Fatwa's Insights - Medicine

THE 79TH MEETING OF THE PERLIS STATE FATWA COMMITTEE / 2026

14-15 APRIL 2026 / 25-26 SYAWAL 1447

RULING ON THE USE OF MEDICAL APPARATUS CONTAINING IMPURE SUBSTANCES

1. Ostomy bags and any medical apparatus or application containing substances derived from swine, or from other animals not lawful (halal) to consume, or from lawful animals not slaughtered according to Islamic rites, used as adhesive on the baseplate or for any other purpose, are ritually impure and may not be used by a Muslim patient. However, if such substances can be verified to have undergone the process of istihalah (complete transformation of substance), then their use is permissible.

2. Medical substances or devices that have not been verified to be impure may be used.  If a person discovers, after use, that the substance used was in fact impure, this is excused under Islamic law. Nevertheless, exercising precaution to ascertain the purity of substances prior to use reflects a commendable degree of religious scrupulousness.

3. Where a Muslim has no alternative and his condition necessitates the use of such a substance, its use is permissible.

4. In all circumstances, a Muslim remains obliged to perform the prescribed obligatory prayers according to his or her capacity.

5. A patient who has used a substance containing impurity out of ignorance, or because no alternative was available at the relevant time, is not required to repeat the prayers performed during that period.

PRESENCE AND APPROVAL BY:

1. Sahibus Samahah Professor Dato' Arif Perkasa Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin
2. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Tajul Urus bin Abdul Halim
3. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Muhamad Rozaimi bin Ramle
4. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Basri bin Ibrahim
5. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Azman bin Mohd Noor
6. Sahibul Fadhilah Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Akram bin Dato' Dahaman @ Dahlan
7. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Hj. Zaharuddin bin Hj. Abdul Rahman
8. Sahibul Fadhilah Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Wifaq bin Mokhtar
9. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Ahmad Sufian bin Che Abdullah
10. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Syed Abu Bakar bin Syed Kamal Bharin
11. Sahibul Fadhilah K.H. Dr. Zaitun bin Rasmin
12. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Muhammad Lukman bin Mat Sin
13. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Burhanudin bin Lokman
14. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Muhammad Luthfi bin Mohammad Masruh
15. Al-Fadhil Ustaz Muhammad Khidhir bin Abdul Ghani – Secretary

Endorsed at the Meeting of the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council, No. 3/2026, held on 19 May 2026.