We have sent feedback to both NTUC FairPrice and MUIS.
As usual, MUIS has kept mum and eerily silent. We have not heard from them at all, including previous incidents where we have alerted them and asked for their comments.
We wonder what they (MUIS) are busy about, or maybe they think public complaints are not important at all?
I would like to address this letter to Farah AR and correct several misconceptions on the usage of pork/porcine apparel products.
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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
To Farah AR who wrote about pig skin, she had shared about her experiences and her Islamic understanding in pork/porcine products. May Allah increase Farah’s knowledge and grant her insight to understand Islamic rulings.
I recall a long time ago when I emailed MUIS about the same query regarding usage of pork/porcine products such as handbags and shoes. This is fairly common among Muslims who may have accidentally purchased these products. unfortunately, many realized the truth only much later.
Responding to my query, MUIS stated the following:
The majority of scholars consider pig and all derivatives from it as heavy najis (filth), which entails the necessary purification of seven washings, one of them with a mixture of sand and water, for surfaces that come into contact with pig and its organs. However, the condition is that the surface contact is wet or moist.
If it is dry, then no purification is necessary.
Hence, wearing shoes or using things that are made from pig’s organs are not advisable since it runs into possibility of being wet or moist and hence necessitates purification. Without such purification, Prayer (salah) is not valid.
MUIS also recommended a good book titled ‘The Reliance of the Traveller by Nuh Ha Mim Keller’. This book can be easily purchased from online bookstores such as Amazon.
In my opinion, Muslims should strive hard to keep their bodies and clothes clean and pure; hence it is better for Muslims to wear leather that is originally permissible or derived from an animal that is lawful.
But, whatever it is – the most important is : CHECK IT OUT FIRST. It’s all about subjectivity, so you have to take the preventive steps to confirm whether it is pigskin or not. Some Gucci and Fendi might use pigskin, you’ll never know (actually Gucci did use pigskin for some of their ladies’ bags in previous seasons, which they did mention in the press).
In case of syubhah, don’t buy it. It’s up to you. But as a Muslim, I won’t be using anything pigskin.
To avoid future misconceptions, MUIS should make sure that Islamic advisories or fatwas are clear and easily accessible so that Muslims can easily refer to it whenever there is doubt. Also, MUIS should employ dedicated officers to manage public queries. Singapore Muslims should not have to wait 5-10 days for a simple reply that possibly require only 10 minutes to write.
We agree that Muslims need clarification from MUIS, and hope the Islamic organisation can be more forthcoming to address matters concerning the Muslim community.
When it comes to situation like this, clarity is key to avoid unnecessary misconception and anxiety.
Have you encountered a similar experience whereby you purchased a porcine product unknowingly?
Recently there has been some debate about whether Muslims can use pig skin leather porkducts. As many know, pork or products from pigs are commonly thought of as haram to the Muslims. While it is true that eating pork is haram (not permissible) for Muslims, the use of pig skin products is not haram.
According to religious authorities, various Ustaz and also MUIS, it is permissible for Muslims to touch or use pig skin products provided that the contact between the body part and the porkduct is dry. It is not najis (faeces) if the contact is dry. Yes, yes, no wet contact!
If either the body part or the leather porkduct is wet, then it is najis. Once you kena najis then the prayers you make to Allah will not be counted, no power already. To make the najis go away you must perform sertu which is Muslim cleansing with water and clay.
That is why my mother who carries a very expensive pig skin Gucci bag always carry a water proof shopping bag inside the Gucci. Whenever it rains, she will pull out the waterproof bag and put the Gucci inside. Pig skin is also common in brands such as Bottega and Kate Spade, so my dear fashionista Muslimahs take note.
So if you want to be a good Muslim and use pig skin stuff, you should be discipline enough to ensure that the contact is dry and pure. If you kena wet contact, you should perform sertu as soon as possible. If one feels that this is too much, then just don’t use pig porkducts, but do not criticize others who choose to use or touch it.
And no, touching of pig skin merchandise in a shopping mall is not haram, so stop acting like the khalwat police when you see fellow Muslim friends touching porcine goods.
Oh, I forget, there’s this issue of sweat or human perspiration in our weather…so Muslim boys out there with a pig skin wallet in your tight-ass skinny sweaty jeans take note!
All in, Muslims should educate themselves holistically on the teachings of Quran and Hadiths with guidance from learned ustaz, and not take an alarmist stance just because you hear pig or pork being mentioned.
Ms Nur Najwa Abdullah and the $279 pair of shoes she bought last year. She said she wore them for six months before finding out – by chance – that the lining was made of pig skin. — ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG
A Muslim woman who bought a pair of $279 shoes was incensed to find out, after wearing them for six months, that the shoes were lined with pig skin.
Administrative assistant Nur Najwa Abdullah, 43, is demanding a full refund from foot care chain Happy Walker, claiming that the sales staff had told her the shoes were made of calf skin.
Ustaz Firdaus Yahya, manager of the Darul Huffaz Learning Centre which promotes understanding of the Quran, said: “In Islam, anything related to pork, such as the meat or skin, is considered unclean.”
Islamic experts say while the use of pig-skin products is not considered a sin, a Muslim should go through a cleansing ritual if he or she has used the product.
Ms Najwa bought the pair of brown shoes from a Happy Walker outlet at Velocity mall in Novena last December. She wore them almost every day for half a year, even on a trip to Kuala Lumpur.
“I was very happy with the shoes. I have flat feet and it’s difficult to find shoes with a broad cutting that fit me,” she said.
But she was at Buona Vista’s Star Vista mall shopping for new shoes for Hari Raya earlier this month when she saw a store selling the same style of shoes she had on – accompanied by a sign stating that they had pig skin lining. “It was the shock of my life. How could this happen?” she said.
She complained to the Happy Walker outlet and told the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) about it. Muis advised her to discard the shoes and wash her feet with water and clay, a ritual cleansing.
Ms Najwa said she approached The Straits Times because she wanted to raise awareness about the issue.
Velocity’s Happy Walker outlet’s branch manager Teo Shu Tong, 57, confirmed he received her feedback. “The outside (of the shoes) is made of cow skin, only the lining inside is made of pig skin. We didn’t know about it,” he said.
“As she has worn the shoes for six months, we proposed to refund her half of the cost.”
He added that in Happy Walker’s seven years here, there has been no such complaints. The retailer, which has five outlets, no longer stocks the range of shoes Ms Najwa bought because the “workmanship is not so good”, said Mr Teo.
“Our new brands (of shoes) will not be made of pig skin lining,” he added.
Ms Najwa wants a full refund, and is considering going to the Small Claims Tribunal.
Such cases are rare. Muis said this is the first time it has had such feedback; the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has not received such complaints before.
Shoe retailers Bata and Isetan said they usually have signs or tags labelling shoes that are lined with pig skin. Staff are told that they should point them out to Muslim customers.
Ustaz Firdaus said: “To a majority of Muslims in this part of the world, anything that’s got to do with pigs is something that is to be avoided. Even if you call someone a pig, it’s considered a great insult.”
Muis said the onus is on the Muslim consumer to verify what material a product is made of. Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said Ms Najwa’s story could be a case of false claims.
Ada yang bertanya saya, setelah kita ketahui pandangan Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research), European Fiqh Council, dan Persidangan Fekah Perubatan di Morocco 1997 dan lain-lain tidak mengharamkan istihalah khinzir yang terdapat bahan perubatan, makanan dan gunaan yang lain, sementara al-Fiqh al-Islamiy berpusat di Jedah pada keputusan tahun 1986 dan sebahagian pembesar ulama Arab Saudi pula mengharamkan gelatin khinzir yang terdapat dalam bahan perubatan dan makanan, apakah pendirian yang wajar kita ambil?
Saya ingin rumuskan seperti berikut;
1. Pada asasnya, istihalah yang telah menukar sesuatu bahan najis kepada bahan yang lain seperti bangkai kepada abu, mayat yang sudah menjadi tanah, arak kepada cuka, baja najis kepada pokok yang subur dan seumpamanya diiktiraf dalam Fekah Islam sejak dahulu. Cumanya, ada mazhab yang menyempitkan asas istihalah ini seperti Syafi’yyah dan Hanabilah (Hanbali). Ada pula yang meluaskannya seperti Hanafiyyah dan Zahiriyyah juga Malikiyyah. Tokoh-tokoh muhaqqiqin (penganalisis) seperti al-Imam Abu Bakr Ibn al-‘Arabi, Ibn Taimiyyah, Ibn Qayyim, al-Syaukani, Sadiq Hasan Khan dan lain-lain menyokong dan meneguhkan hujah bahawa peroses istihalah boleh menukar najis kepada bahan yang bersih.
2. Disebabkan umat Islam tidak menjadi pengeluar, kita asyik menjadi pengguna, maka bahan berasal khinzir tersebar begitu luas dalam pelbagai aspek kehidupan manusia; makanan, perubatan, bahan kecantikan dan lain-lain. Kehidupan manusia, termasuk umat Islam terpaksa berkait dengan bahan-bahan yang berasal dari sumber bahan yang haram. Fatwa dalam hal ini sudah pasti diperlukan.
3. Maka, fatwa tentang hal ini dikeluarkan oleh ulama termasuk yang membabit isu istihalah. Berikut teks kesimpulan fatwa Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) yang mengizinkan bahan yang berasal haram tapi telah berubah melalui proses, begitu juga alcohol yang sedikit yang terdapat dalam makanan tertentu yang tiada kesan:
Fatwa (34)
Q) The ingredients of some foods contain items which are denoted by the letter “E” and a string of numbers. We were told that this denotes items manufactured from Lard or Pork bone and marrow. If this is true, what is the Shari’a ruling on such foods?
A) The items which carry the letter “E” and a string of numbers are additives. Additives are more than 350 compounds, and could be either preservatives, colouring, flavourings, sweeteners, etc. These are divided into four groups according to their origin:
First: compounds of artificial chemical origin.
Second: compounds of vegetal origin
Third: compounds of animal origin
Fourth: compounds dissolved in Alcohol
The ruling on all these compounds is that they do not affect the status of these foods being Halal, due to the following:
The first and second groups are Halal because they originate from a permissible origin and no harm comes from using these items.
The third group is also Halal, because the animal origin does not remain the same during the process of manufacturing. In fact it is transformed radically from its original form to a new clean and pure form through a process called “chemical transformation”. This transformation also affects the legal ruling on such ingredients. Therefore, if the original form was unclean or Haram, the chemical transformation changed it to another ingredient which requires a new ruling. For instance, if alcohol changed and was transformed to vinegar, then it does not remain Haram, but carries a new ruling according to the nature of the new product, which is Halal.
As for the fourth group, these items are usually colourings and are normally used in extremely small quantities which dissolves in the final product form, which deems it an excused matter.
Therefore, any foods or drinks that contain any of these ingredients remains Halal and permissible for the Muslim’s consumption. We must also remember that our religion is a religion of ease and that we have been forbidden from making matters inconvenient and hard. Moreover, searching and investigating into such matters is not what Allah (swt) or His Messenger (ppbuh) ordered us to do.
Anggota Majlis Fatwa Eropah terdiri dari mereka yang berikut;
1. Professor Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, President of ECFR (Egypt, Qatar)
2. Judge Sheikh Faisal Maulawi, Vice-President (Lebanon)
3. Sheikh Hussein Mohammed Halawa, General Secretary (Ireland)
4. Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Jaballah (France)
5. Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Ali Al-Imam (Sudan)
6. Sheikh Mufti Ismail Kashoulfi (UK)
7. Ustadh Ahmed Kadhem Al-Rawi (UK)
8. Sheikh Ounis Qurqah (France)
9. Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghanouchi (UK)
10. Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Ibn Bayya (Saudi Arabia)
11. Sheikh Abdul Raheem Al-Taweel (Spain)
12. Judge Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Ali Salem (Mauritania)
13. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Yusuf Al-Judai, (UK)
14. Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Najjar
15. Sheikh Abdullah ibn Sulayman Al-Manee’ (Saudi Arabia)
16. Sheikh Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghudda (Saudi Arabia)
17. Sheikh Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi (Kuwait)
18. Sheikh Al-Arabi Al-Bichri (France)
19. Sheikh Dr. Issam Al-Bashir (Sudan)
20. Sheikh Ali Qaradaghi (Qatar)
21. Sheikh Dr. Suhaib Hasan Ahmed (UK)
22. Sheikh Tahir Mahdi (France)
23. Sheikh Mahboub-ul-Rahman (Norway)
24. Sheikh Muhammed Taqi Othmani (Pakistan)
25. Sheikh Muhammed Siddique (Germany)
26. Sheikh Muhammed Ali Saleh Al-Mansour (UAE)
27. Sheikh Dr. Muhammed Al-Hawari (Germany)
28. Sheikh Mahumoud Mujahed (Belguim)
29. Sheikh Dr. Mustafa Ciric (Bosnia)
30. Sheikh Nihad Abdul Quddous Ciftci (Germany)
31. Sheikh Dr. Naser Ibn Abdullah Al-Mayman (Saudi Arabia)
32. Sheikh Yusf Ibram (Switzerland)
4. Walaupun para ulama bersetuju pada asasnya proses istihalah itu, mereka kadang-kala berkhilaf pendapat tentang apakah sesuatu proses itu benar-benar merubah sifat bahan-bahan najis itu ataupun tidak. Ada bahan yang diyakini telah berubah, ada yang diandaikan tidak. Dalam soal gelatin babi umpamanya, sarjana fekah masakini berfatwa berdasarkan kepada taklimat saintis kepada mereka. Kadang-kala berlaku khilaf. Majlis Fatwa Eropah (European Council for Fatwas and Research) tadi yang terdiri dari tokoh-tokoh Islam dari Arab dan ulama Islam yang menetap di Eropah, begitu juga Europen Fiqh Council dan beberapa orang tokoh ilmuwan Islam antarabangsa menganggap telah berlaku istihalah. Sementara sebahagian ilmuwan pula menganggap proses istihalah bagi gelatin itu tidak sempurna. Maka, jadilah isu gelatin di sudut itu perkara yang syubhah.
5. Sesiapa yang mengelakkan sesuatu yang syubhat -sekalipun tidak sampai ke peringkat haram- merupakan perkara yang baik untuk diri dan agamanya. Namun, dia tidak boleh berkeras mengharamkan untuk umat Islam yang lain yang mempunyai pandangan yang berbeza. Dalam soal makan-minum, perubatan, pakaian, perhiasan, kebudayaan setiap pihak mesti mengakui keluasan fekah Islam dan mengiktiraf khilaf fekah yang berasaskan hujah. Tidak boleh hina-menghina dan bermusuhan dalam persoalan amalan peribadi yang seperti ini selagi semua pihak beramal atas dalil yang diyakininya.
6. Selagi, umat Islam mempunyai sumber yang pasti halal, mereka sepatutnya mengelakkan sumber yang syubhah. Di Malaysia umpamanya, gelatin halal wujud dan boleh didapati, maka memulaukan yang syubhat dapat menggalakkan industry halal.
7. Umat Islam hendaklah berusaha menjadi pengeluar, bukan sekadar pengguna. Kelemahan industri umat Islam adalah punca berluasan bahan yang syubhat dan juga mungkin haram.
