ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West Appendices Specimen of the Answers of His Eminence Ayatullah as-Sistani to some of the questions in this Book In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful His Eminence, the Grand Ayatullah As-Sayyid 'Ali al-Husyni as-Sistani (dama dhilluh). As-Salamu 'alaykum wa rahmtullahi wa barakatuh.

I request your kindness in answering the following questions with the hope that the answers would be in simple form that can be understood [easily] by the readers who are not specialist in this science [of Islamic Jurisprudence]. And you shall have an abundance of reward [from the Almighty]. List of Main Haram Ingredients Used in the Manufacturing of Food Islamic Law has forbidden Muslims from consuming a number of ingredients.

Since non-Muslim manufacturers of food are naturally not required to refrain from using those ingredients in their products, Muslims are required to be vigilant and careful —within the limits outlined by the shari‘a— in using those products.[^1] We give below some information that was available for us regarding haram ingredients in food products.

We have decided not to go into details in order to avoid —within the bounds of the shari‘a — complicating the life of a Muslim who is being tested by living in non-Muslims countries. The Islamic shari‘a , in spite of its meticulous and rigirous nature, is still a simple and linient code of practice. It is, therefore, useful to point out two things right at the outset.

Firstly, some raw ingredients used in manufacturing food and drink go through definite chemical transformations that radically change its original properties, in the sense that it becomes, in perception of the common man, a new and different matter. Such a transformation would remove it from the list of forbidden items, and this is known in the manuals of Islamic laws as “al-istihalah” which is one of the purifying agents according to the shari‘a .

For example, when an item derived from a haram animal source changes into a different item [through chemical transformation], then the latter product would become permissible. Secondly, there are ingredients used in manufacturing food products that could have possibly come from a number of different sources, some of which are halal and some are haram .

In such cases, with no certain knowledge about the origin of such an item, it is not necessary to investigate and it is permissible to eat that doubtful item.