you find he has killed it but has not eaten any of it, then eat it. If you find another dog with your dog and it has been killed, then do not eat, for you do not know which of them killed it. If you shoot your arrow and mention the name of Allaah, then (the game) vanishes from your sight for a day, and you only find the mark of your arrow on it, then eat if you wish, but if you find it drowned in water, then do not eat it.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5167) and Muslim (1929).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

… The ruling remains in effect unless there is evidence to the contrary, such as the ruling on tahaarah (purity), the rulings on breaking wudoo’, the ruling on remaining married, the ruling on possession and the ruling on commitments, all of which remain in effect unless there is evidence to the contrary. This principle is indicated in the hadeeth in which it is said concerning hunting: “If you find it drowned, do not eat it, for you do not know whether the water killed it or your arrow,” and “But if there are other dogs with him, then do not eat it, for you mentioned the name of Allaah over your dog, not any other.”

Because the basic principle concerning meat is that it is haraam, and there is some doubt as to whether the condition that makes it permissible was fulfilled or not, the game remains haraam as it originally was.

I’laam al-Muqawwi’een (1/339, 340).

Fourthly:

If the substance is artificial or of vegetable origin, it is permissible to use it in these products unless it is harmful or poisonous either in and of itself or when added to other substances.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There is nothing wrong with lipstick, because the basic principle is that it is permissible unless it becomes apparent that it is haraam. … But if it becomes clear that it is harmful to the lips, because it dries them out, then in this case it is not allowed. I have been told that it may dry out the lips. If that is proven then one is not allowed to so something that will harm oneself.

Fataawa Manaar al-Islam (3/831).

(continued)

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