The Ruling On Gelatin and The Process Known As Istihaalah
Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2016 9:30 pm
The Ruling On Gelatin and The Process Known As Istihaalah
By Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Umar Baazmool
Questioner: What exactly is Istihaalah (the changing of the nature of a substance) that the Fuqahaa speak about? And what is it that this matter has in terms of relation to consuming foods that have for example a porcine derived gelatin in them?
Shaykh Muhammad Bazmool (hafidhahullah): All praise is for Allah and may the exhalations of Allah and His Greetings be upon the Messenger .
To proceed:
The scholars differ regarding those things that a najaasah (a filthy substance) would become pure due to. As for the scholars of the Hanafiyyah and this is the opinion that was chosen by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullahu ta’aala) is that they opine that changing of nature i.e. a substance changing from one nature to another nature is actually purifying such that something will change from being najaasah (filthy) to being taahir (pure). And so, if the carcass of a dead animal for example turns through decomposition into salt or if alcohol converts into vinegar then this is considered a changing of nature; a substance changing its nature from one type to a next. It changes from what it was upon, being something filthy such as the carcass into something pure, which is the salt and likewise, alcohol changes from alcohol into vinegar. So the carcass, consuming it is impermissible and it is filthy and likewise, alcohol, consuming it is impermissible. However, what they have changed into - the carcass changing into salt and alcohol changing into vinegar - both are pure and both are permissible to consume through eating and drinking. So based upon this we say, foods that are originally derived from things that are impermissible such as dead animals or a pig or the like or things that are impermissible, once they change in nature from one substance to another, they become pure. They are no longer considered filthy and impure and through this changing of nature also become permissible to consume despite previously being impermissible.
As for the matter of gelatin specifically, gelatin is a substance derived and extracted from the bones of animals and sometimes the animal in question will be the pig. However, gelatin does not actually remain upon its original form, such that none of the traces of the original form, which is bone, actually remains in the gelatin. So based upon this we say, gelatin, although it is derived from something that is originally considered filthy and impure, due to its changing of nature, is considered pure and not filthy, due to the changing of nature. This is because we are of the opinion that Istihaalah is a purifier, according to the opinion of the Ahnaaf and Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah). So it also changes in ruling from being impermissible to being permissible.
These are the foundations surrounding this particular topic and when the scholars of Islaam are asked regarding these types of foods and this type of consumption of these types of substances, they would mention the like of this topic, the topic of Istihaalah (the changing of nature) and they will talk about this type of detail.
A Question Posed To Shaykh Muhammad ibn ’Umar Baazmool on 22th Safar, 1435 A.H. Corresponding to 25th December, 2013 C.E.
Download/Listen Here [Arabic/English]: http://www.mpubs.org/files/MUBZ_2013122 ... ar_eng.mp3
By Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Umar Baazmool
Questioner: What exactly is Istihaalah (the changing of the nature of a substance) that the Fuqahaa speak about? And what is it that this matter has in terms of relation to consuming foods that have for example a porcine derived gelatin in them?
Shaykh Muhammad Bazmool (hafidhahullah): All praise is for Allah and may the exhalations of Allah and His Greetings be upon the Messenger .
To proceed:
The scholars differ regarding those things that a najaasah (a filthy substance) would become pure due to. As for the scholars of the Hanafiyyah and this is the opinion that was chosen by Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullahu ta’aala) is that they opine that changing of nature i.e. a substance changing from one nature to another nature is actually purifying such that something will change from being najaasah (filthy) to being taahir (pure). And so, if the carcass of a dead animal for example turns through decomposition into salt or if alcohol converts into vinegar then this is considered a changing of nature; a substance changing its nature from one type to a next. It changes from what it was upon, being something filthy such as the carcass into something pure, which is the salt and likewise, alcohol changes from alcohol into vinegar. So the carcass, consuming it is impermissible and it is filthy and likewise, alcohol, consuming it is impermissible. However, what they have changed into - the carcass changing into salt and alcohol changing into vinegar - both are pure and both are permissible to consume through eating and drinking. So based upon this we say, foods that are originally derived from things that are impermissible such as dead animals or a pig or the like or things that are impermissible, once they change in nature from one substance to another, they become pure. They are no longer considered filthy and impure and through this changing of nature also become permissible to consume despite previously being impermissible.
As for the matter of gelatin specifically, gelatin is a substance derived and extracted from the bones of animals and sometimes the animal in question will be the pig. However, gelatin does not actually remain upon its original form, such that none of the traces of the original form, which is bone, actually remains in the gelatin. So based upon this we say, gelatin, although it is derived from something that is originally considered filthy and impure, due to its changing of nature, is considered pure and not filthy, due to the changing of nature. This is because we are of the opinion that Istihaalah is a purifier, according to the opinion of the Ahnaaf and Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah). So it also changes in ruling from being impermissible to being permissible.
These are the foundations surrounding this particular topic and when the scholars of Islaam are asked regarding these types of foods and this type of consumption of these types of substances, they would mention the like of this topic, the topic of Istihaalah (the changing of nature) and they will talk about this type of detail.
A Question Posed To Shaykh Muhammad ibn ’Umar Baazmool on 22th Safar, 1435 A.H. Corresponding to 25th December, 2013 C.E.
Download/Listen Here [Arabic/English]: http://www.mpubs.org/files/MUBZ_2013122 ... ar_eng.mp3