QUESTION:

What is the verdict of the Learned Scholars of the Sacred Sharī’ah regarding the following issue; I have just read on the package of the Flucloxacillin capsule that it contains gelatine (pig fat). Is it allowed to consume this capsule as it is an antibiotic that works against infections?

Questioner – Ameer Attari from Derby England

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

It is not permissible to consume this medication because it contains gelatine (pig fat). The pig in its entirety is Najis (impure), for this reason leaving this medication is necessary and any other medication should be used. There are numerous types of pain killers available in the market. If this particular medication has to be taken, then it is also available in a form that is without gelatine, its name is Flucloxacilin suspension.

Whereas the pig in its entirety is Harām and Najis (impure).

Almighty Allāh states,

{لَحْمَ خِنۡزِیۡرٍ فَاِنَّہٗ رِجْسٌ}

{the flesh of swine; that it is impurity}

[Sūrah al-An’ām, verse 145]

A swine (pig) is impure and Najas al-‘Ain (absolutely impure in its entirety) and every part of it is forbidden and impure.

It is mentioned in the famous book of Hanafī Fiqh, al-Hidāyah,

بِخِلَافِ الْخِنْزِيرِ لِأَنَّهُ نَجِسُ الْعَيْنِ ، إذْ الْهَاءُ فِي قَوْله تَعَالَى { فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ } مُنْصَرِفٌ إلَيْهِ لِقُرْبِهِ

“A swine (pig) is impure in its entirety, because in the divine statement of Almighty Allāh, the pronoun [it] refers to the pig because of it being close [in being mentioned].”

[al-Hidāyah, vol 1, pg 125]

It is mentioned in ‘Ināyah (the commentary of Hidāyah),

فَغَيْرُ اللَّحْمِ دَائِرٌ بَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْرُمَ وَأَلَّا يَحْرُمَ فَيَحْرُمُ احْتِيَاطًا وَذَلِكَ بِرُجُوعِ الضَّمِيرِ إلَى الْمُضَافِ إلَيْهِ

“Besides the flesh of a pig, every other aspect of it revolves between being harām and not harām, i.e. there is a possibility of both situations, but due to caution every part of it has been mentioned as harām as the pronoun in ‘it is indeed filth’ returns back to the thing being annexed to [in: ‘flesh of swine’].”

[al-‘Ināyah sharh al-Hidāyah, vol 1, pg 127]

It is mentioned in Fatāwā Hindiyyah,

اما الخنزیر فجمیع اجزائہ نجسۃ”

“Every part of the pig is impure.”

[al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah, vol 1, pg 24]

It is mentioned in Bahār-e-Sharī’at that the flesh, bones and the hair of the pig, even if it is slaughtered, all are major impurities.

[Bahār-e-Sharī’at, vol 1, part 2, pg 391]

When every part of the pig is impure and forbidden, then its fat or tissue is also forbidden and that in which any part of the pig is included is also forbidden. Let alone mixing it, if any part of it touches any liquid then that liquid becomes impure, just as it is stated in Fatāwā Hindiyyah,

“وان کان نجس العین کا لخنزیر فانہ یتنجس وان لم یدخل فاہ”

“If any completely impure thing, such as a pig, falls into the water, then the water becomes impure, even if it were to be removed immediately and its mouth did not touch the water.”

[al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah, vol 1, pg 19]

If alcohol is mixed in medication and there is a predominantly assumed opinion that one will be cured and besides this medication there is no other medication available, then some of our scholars in this case have permitted it but they excluded pig from this scenario. Just as it is mentioned in Radd al-Muhtār,

وَنَقَلَ الْحَمَوِيُّ أَنَّ لَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ لَا يَجُوزُ التَّدَاوِي بِهِ وَإِنْ تَعَيَّنَ

“Imam Hamawī (may Allāh have mercy upon him) relates that it is not permissible to use the flesh of the pig in medication even though there is likely to be a cure.”

[Radd al-Muhtār, vol 2, pg 118]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri

Translated by Mohamed Raza Qadri

Read the original Urdu answer here – [Q-ID0304] Can I consume medicine that contains Gelatine?

Also see:

[Q-ID0533] What is the ruling on using mouthwash that contains alcohol?

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