27th October 2023
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: Is it permissible to use skincare with collagen when the source of collagen is unknown?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to the above question collagen is a structural protein commonly found in animal skin, bones, cartilage and tendons. It is used in many products from cosmetics to packaging. To extract the maximum amount of collagen from animals, pre-treatment is required. These consist of either acid, alkaline or skin-specific treatment.[1] Collagen is commonly used in skincare products due to providing structure, strength and support to areas such as hair, bones and skin. It maintains the skin’s elasticity to keep it plump and firm.
There are a number of factors to be considered when using products derived from animal skins and bones etc. One is that the animal must be halal animal slaughtered according to the Islamic principles e.g. cow, sheep etc. If it is obtained from fish then it is also pure and permissible. If the slaughtered animal was unlawful then the body parts that don’t contain life such as hair, hooves, nails, skin and bones etc become pure and lawful to use externally and not its flesh or fat.[2] If the collagen was sourced from pig, then it would remain impure and unlawful to utilise any of its body parts.[3]
The above applies only when the source does not undergo any physical change and remains in its original state. If the impure animal source undergoes substantial physical change whereby the molecular structure of the impure substance is altered entirely then it now becomes pure and permissible to use.[4] In this case, for the skincare products to be deemed permissible for use, it is required that a substantial chemical change occurs to the molecular property of the impurity (i.e. collagen). This is achieved by the extraction methods used as range of ingredients are added. One type of extraction process is acid hydrolysis, within this extraction the electrostatic repulsive force used aids in molecular separation. A second method is Ultra-sound assisted extraction, during alkali treatment ultrasound assistant is used to impair hydrogen and covalent bonds between the collagen.[5]
Changes can often lead to a significant physical change of substances, although it is required that they are referred to by a different name other than what it was previously known. It is due to the above reasons that these substances are no longer deemed impure as the original impure properties no longer exist.
To summarise, if it is sourced from pure substance then permissible to use and if derived from impure substance and undergoes physical change during the process then permissible to use. This answer is to clarify the general Islamic ruling but we recommend contacting the seller or company to enquire more details about the collagen extract and process for more clarity on the issue.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Gul-e-Maryam Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Matinong, A.M. et al (2022), Collagen Extraction from Animal Skin, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9219788/ [Accessed October 2023]
[2] Badai Sanai, Vol 1, Pg 86
وَمِنْهَا) الذَّكَاةُ فِي تَطْهِيرِ الذَّبِيحِ، وَجُمْلَةُ الْكَلَامِ فِيهَا أَنَّ الْحَيَوَانَ إنْ كَانَ مَأْكُولَ اللَّحْمِ فَذُبِحَ طَهُرَ بِجَمِيعِ أَجْزَائِهِ إلَّا الدَّمَ الْمَسْفُوحَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْكُولَ اللَّحْمِ فَمَا هُوَ طَاهِرٌ مِنْ الْمَيْتَةِ، مِنْ الْأَجْزَاءِ الَّتِي لَا دَمَ فِيهَا، كَالشَّعْرِ وَأَمْثَالِهِ، يَطْهُرُ مِنْهُ بِالذَّكَاةِ عِنْدَنَا. وَأَمَّا الْأَجْزَاءُ الَّتِي فِيهَا الدَّمُ كَاللَّحْمِ وَالشَّحْمِ وَالْجِلْدِ فَهَلْ تَطْهُرُ بِالذَّكَاةِ، اتَّفَقَ أَصْحَابُنَا عَلَى أَنَّ جِلْدَهُ يَطْهُرُ بِالذَّكَاةِ وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ: لَا يَطْهُرُ وَجْهُ قَوْلِهِ أَنَّ الذَّكَاةَ لَمْ تُفِدْ حِلًّا فَلَا تُفِيدُ طُهْرًا وَهَذَا؛ لِأَنَّ أَثَرَ الذَّكَاةِ يَظْهَرُ فِيمَا وُضِعَ لَهُ أَصْلًا، – وَهُوَ حِلُّ تَنَاوُلِ اللَّحْمِ – وَفِي غَيْرِهِ تَبَعًا فَإِذَا لَمْ يَظْهَرْ أَثَرُهَا فِي الْأَصْلِ كَيْفَ يَظْهَرُ فِي التَّبَعِ؛ فَصَارَ كَمَا لَوْ ذَبَحَهُ مَجُوسِيٌّ.
(وَلَنَا) مَا رُوِيَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «دِبَاغُ الْأَدِيمِ ذَكَاتُهُ» أَلْحَقَ الذَّكَاةَ بِالدِّبَاغِ، ثُمَّ الْجِلْدُ يَطْهُرُ بِالدِّبَاغِ كَذَا بِالذَّكَاةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الذَّكَاةَ تُشَارِكُ الدِّبَاغَ فِي إزَالَةِ الدِّمَاءِ السَّائِلَةِ، وَالرُّطُوبَاتِ النَّجِسَةِ، فَتُشَارِكُهُ فِي إفَادَةِ الطَّهَارَةِ، وَمَا ذُكِرَ مِنْ مَعْنَى التَّبَعِيَّةِ فَغَيْرُ سَدِيدٍ؛ لِأَنَّ طَهَارَةَ الْجِلْدِ حُكْمٌ مَقْصُودٌ فِي الْجِلْدِ، كَمَا أَنَّ تَنَاوُلَ اللَّحْمِ حُكْمٌ مَقْصُودٌ فِي اللَّحْمِ، وَفِعْلُ الْمَجُوسِيِّ لَيْسَ بِذَكَاةٍ؛ لِعَدَمِ أَهْلِيَّةِ الذَّكَاةِ، فَلَا يُفِيدُ الطَّهَارَةَ فَتَعَيَّنَ تَطْهِيرُهُ بِالدِّبَاغِ، وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي طَهَارَةِ اللَّحْمِ وَالشَّحْمِ، ذَكَرَ الْكَرْخِيُّ فَقَالَ: كُلُّ حَيَوَانٍ يَطْهُرُ بِالدِّبَاغِ؛ يَطْهُرُ جِلْدُهُ بِالذَّكَاةِ، فَهَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَطْهُرُ لَحْمُهُ وَشَحْمُهُ وَسَائِرُ أَجْزَائِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْحَيَوَانَ اسْمٌ لِجُمْلَةِ الْأَجْزَاءِ.
وَقَالَ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا وَمَشَايِخِ بَلْخٍ: إنَّ كُلَّ حَيَوَانٍ يَطْهُرُ جِلْدُهُ بِالدِّبَاغِ يَطْهُرُ جِلْدُهُ بِالذَّكَاةِ، فَأَمَّا اللَّحْمُ وَالشَّحْمُ وَنَحْوُهُمَا فَلَا يَطْهُرُ، وَالْأَوَّلُ أَقْرَبُ إلَى الصَّوَابِ؛ لِمَا مَرَّ أَنَّ النَّجَاسَةَ لِمَكَانِ الدَّمِ الْمَسْفُوحِ، وَقَدْ زَالَ بِالذَّكَاةِ.
[3] Tuhfatul Fuqaha, Vol 1, Pg 52-53
وَأما الْخِنْزِير فيروى عَن أبي حنيفَة رَضِي الله عَنهُ أَنه نجس الْعين
فَيحرم اسْتِعْمَال شعره وَسَائِر أَجْزَائِهِ إِلَّا أَنه رخص فِي شعره للخرازين لأجل الْحَاجة
[4] Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, Kitāb al-Tahārah, vol 1 p. 394
وَفِي الْخُلَاصَةِ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى وَفِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ أَنَّهُ الْمُخْتَارُ؛ لِأَنَّ الشَّرْعَ رَتَّبَ وَصْفَ النَّجَاسَةِ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَقِيقَةِ وَتَنْتَفِي الْحَقِيقَةُ بِانْتِفَاءِ بَعْضِ أَجْزَاءِ مَفْهُومِهَا فَكَيْفَ بِالْكُلِّ فَإِنَّ الْمِلْحَ غَيْرُ الْعَظْمِ وَاللَّحْمِ فَإِذَا صَارَ مِلْحًا تَرَتَّبَ حُكْمُ الْمِلْحِ وَنَظِيرُهُ فِي الشَّرْعِ النُّطْفَةُ نَجِسَةٌ وَتَصِيرُ عَلَقَةً وَهِيَ نَجِسَةٌ وَتَصِيرُ مُضْغَةً فَتَطْهُرُ وَالْعَصِيرُ طَاهِرٌ فَيَصِيرُ خَمْرًا فَيُنَجَّسُ وَيَصِيرُ خَلًّا فَيَطْهُرُ فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّ اسْتِحَالَةَ الْعَيْنِ تَسْتَتْبِعُ زَوَالَ الْوَصْفِ الْمُرَتَّبِ عَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى قَوْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ فَرَّعُوا الْحُكْمَ بِطَهَارَةِ صَابُونٍ صُنِعَ مِنْ زَيْتٍ نَجَسٍ اهـ. وَفِي الْمُجْتَبَى جَعْلُ الدُّهْنِ النَّجَسُ فِي صَابُونٍ يُفْتَى بِطَهَارَتِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَغَيَّرَ وَالتَّغْيِيرُ يُطَهِّرُ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَيُفْتَى بِهِ لِلْبَلْوَى
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Tahārah, vol 1, p. 50
[الْبَابُ السَّابِعُ فِي النَّجَاسَةِ وَأَحْكَامِهَا وَفِيهِ ثَلَاثَةُ فُصُولٍ]
[الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي تَطْهِيرِ الْأَنْجَاسِ]
الْحِمَارُ أَوْ الْخِنْزِيرُ إذَا وَقَعَ فِي الْمَمْلَحَةِ فَصَارَ مِلْحًا أَوْ بِئْرِ الْبَالُوعَةِ إذَا صَارَ طِينًا يَطْهُرُ عِنْدَهُمَا خِلَافًا لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -. كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ……….جُعِلَ الدُّهْنُ النَّجِسُ فِي الصَّابُونِ يُفْتَى بِطَهَارَتِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَغَيَّرَ. كَذَا فِي الزَّاهِدِيِّ
[5] Matinong, A.M. et al (2022), Collagen Extraction from Animal Skin, Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9219788/ [Accessed October 2023]