Answered by: Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Question:
Is glycerine derived from animals’ halaal? It’s used in hand creams etc with no mention of whether it’s derived from plants or animals, so will the salaah be permissible whilst the cream is on one’s hands?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Glycerin is made from either plant oils or animal fat and can be found in food products as well as skin care products.
Allah SWT states what is halal:
“Believers! Eat of the pure things wherewith We have provided you for sustenance and give thanks to Allah if it is Him that you serve. (2:173) He has made unlawful to you only carrion and blood and the flesh of swine and that over which there has been pronounced the name of anyone other than Allah’s. But he who is constrained (to eat of them) – and he neither covets them nor exceeds the indispensable limit incurs no sin: Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.” (1)
Thus, halal is that product which is derived from halal animals that are slaughtered according to the shariah.
In regards to animal fat used in soaps and shampoos (external use), due to the product changing and going through a metamorphosis change, the soap is pure to use. (2)
However, if the product has been derived from haram animals and it is known, that product should be avoided. But, due to glycerin being very common in almost all external products, it makes it difficult to avoid and therefore, will be permissible to use if the source isn’t specified and if it is from animals, if there are no alternatives, it will be permissible to use due to umumul balwa.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
(1)
يٰٓاَ يُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَيِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰكُمۡ وَاشۡكُرُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ ﴿2:172﴾ اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡکُمُ الۡمَيۡتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحۡمَ الۡخِنۡزِيۡرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ بِهٖ لِغَيۡرِ اللّٰهِۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَلَاۤ اِثۡمَ عَلَيۡهِؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ
(Surah Baqarah, Verse 172-173)
(2)
مِنْهُ كُوزٌ بَعْدَ جَعْلِهِ عَلَى النَّارِ) يَطْهُرُ إنْ لَمْ يَظْهَرْ فِيهِ أَثَرُ النَّجَسِ بَعْدَ الطَّبْخِ ذَكَرَهُ الْحَلَبِيُّ.
قال ابن عابدين: (قَوْلُهُ: وَيَطْهُرُ زَيْتٌ إلَخْ) قَدْ ذَكَرَ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ الْعَلَّامَةُ قَاسِمٌ فِي فَتَاوَاهُ، وَكَذَا مَا سَيَأْتِي مَتْنًا وَشَرَحَهَا مِنْ مَسَائِلِ التَّطْهِيرِ بِانْقِلَابِ الْعَيْنِ، وَذَكَرَ الْأَدِلَّةَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِمَا لَا مَزِيدَ عَلَيْهِ، وَحَقَّقَ وَدَقَّقَ كَمَا هُوَ دَأْبُهُ -رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -، فَلْيُرَاجَعْ.
ثُمَّ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ قَدْ فَرَّعُوهَا عَلَى قَوْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ بِالطَّهَارَةِ بِانْقِلَابِ الْعَيْنِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى وَاخْتَارَهُ أَكْثَرُ الْمَشَايِخِ خِلَافًا لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ كَمَا فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ وَالْفَتْحِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا. وَعِبَارَةُ الْمُجْتَبَى: جَعْلُ الدُّهْنِ النَّجِسِ فِي صَابُونٍ يُفْتَى بِطَهَارَتِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَغَيَّرَ وَالتَّغَيُّرُ يُطَهِّرُ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَيُفْتَى بِهِ لِلْبَلْوَى. اهـ. وَظَاهِرُهُ أَنَّ دُهْنَ الْمَيْتَةِ كَذَلِكَ لِتَعْبِيرِهِ بِالنَّجِسِ دُونَ الْمُتَنَجِّسِ إلَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ هُوَ خَاصٌّ بِالنَّجِسِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْعَادَةَ فِي الصَّابُونِ وَضْعُ الزَّيْتِ دُونَ بَقِيَّةِ الْأَدْهَانِ تَأَمَّلْ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ مَا يُؤَيِّدُ الْأَوَّلَ حَيْثُ قَالَ: وَعَلَيْهِ يَتَفَرَّعُ مَا لَوْ وَقَعَ إنْسَانٌ أَوْ كَلْبٌ فِي قِدْرِ الصَّابُونِ فَصَارَ صَابُونًا يَكُونُ طَاهِرًا لِتَبَدُّلِ الْحَقِيقَةِ. اهـ.
Raddul Mukhtar, volume 1, page 315, HM Saeed