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

If a woman becomes pure from menstruation before the Fajr Adhan in Ramadan, is she required to fast?

If a woman becomes pure (from menstrual period) before the Fajr Adhan, she must fast, as the impediment preventing her from fasting has been removed. The Sharia maxim in this regard states: "When the impediment is removed, the obligation returns."
She should then make the intention to fast before Fajr and perform ghusl (ritual purification) for prayer, whether before or after Fajr.

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is the one who gives up on marriage because he can`t afford it considered sinful?

Marriage is desirable, but one who can`t afford it isn`t considered sinful. However, he should supplicate to Allah, and seek His forgiveness.

I wish to purchase an online account (a gaming account), and its ownership will be transferred to me. However, my friend will purchase it on my behalf, and I will repay him in deferred installments with an added profit margin to account for the installment sale. What is the ruling of Islamic Law on this transaction?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The ruling on selling electronic games depends on the ruling of the game itself: if the game is permissible, then selling it is likewise permissible. However, if the game contains Sharia violations that render playing it impermissible, then selling it in that case is neither valid nor permissible. Therefore, we advise the necessity of reviewing the Sharia guidelines for electronic games set forth in Fatwa No. (3369).
 
Accordingly, if the game is permissible, a person may purchase it, take legal possession of it, and subsequently sell it in deferred installments for a price higher than its purchase price. The General Iftaa' Department has permitted dealing through Murabaha, while emphasizing the necessity of observing the Sharia conditions required for this transaction; please refer to Fatwa No. (2861). And Allah Almighty knows best.