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Fatwa CenterDiscarding gelatin capsule and using medicine inside it
Question
Would it be permissible to discard a gelatin capsule (made from an unknown animal) and eat the medicine inside even though it was in contact with the gelatin?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If there is no fear of any resulting harm, then it is permissible to discard the gelatin capsule and consume the medicine that is inside it. However, it is more likely that it is allowable to consume such cover of capsule which we neither know the substance from which it was manufactured nor do we know how it was abstracted from it, and accordingly the permissibility of consuming it is unknown, given the fact that using it has become widespread, and that the source of gelatin is unknown to us, and also because most of these manufactured substances are processed and transformed from their original state and the original substance is totally changed in the process. Moreover, the basic principle is that all things are lawful (unless proven otherwise by Sharia evidence).
In any case, it is more prudent to refrain from using such medications unless there is a need or necessity for it. It is also more prudent to avoid using such medications if the person can find an alternative that is certainly permissible to use. This is because it is better to give up doubtful matters and opt for things about which there are no doubts.
Allah knows best.
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