Using Topical Medication that contains Pig Fat: Islamic Ruling by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen

The questioner has a big problem which she hopes that maybe we can summarize a ruling for her. She says that her mother used some medications and remedies for her hair that caused most of it to fall out. She says that she is embarrassed or something to this effect whenever she sits with the other women. She mentioned that a person was afflicted with what she was where most of his hair fell out and he used a remedy that cured him and caused his hair to grow back thicker. She said that he was cured and the hair grew back in thicker amounts. She wanted to get the remedy from him but he told her that after he had been cured he was told by those who could read English that the remedy contained pig fat and some of its blood. She wants to know if it is still permissible for her to use this medication since she is against using hair braids since she holds that it is impermissible for the Muslim woman. She hopes to benefit from his eminence.

Answer: All praise is for Allah, honestly this question contains two issues. The first is the use of hair braids for this type of condition which you have described that the hair has fallen out and there is no hope that it will grow back. Regarding this issue then we say that there is no harm in using hair braids for this type of condition since realistically this adding to the hair is not for the purpose of beautification. Rather it is to remove a deficiency so based on this reason it is not considered from the braiding where the Prophet (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) had cursed the one who braids the hair “he cursed the female who braided the hair and the female who sought for it to be done”.

The Waasilah is the female who braids fake hair into real hair. However this woman in reality does not resemble the Waasilah since she did not add the fake hair for the purpose of beautification or for adding hair which Allah the Blessed, the Most High has created. She wanted to remove a deficiency that occurred so there is no problem with this since it is to remove a deficiency not to add for the purpose of beautification which there is a difference between the two.

As for using this medicine that has pig fat in it, if it is confirmed that there is in fact pig fat in it then there is nothing wrong with that when done out of necessity since the only thing that is actually prohibited is eating it. Allah says: {Rather you have been forbidden cadaver, blood, or flesh of the swine}. And Allah Most High says commanding his Messenger (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him): {Say; I find no impressibility in what has been revealed to me for the person who gives others food to eat to do so, so long as it is not cadaver meat, spilled blood, or flesh of the swine}.

It has been established from the Prophet (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) that he forbade eating the meat of the cadaver but allowed that benefit be derived from its skin after it was tanned. It has also been established from him that he forbade drinking alcohol, eating meat of the cadaver, flesh of the swine, and worshiping idols.

It was said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about the fat of the cadaver which is used to paint the boats with and is rubbed on the skin by the people?” The Messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No it is not permissible”…here he meant selling it since it is the topic of the narration and the companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) relayed this not for the sake of them knowing the ruling of these issues but for the sake of justifying its sale. They said that these benefits that the people derive from using it does not justify that it can be sold. The Prophet (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said that it was impermissible so based on this using medication of this type to rub into the head if it is proven to be beneficial then the need is applicable and if she uses it then she must wash it off before prayer since pig fat is impure, and that is only if the medication is proven to contain this ingredient.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen
Translated by:  Thomas Maldonado
Source: http://www.ibnothaimeen.com/all/noor/article_4629.shtml

Selected Benefits from Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen’s Explanation of Kitaab-ut-Tawheed

Benefit One

The Categories of Tawheed are three:

1 – Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah: and it is to single out Allah with being the creator, the owner of all the dominion, the one who controls all of the affairs of the universe.

2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah: and it is to single out Allah in worship.

3 – Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat: and it is to single out Allah by His Names and His Attributes without Tahreef (Distortion), Ta’teel (To deny Allah’s attributes), Takyeef (Saying how something is done), and Tamtheel (To compare Allah to the creation).

Therefore Tawheed has two issues connected to it:

1 – an-Nafyee (Negation) “Laa Ilaha” (There is no focal point worthy of worship)

2- al-Ithbaat (Affirmation) “Illa Allah” (Except for Allah)

Benefit Two

The decree of Allah (al-Qadhaa) consists of two categories:

1 – Kawnee (Having to do with the universe and all that is in it): This occurs by necessity. It consists of what Allah loves and what He does not love.

2 – Shar’ee (Having to do with the divine legislation): This consists of only what Allah loves. It occurs or it may not occur.

Issue: How is it that Allah decrees what He does not love?
Answer: That which Allah loves (al-Mahboob) consists of two categories:

1 – Mahboob li-Ghayrih : (Loved for something else) This is disliked within itself but loved because of the benefit and wisdom that is contained within. So it is loved to Allah from one aspect but disliked from another. This can be likened to the situation of the sick person and medicine whether it is cauterization (medical treatment by using a hot iron tip) or something else. It is loved from one aspect but disliked from another.

2 – Mahboob li-Dhaatih: (Loved within itself) There is no issue concerning this part of al-Mahboob (as it is understood).

Benefit Three

There are three types of Thulm (oppression):

1 – The oppression of mankind concerning the rights of Allah such as ash-Shirk and this is the greatest type of oppression.

2 – The oppression of mankind upon themselves such as one overburdening himself with something that he has no power of fulfilling.

3 – The oppression of mankind upon others such as murder without right and this is the greatest type of oppression concerning the right of a human being over another.

Benefit Four

Supplication (ad-Dua’aa) consists of two categories:

1 – What is known as Dua’aa-ul-‘Ibaadah (the supplication of worship): Directing the supplication to others besides Allah is considered Shirk Akbar (Major Polytheism). So whoever supplicates in a devotional manner to what is created then that person has committed Shirk Akbar.

2 – What is known as Dua’aa-ul-Mas’alah (the supplication of asking for something) which consists of three categories:

A - Supplicating to Allah Most High which is an act of worship.

B – Asking from someone besides Allah who is not able to carry out only what Allah can such as one who requests the dead feed him or requests that someone cure his illness, this is considered Shirk Akbar.

C – Asking someone besides Allah who is able to fulfill the request such as asking a living person to feed him, then this is permissible.

From: al-Fawaaid al-Muntaqaah min Sharh Kitaab-it-Tawheed 
(Selected Benefits from the Explanation of the Book of Monotheism)
Written by: Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen
Translated by Thomas Maldonado on 09/03/2010

Mannerisms Related to the Sick by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen

How the sick person purifies himself/herself:

One: It is obligatory for the person who is afflicted with illness to purify himself with water. Therefore he performs purification for the minor impurity (passing gas, sleeping, etc.) and he bathes for the major impurity (sexual relations with spouse, menstruation).

Two: If he is unable to perform the purification with water due to his weakness or due to fear of the illness (or wound) getting worse or if by performing the purification it will delay the alleviation of his illness then he can purify himself with the earth’s dust.

Three: The method of performing at-Tayammum is for the person to strike pure dirt with one strike upon the ground. He rubs both over all of the face then he rubs his palms one over the other.

Four: If the ill person cannot purify himself then someone else can make the ritual purification for him or the other person can perform at-Tayammum for him.

Five: If the person has a wound then he washes it with water. If washing with water will affect the wound then he can wipe it by wetting his hands with water and then passing the water over the sound. But if wiping will affect the wound then he can make at-Tayammum.

Six: If someone has a broken bone and there is a bandage or cast on then he can wipe over it with water as a substitution for washing and he will not need to perform at-Tayammum since wiping substitutes for washing.

Seven: It is permissible to make at-Tayammum from a wall or upon anything that is pure and that has dust upon it. If the wall is paved with something other than the elements of dirt like paint then he does not perform at-Tayammum over it unless there is dust on it.

Eight: If one cannot perform at-Tayammum from the ground or wall or anything else having dust upon it then there is no harm if he places the dirt in a vessel or handkerchief to make at-Tayammum from.

Nine: If the ritual purity for performance of at-Tayammum for prayer was kept until time for the next prayer then that person can pray with the Tayammum he first made and he does not need to repeat it since his purification remained and there was nothing that invalidated it.

Ten: It is obligatory for the person afflicted with illness to purify his body from all forms of impurity but if he cannot then he prays based on his condition and his prayer is valid and he does not need to repeat it.

Eleven: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray in clean clothing. If his clothing is soiled with impurity then he must wash it or replace it with clean clothing. If he cannot then he prays in his condition and his prayer will still be valid and he will not have to repeat it.

Twelve: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray upon something pure. If his place of prayer is soiled with impurity then he must wash it or replace it with something pure or he lies upon something pure. If he is not able then he prays in his condition and he will not have to repeat it.

Thirteen: It is not permissible for the sick person to delay the prayer because of failure to purify himself. Rather he purifies himself based on what he is able to do then he prays on time even if there is an impurity on himself, his clothes, or his place of prayer that he cannot remove.

How the sick person should pray:

One: It is obligatory for the person afflicted with an illness to pray the obligatory prayer either standing, bent, or leaning on a wall or cane when he needs to support himself.

Two: If he cannot stand then he prays sitting. It is best to pray cross-legged for the position of standing and bowing.

Three: If he cannot make the prayer sitting then he can pray on his side facing the direction of prayer. The right side is the best side to pray on but if he cannot pray facing the direction of prayer then he prays whichever way he can face and his prayer will still be correct. He will not need to repeat it.

Four: If he cannot make the prayer on his side then he prays lying down with his feet towards the direction of prayer. It is best that he raises his head a little to face the direction of prayer but if his feet cannot be directed to the direction of prayer he prays however he can and he will not need to repeat it.

Five: It is obligatory for the sick person to bow and prostrate in his prayer. If he cannot then he can motion both actions with his head. He makes the act of prostration lower than the act of bowing. And if he is able to bow without making the act of prostration then he bows and makes the motion for the act of prostration. And if he can prostrate without bowing then he can prostrate and make the motion for the act of bowing.

Six: If he cannot motion with his head for the acts of bowing and prostration then he makes the movement with his eyes. He closes them a little for the act of bowing and he closes them completely for the act of prostration. As for pointing with the finger as it is done by some of those afflicted with sickness then it is not correct. I do not know any basis for it in the Book or the Sunnah nor from the statements of the People of Knowledge.

Seven: If he is not able to motion with his head or make movement with his eyes then he prays within his heart. He makes the Takbeer (to say Allahu Akbar), he recites, and he makes the intention for bowing, prostrating, standing, and sitting within his heart. And for every person is what he intends.

Eight: It is obligatory for the sick person to pray every prayer at its due time and to perform what is obligatory to perform within it. Even if he faces difficulty he performs every prayer at its due time. He can combine the Noon prayer and the Afternoon prayer and the Sunset prayer with the Night prayer. This is either done by combining them earlier where the afternoon prayer is made earlier along with the noon prayer and the night prayer is made with the sunset prayer. Or it is done by combining them later where the noon prayer is made later with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the evening prayer. Whatever is easier for him. As for the morning prayer then it cannot be combined to any prayer before it or any prayer after it.

Nine: If the sick person is travelling to be treated in another country then he can shorten the prayers that consists of four units. So he can pray the noon, afternoon, and evening prayer as two units of prayer until he returns to his country whether the time frame of travelling is long or short and Allah is the Granter of all success.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen 
Translated by Thomas Maldonado
Source: Risaalah fee al-Ghusl wal-Wudhoo was-Salaah pages 42 -56