Firstly, the prohibition of pork is clearly stated in the Qur᾽ān, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the recognized scholars of the Ummah:
The prohibition is mentioned in the Qur᾽ān in four places: Surahs Al-Baqarah, Al-Mā᾽idah, Al-᾽An῾ām, and Al-Naḥl.
In the Sunnah, there is a ḥadīth from Jābir ibn ῾Abdullāh who heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say during the year of the conquest while in Mecca: “Indeed, Allāh and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead animals, pigs, and idols.” It was then asked, “O Messenger of Allāh, what about the fat of dead animals, as it is used to coat ships, grease skins, and light lamps?” He said, “No, it is ḥarām.” Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “May Allāh curse the Jews, for when Allāh forbade them from using the fat, they melted it, then sold it, and consumed its price.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim]. The word “melted” (᾽ajmalūh-u) refers to the process of melting the fat to extract it.
Several scholars have recorded the consensus on the prohibition of everything related to pigs. Ibn Ḥazm said: “It is not permissible to eat anything from the pig: neither its meat, fat, skin, nerves, cartilage, internal organs, brain, bones, head, limbs, milk, nor its hair, whether male or female, young or old. It is also not permissible to use its hair for stitching or anything else.”
Al-Fakhr al-Rāzī stated: “The Islamic Ummah has unanimously agreed that the entire pig, in all its parts, is forbidden. Allāh mentioned ‘meat’ specifically because it is the primary part that is sought after.”
Those who argue concerning the specification using the possessive style in the verses where Allāh says: “and the flesh of swine” [Al-Baqarah 2:173] and “or the flesh of swine” [Al-᾽An῾ām 6:145] are not aware of linguistic usages. The prohibition is not limited to meat alone. Among these linguistic usages is that the specification using the possessive style might be literal or relative.
- Literal Specification: This refers to something intended for its essence, not extending to anything else, such as in the verse “Lord of the two Easts” [Al-Raḥmān 55:17], where the specification is literal because there is no other lord for any direction.
- Relative Specification: This occurs when the specification is related to something specific but does not exclude other things. For example, “Lord of the pen” does not mean that He is the Only One who owns the pen, but rather it is attributed to Him due to His superiority in decreeing things so that the tool used for recording the decree has been attributed to Him, without denying that others also own pens.
Understanding this is crucial in interpreting texts.
The prohibition in the case of pigs is related to the meat because it is the most commonly sought part due to its cheap price and the large number of pigs. Therefore, the text mentions only what usually people seek of pig. However, this does not negate the prohibition of other parts, as explained by linguistic usage, the prophetic text, and the consensus of scholars.
Secondly, regarding the issue of gelatin, it requires further explanation:
Gelatin can come from either:
- Permissible animals that have been slaughtered according to Islamic law, such as cows, in which case there is no issue.
- Prohibited animals such as pigs, or from permissible animals that have not been slaughtered according to Islamic law (e.g., carrion). This is where the difference of opinion lies.
If we examine the process of making animal gelatin, it involves several transformation stages, including:
- Boiling the parts from which gelatin is extracted for hours.
- Filtering the extracted liquid to remove small particles, and sometimes using activated carbon to remove any dyes in the gelatin solution.
- Concentrating the product using high temperatures, often involving pressurized evaporation in suitable containers, followed by drying the product.
This process is known as the alkaline method.
There is also an acidic method, which involves using hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid, and the extraction process lasts for several days.
In both methods, the original substance undergoes a transformation such that it cannot be returned to its original state.
Transformation (istiḥālah) is defined as any chemical reaction that converts a substance into a completely different compound, changing its structure, properties, and characteristics.
According to the majority of scholars, including those from the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, and Ẓāhirī schools, and as chosen by Ibn Taymiyyah and others, transformation renders the originally forbidden substances permissible.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “It is impossible for the ruling on something impure to remain after its name and description have been changed. The ruling follows the name and description, whether they exist or not. The texts prohibiting carrion, blood, pork, and alcohol do not apply to crops, fruits, ashes, salt, or vinegar, neither in wording, meaning, text, nor analogy.”
Therefore, gelatin that has undergone these manufacturing processes is transformed into a new substance, and it is considered permissible according to this ruling.
Fatwā issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr
