Following the furore over pig DNA in chocolate bars, Islamic scholars are now at loggerheads over whether food products using pig gelatine are considered halal.
This followed the view of renown scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi (left) who argued that such food is halal as gelatine is a pig product which has been transformed into something different.
In his website, Qaradawi said that when something which is deemed “dirty” is transformed into something “clean” - like pig products transformed into soap or gelatine - it is halal.
This view by Qaradawi, who heads the International Union of Muslim Scholars, was supported by former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin.
However, Asri's support won him brickbats from other local scholars, including popular preachers Kazim Elias and Zamihan Mat Zin, who is also a home minister officer dealing with religious matters.
Zamihan (right), who spoke in his capacity of Persatuan Sunnah Wal Jamaah president, had urged action against “individuals who often cause controversy by issuing deviant fatwas” which cause Muslims “distress”.
“We hope that scholars in this country stop acting smart and issuing statements that confuse Muslims. Things that are clearly haram should never be made halal.
“According to scientists, pig matter does not change and cannot be cleansed using acid, hydrolysis or even sterilisation at high temperatures.
“Even if the matter changes, its status as filth remains until the end of the world,” he said, urging Muslims to trust the Islamic Development Department (Jakim)'s halal certification.
'It's not about eating fried pork'
Asri, however, said that haram products can transform to something halal, like how faeces can be used as fertiliser to grow bananas, which are halal to consume, or wine which ferment to vinegar.
“It is an issue of khilafiyyah (differing views) in modern fiqh (jurisprudence),” he wrote.
However, this was contested by popular preacher Kazim Elias who told Sinar Harian that all four Islamic school of thoughts states that pork is haram and as such any pig product is haram to eat.
“If we eat haram products then hell fire will waiting for us, and if we eat halal products we will enter paradise,” he is quoted as saying, stressing that pig products in vaccination is also haram.
This prompted further reaction from Asri (left), who in a statement yesterday said that this view is “awkward” and exhibits lack of knowledge.
“Qaradawi, the European Fatwa Council and the Medical Fiqh Conference in Morocco in 1997 and others know that pigs are haram to consume, but what we are debating is when pig matter is transformed...
“The issue is not whether to eat a piece of fried pork or pork soup, but to eat chocolates or biscuits with traces of pig DNA due to ingredients of pig origin, which chemical nature has changed.”
He added that the same can be said for Muslims in Singapore who drink New Water, which is water processed from sewerage - that is considered halal because it has been purified.
“Modern scholars discuss these because such issues exist in our everyday lives, especially for those who are minorities (in countries) where they live.
“Besides, Islam encourages its followers to choose simpler options,” he said.
This followed the view of renown scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi (left) who argued that such food is halal as gelatine is a pig product which has been transformed into something different.In his website, Qaradawi said that when something which is deemed “dirty” is transformed into something “clean” - like pig products transformed into soap or gelatine - it is halal.
This view by Qaradawi, who heads the International Union of Muslim Scholars, was supported by former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin.
However, Asri's support won him brickbats from other local scholars, including popular preachers Kazim Elias and Zamihan Mat Zin, who is also a home minister officer dealing with religious matters.
Zamihan (right), who spoke in his capacity of Persatuan Sunnah Wal Jamaah president, had urged action against “individuals who often cause controversy by issuing deviant fatwas” which cause Muslims “distress”.“We hope that scholars in this country stop acting smart and issuing statements that confuse Muslims. Things that are clearly haram should never be made halal.
“According to scientists, pig matter does not change and cannot be cleansed using acid, hydrolysis or even sterilisation at high temperatures.
“Even if the matter changes, its status as filth remains until the end of the world,” he said, urging Muslims to trust the Islamic Development Department (Jakim)'s halal certification.
'It's not about eating fried pork'
Asri, however, said that haram products can transform to something halal, like how faeces can be used as fertiliser to grow bananas, which are halal to consume, or wine which ferment to vinegar.
“It is an issue of khilafiyyah (differing views) in modern fiqh (jurisprudence),” he wrote.
However, this was contested by popular preacher Kazim Elias who told Sinar Harian that all four Islamic school of thoughts states that pork is haram and as such any pig product is haram to eat.
“If we eat haram products then hell fire will waiting for us, and if we eat halal products we will enter paradise,” he is quoted as saying, stressing that pig products in vaccination is also haram.This prompted further reaction from Asri (left), who in a statement yesterday said that this view is “awkward” and exhibits lack of knowledge.
“Qaradawi, the European Fatwa Council and the Medical Fiqh Conference in Morocco in 1997 and others know that pigs are haram to consume, but what we are debating is when pig matter is transformed...
“The issue is not whether to eat a piece of fried pork or pork soup, but to eat chocolates or biscuits with traces of pig DNA due to ingredients of pig origin, which chemical nature has changed.”
He added that the same can be said for Muslims in Singapore who drink New Water, which is water processed from sewerage - that is considered halal because it has been purified.
“Modern scholars discuss these because such issues exist in our everyday lives, especially for those who are minorities (in countries) where they live.
“Besides, Islam encourages its followers to choose simpler options,” he said.
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