Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I wanted to ask whether prayer would be valid if one has haram or mushbooh products applied to one’s skin. For example, if one applies a cream with an ingredient made from non-Zahiba meat would prayer be valid? I’ve read the ruling on “Kosher, Gelatin, Mono-diglycerides, Soaps, Lotions…” but it doesn’t clarify this issue clearly enough. Please provide some details. Also many times we use soaps and other things that have other ingredients that may be haram. Even if one takes the ruling that alcohol in creams is allowed, what about all the other stuff made from pigs and haram meat? What should we do about this?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
Knowledge is mercy. One should find out what the halal/haram of such products is, and follow that, with the basis being purity of products and one’s practice being caution based on knowledge. There are many related answers in the SunniPath Answers (http://qa.sunnipath.com) on halal/haram of ingredients, and if there are specific questions, we can endeavor to answer them, insha’Allah.
Faraz Rabbani