Do I Have To Wash My Mouth After Taking Gelatin Capsules?

Question:
Assalamu ‘alaykum. I take medication for depression that has pork ingredient gelatin in it. Do I have to rinse my mouth 7 times to purify the inside of my mouth from the pork ingredients?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

Contemporary scholars differ on the ruling of gelatin. Some say it is pure, based on this, you do not have to worry about this problem. There would be no need to rinse your mouth

If you prefer a cautionary approach, you can buy some veggie-caps and transfer the contents to them. This would not affect the efficacy of the medication in any way.

In the Hanafi school, no impurity requires washing seven times. I do recommend that you study fiqh. Fiqh enriches one’s life. It shows ease where people assume difficulty. It replaces confusion with confidence.

May Allah heal you and grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.