How Should I Deal With Ingredients of Unknown Origin?

Question: How should we deal with the ingredients of unknown origin?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The default assumption is that everything we use and eat is pure until proven otherwise. If a certain ingredient may have animal origins, it is still assumed pure until proven otherwise. [Fath al-Muin, Millibari]

If it is likely that the ingredients are indeed filthy, it would be better not to consume it or pray when it is on one’s body. This is simply a precaution and not an obligation.

For example, if something contains mono and diglycerides which may well be from haram source, one can assume that they are pure. However, it would better not to eat such food items until one had called the company and checked whether or not it is halal.

That said, even if you acted on this precautious assumption, it would still not make anything else filthy, and no prayers would have to make up from the past.

For example, if one had used a cream that may contain something filthy, and that cream had got onto one’s clothes or sheets, the clothes and sheets would still be pure.

Please also see:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/hanafi-fiqh/key-principles-relating-to-certainty-doubt-and-baseless-misgivings-waswasa/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/hanafi-fiqh/to-what-length-should-i-go-to-determine-if-filth-is-present-in-a-room/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/shafii-fiqh/deal-possible-impure-leather-car-interiors/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/shafii-fiqh/substances-mixed-alcohol-excused-according-shafii-school/

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.