Since my coming back from Ivory
Coast, I’m getting more and more concern for what I eat, what I drink, what I
wear, what I use whether they are halal or not. Because I use to live in muslim
country (yes of course the majority is muslim) I didn’t really pay attention to
halal and haram especially for foods and drink. I got more worry after I read
hadiths saying;
Holy Prophet SAWW , “When a
single morsel of haram enters the stomach of a person and becomes a part of his
body, the angels of the sky and the earth curse him.”
Reference: Greater Sins, vol 1,
chapter 27/Safinat’ul-Bihar
The Noble Prophet SAWW said, "O Sa'd! purify your food, your supplication will be accepted. by The One in Whose Hand lays the life of Muhammad, verily a servant places a morsel of haram in his stomach (and as a result) forty days of worship will not be accepted from him. [Tabrani]
Halal and haram food and beverage
is clear, we have majlis that authorized to make halal label on it. But if you
doubt with the authorized majlis, then the case is different.
What about the cosmetic and
personal care which most of them have no halal label? Well you may check the
ingredients. A soap made of fat, you may ask/doing research whether the fat is
animal fat or vegetable oils. For vegetale oils, there is no problem with that.
While animal fat, it is absolutely haram if the soap made of pork fat; and
other lawful animals we must know if the animal slaughtered in halal way or
not. This is also applied in moisturizer, body lotion, etc.
Bar soaps are made from animal
fat or vegetable oils or their fatty acids by reacting them with inorganic
water-soluble alkali salt or bases. The source of fat is mutton or beef tallow
or pork fat but glycerin is also added besides stearic acid.
And how about face toner and
perfume that contain alcohol? First, we must know the types of alcohol.
1. Isopropyl
Alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol also is called isopropanol or 2-propanol. More commonly
it is known as rubbing alcohol due to the practice of physicians rubbing the
substance on the body for cooling and disinfecting. Produced by combining water
and propylene, rubbing alcohol works well for sterilization. Its high
evaporation rate makes it a first choice for cleaning electronics, although it
is found in everyday cleaning products, as well. Isopropyl alcohol also is
found in cosmetics, including lotions. The chemical formula for this type of
alcohol is C3H8O.
2. Methyl
Alcohol. Methyl alcohol also called methanol and wood alcohol, is used
primarily as an industrial solvent. For example, it is a component in paint
remover and photocopier developer. People also use methyl alcohol to make other
chemicals. This is because a by-product of degrading methanol is formaldehyde,
which may be used to make everything from plastics to explosives. It also works
to fuel internal combustion engines and keep fuel from freezing. The chemical
formula for methyl alcohol is CH3OH.
3. Ethyl
Alcohol. Ethyl alcohol sometimes called grain alcohol, is the alcohol people
consume in beverages. People usually take ethyl alcohol in a diluted
consentration—the level of the consentration is known as the proof of the
alcoholic beverage. Ethyl alcohol is known for its ability to alter mood and
behaviour. The liver usually is able to filter ethyl alcohol from the human
body, but ethyl alcohol still is toxic when consume faster than the liver can
metabolize it. Like methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol also has uses as an industrial
solvent and as a fuel additive. The formula for ethyl alcohol is C2H5OH.
From those
types, only ethyl alcohol is haram for it can pass into bloodstream from the
skin and is an intoxicant.
I checked my
perfume, L’Occitane Cherry Blossom. I searched in internet its ingredients,
there is alcohol denat. What is alcohol denat? It is denaturated alcohol, which
is industrial methylated spirit or surgical spirit, that is regard as
permissible for use. Allah knows best.
References:
