Question
Is the Astra Zeneca vaccine available in Zambia Halaal?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
As Muslims, we are duty-bound to have complete trust and reliance (Tawakkul) in Allah, believing that whatever Allah decrees will ultimately prevail.
However, in the face of apparent harms, adopting Halaal preventive measures in the form a vaccine does not contradict the concept of Tawakkul.
The Darul Iftaa concurs with the following Islamic organisations/platforms with regards to the permissibility of administering/receiving the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine:
Wifaqul Ulama UK [i]
Islamic Da’wah Academy -UK [ii]
Islamic Portal – UK [iii]
Darul Iftaa Malawi [iv]
However, if alternative vaccines are available from other manufacturers who utilise a more ethical process of developing the vaccine, then it is preferable to choose an alternative. [v]
Whilst injections do not invalidate the fast, we strongly urge the Muslim community to avoid taking the vaccine in Ramadhaan, as the side effects may lead to unnecessary discomfort/ breaking or missing a fast of Ramadhaan.
We also urge the community to maintain their Islamic views with dignity and respect the views of others concerning the vaccine and avoid any form of confrontation in the holy month of Ramadhaan.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
[i] https://www.wifaqululama.co.uk/wifaq-oxford/
[ii] https://idauk.org/index.php/covid19.html
[iii] https://islamicportal.co.uk/is-it-permissible-to-use-the-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/
[iv] https://daruliftaamw.com/oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/
[v] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca
https://islamicportal.co.uk/is-it-permissible-to-use-the-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine/
“The MHRA can confirm that the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca does not contain any components of animal origin.”
The MHRA also confirmed in an email that although porcine trypsin and foetal bovine serum were used during the development process, they were removed in the subsequent processes and were not used in the manufacture of the final vaccine. Thus, the vaccine does not contain porcine or bovine components. This has also been confirmed in an email from AstraZeneca which states, “Porcine trypsin was only used at the during development of the T-REx-293 cells line. The trypsin was not in direct contact with the actual cell banks that were used in the manufacturing process. The final product does not contain any human or animal-derived ingredients, and all excipients are of vegetable origin.”
The vaccine is produced in genetically modified human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. We understand that a cell-line which originally cultivated from an aborted foetus of 1973 was used during the development of the vaccine, similar to many other vaccines. However, none of the original cells of the foetus were used in its development. In addition, the vaccine was purified several times to remove the cell culture material.