Malaysian Journal of Syariah and Law (May 2023)
GELATIN IN HALAL PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS
Abstract
Concomitantly, with the increase of the Muslim population in the world, halal awareness has been on the rise. A lot of halalindustries have emerged nowadays, and among them are halal pharmaceuticals. However, with the advancement of technology, gelatin-based products have been widely developed and are being used in the pharmaceutical industry. Its halal status can thus be questionable (mashbooh). This paper aims to study the Islamic perspective on gelatin-based products in pharmaceuticals. The study uses a qualitative method which involves literature review from al-Quran, as-Sunnah, articles in journals, and other references from the internet that can be trusted as credible data sources. In addition, the methodology of this study includes researching the istihalah method and fatwa in Malaysia to determine the halal status of gelatin in pharmaceutical products. This paper also focuses on the Malaysian Standard of Halal Pharmaceuticals-General Requirements (MS 2424:2019) and the Malaysian Halal Certification Procedure Manual- Domestic 2020 (MPPHM 2020). The findings of this study show that gelatin mostly originate from animal sources. Therefore, its halal status can be questionable even if it comes from permitted animals such as cows or chickens. This is because the animals are only considered halal if they are slaughtered according to the precepts of Islamic law. In order to address such religious concerns, there have been a lot of research on the alternatives to animal gelatin such as from marine sources and plant-based sources. From the Islamic perspective, the use of gelatin from marine sources and animals that have been slaughtered according to Islamic rules is halal. However, gelatin which are sourced from pork and its derivatives are still haram after going the process of istihalah because its chemical substances remain the same and unchanged even after istihalah. Nevertheless, during an emergency, it may be permissible to consume medication containing pork gelatin if there is no replacement or alternative for pork gelatin even if it is from haram sources.
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