Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(128): “Gelatin Extracted from Pork Bone or Skin, or from Impure Substances is Impure”

Date Added : 27-10-2015

 

Resolution No.(128),(6/2009): “Gelatin Extracted from Pork Bone or Skin, or from Impure Substances is Impure”

Date:1/8/1430 AH, corresponding to 23/7/2009 AD.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

During its third session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the letter of His Excellency the Director General of the Food and Drugs Administration, which reads as follows:

 

Could your Grace clarify the ruling of Sharia as regards the use of some products that contain vitamins which are manufactured from raw materials that contain gelatin extracted from pork. The gelatin is used for coating these vitamin in order to preserve their consistency when mixed with the rest of the ingredients of these products. It should be taken into consideration that these products are used as supplements, not medication.

After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

Gelatin extracted from pork`s bone or skin, or from impure substances is impure. Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): “Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah.” {Al-Maida'/3}. He also Says (what means): “Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than God’s." {Al-An`am/145}.

Accordingly, it is impermissible to use the gelatin manufactured from the extracts  of pork or impure animals for manufacturing medications or food  supplements, or for coating them, because alternative extracts could be taken from animals that are permissible to eat according to Sharia, such as cows, fish, or gelatin extracted from vegetables. However, it is permissible to take medications that contain the gelatin extracted from pork or impure substances in case of dire necessity, or in case there is no other  lawful alternative. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan,Dr. Nooh al-Qhodat

Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board,Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Sheikh Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh/ Member

 Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

               Dr. Mohammad Khair al-Eesa/ Member

Judge Sari al-Ass`ad/ Member

      Dr. Abdurahamn Ibbdah/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Okla/ Member

        Dr. Abdunnasir Abulbasal/ Member

              Executive Secretary of the Board/ Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

How should the udhiyah be distributed?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is obligatory to give the poor a portion of the meat from a voluntary sacrifice (Udhiyah al-Tatawwu’), which should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw meat. Other parts do not suffice for this obligation, such as the liver, tripe, or intestines.
It is Sunnah for the one offering the sacrifice to divide it into thirds: one-third for himself and his household to eat, one-third to be given as charity to the poor, and one-third to be given as a gift to friends and neighbors, even if they are wealthy. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible for a woman to shake hands with her brother-in-law?

It is forbidden for the woman to shake hands with her brother-in-law because he isn`t a Mahram (unmarriageable) of hers.

What is the ruling on storing the meat of sacrificial animals and distributing it throughout the year?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is disliked (makruh) to store or preserve the meat of sacrificial animals (udhiyah), whether for a short or long period, provided that the sacrifice is slaughtered within its prescribed lawful time, while also taking care to prevent the meat from spoiling. And Allah Almighty knows best.