I know Muslims are not allowed to consume any foods that contain gelatin because it could come from animals…but wot about things like medicines, vitamins and tolietries such as soaps, etc…are we still allowed to use these items if they contain gelatin?
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Halal gelatin from Zabiha beef is available in Malaysia but not in USA. Prescription Medicine capsules are made from pork or beef gelatin, you have to empty the content from capsule and swallow the medicne powder with bitter taste. All vitamins available on the counter are not Halal. We have put lists of cough medicine, allergy tablets which contains pork and also list of on the counter medicine made without any animal derived ingredients, another list of bar soaps, shampoo, toothpaste made without any animal derived ingredients you name it on our web site www.muslimconsumergroup.com for the benefit for US Muslims. This list does not cover Canada and European countries. We also put the scientific facts against a fifty years old fatwa which allows to use pork fat based bars soaps because they think the pork fat changed its originality. It is not true because the basic component of pork fat the fatty acids remain unchanged in bar soaps after processing. Becarful about those fatwas issued without scientific facts.
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Isn't the prohibition against eating pork, not using products containing it on the skin?
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Qura'an uses the word "lehm-ul-khinzeer" (flesh of the swine) as being prohibited. Can someone help me understand how is gelatin same as "lehm-ul-khinzeer"?
Jazak Allah.
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Faisal its a by product of Khinzeer...
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Its a by-product of the crushed bones of various animals, including pigs, goats, cows etc. That part I know. I just want to understand, how did "lehm-ul-khinzeer", translate into by-products of bones. I am not saying we should eat gelatin or gelatin-related products, but just want to understand the scholarly thought-process which jumped from A to B.
I am always amused how little kids in Pakistan are told that if they say the word "pig", their tongue will be "napaak" for 40 days. I think thats also a by-product of "lehm-ul-khinzeer". Not sure, though.
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Before I answer, let me ask you a question. Since bones are not flesh, would you consider it halal to crunch on a bone from a pork chop and gulp down the marrow within?
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I already answered the question, before you asked... :) Read above.
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I dont know about that…first curse word I ever learned was “Sooer” 
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Mine was a rhetorical question illustrating the logic. Many of us consider the flesh of an animal to be more than mere boti.
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What else do you consider as flesh? And if the entire pig is supposed to be haraam (which by default, it seems), why did Quran limit it self to "lehm-ul-khanzeer", and not "khanzeer", in total. Any ideas?
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How is gelatin made?
"The production of the gelatin starts w/refinement of collagen-bearing tissues of ANY ANIMAL that has raised and slaughtered for food purposes. …These materials are carefully soaked in alkalies and/or acids and washed in clean water to remove almost all non-collagen constituents, including meat. During this soaking period the collagen is converted to gelatin. The treated materials are then cooked gently in pure water to extract the gelatin, which is further refined by filtration…(Contrary to common belief, gelatin is not manufactured from horns or hooves or meat of animals, for these do not contain the necessary collagen).
“It is interesting to note that during manufacture of gelatin, chemical changes take place so that, in the final gelatin product, the composition and identity of the orignal material is completely eliminated. Because of this, gelatin is not considered a meat food product by the United States government…”
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^ This is a moot point, if the "entire pig" is considered haraam, by default.
On the other hand, this may be relevant, if we think that the words used in the Quran are carefully chosen by our Creator.
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Thanks everyone for ur respones...so from my understanding then, it IS haram to use anything with gelatin in it rite...Mad_Scientist made a good point of how even the bones are haram as they come from inside the animal also...makes sense...:)
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^But not in medicines?
I always was told, that if you need treatment you can use medication containing alcohol or other drugs which under normal circumstances are forbidden.
I have to work often with alcohol ketonatus in the pharmacy, and we make certain ointments with lard (adeps suillus) as a base. My colleagues told me that it's from the grease of kidney of either a pig or an ox.
When a doctor prescribes it as a remedy for a disease it's not haram, is it?
I mean, we are allowed to eat haram meat, just a little bit to survive in emergency cases like war or hurricanes for example, if there really is no other way to survive.
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That’s wot i was thinking also, because ppl who are ill shud be allowed to take the medicine they need to survive correct? I know that gelcaps are made from gelatin so i always buy the tablet form for over-the-counter medicines, but my parents take several prescriptions that i believe, they have no idea whether they contain gelatin or not…so ppl with illnesses are allowed to take them rite? also, are we not allowed to use gelatin containing facial cleansers just because anything to do with pork cannot even touch the skin, or is there some other reason…becos i understand y we cannot put it into our bodies, it’s just the products used on the outside that puzzles me a bit…
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Well, the products outside that are used on the skin, are also absorbed by the skin and enter your body to some degree.
That's why certain medication is given through skin, like plasters containing heavy pain killers, for example Durogesic (containing the opioid fentanyl) plasters which are used for chronic pain.
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^ Yea, that makes sense :) thanks...and so gelatin containing meds are okay to take for the sick i suppose...
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lehm-ul-khanzeer ie pig meat. What is the main constituent of meat? Protein, what is collagen?, it is a structural protein. What is main constituent of protein?, amino acids. Is there any difference in the amino acids of collagen and gelatin?, None, so any changes occur in the basic components from collagen to gelatin? none. This is the answer for Faisal’s question and misconcept mentioned in Gelatin.