Question:

My question is regarding the lawfulness of my current job. I work as a community pharmacist in the UK. I recently read a fatwa stating that anything that is haram for me to use is also haram for me to sell or supply, even to non-muslims. I also read another fatwa that it is not permissible to use haram medicines when halal alternatives are available.

Now a lot of times I have to supply a haram medicine, even though an alternative is available, because that is what the doctor has prescribed which I have to give or a patient might be wanting to buy their favourite brand of medicine. And ofcourse as this a non-muslim country, neither the doctor prescribing the medicine or a customer requesting to buy a medicine will be too concerned whether the ingredients are haram or not and will be concerned with other factors such as price of medicines and it is difficult for me to refuse to supply those haram medicines.

So basically I wanted to know, is it haram for me to supply / sell a medicine that I know contains a haram ingredient and other halal alternatives are available. Thankyou in advance for taking the time to address my query and I look forward to your reply. JazakAllah

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

It will be permissible for you to supply medicines that contain haram ingredients (even if other halal alternatives are available). This is because there is no sin in supplying such medicine itself. The sin is in using the medicine in a haram way; and that is through the conscious choice of the perpetrator. The supplier is not responsible for the wrongdoing of the perpetrator.

في الدر المختار: وجاز تعمير كنيسة وحمل خمر ذمي بنفسه أو دابته بأجر. وقال ابن عابدين: (قوله وجاز تعمير كنيسة) قال في الخانية: ولو آجر نفسه ليعمل في الكنيسة ويعمرها لا بأس به لأنه لا معصية في عين العمل (قوله وحمل خمر ذمي) قال الزيلعي: وهذا عنده وقالا هو مكروه لأنه - عليه الصلاة والسلام - «لعن في الخمر عشرة وعد منها حاملها». وله أن الإجارة على الحمل وهو ليس بمعصية، ولا سبب لها وإنما تحصل المعصية بفعل فاعل مختار، وليس الشرب من ضرورات الحمل، لأن حملها قد يكون للإراقة أو للتخليل، فصار كما إذا استأجره لعصر العنب أو قطعه، والحديث محمول على الحمل المقرون بقصد المعصية اهـ زاد في النهاية وهذا قياس وقولهما استحسان، ثم قال الزيلعي: وعلى هذا الخلاف لو آجره دابة لينقل عليها الخمر أو آجره نفسه ليرعى له الخنازير يطيب له الأجر عنده وعندهما يكره. ( رد المحتار: 9/ 645 ، دار المعرفة )

( وكذا في تبيين الحقائق: 6/ 29 ، مكتبة إمدادية )

Also, for the purpose of treating an illness, it is permissible to use a medicine that contains haram ingredients if there is no halal alternative. This means that it is possible to use a medicine that contains haram ingredients in a permissible manner in certain cases; and the rule is that if something can be used in a permissible manner as well as in a prohibited manner, it is permissible to sell it. If it is used in a prohibited manner, the sin will rest on the perpetrator; the seller will not be responsible. Hence, even from this perspective, it is permissible to supply medicines that contain haram ingredients. It is not your responsibility to ascertain that a halal alternative exists for the customer’s particular illness. Yes, if a customer asks you to recommend a medicine for him, then you should name a halal medicine if available.

في المحيط البرهاني: ويجوز بيع البربط والطبل والمزمار والنرد وأشباه ذلك في قول أبي حنيفة، وعندهما لا يجوز بيع هذه الأشياء. وجه قولهما: إن هذه الأشياء أعدت للمعصية حتى صارت بحال لا يستعمل إلا في المعصية، فسقطت ماليتها والتحقت بالعدم، ومن شرط جواز البيع المالية. ولأبي حنيفة أن هذه الآلات ليست بمحرمة العين، وكونها آلة المعصية إنما يوجب سقوط التقوم والمالية إذا كانت متعينة للمعصية، وهذه الأشياء لم تتعين آلة للمعصية؛ لأن الانتفاع بهذه الأشياء ممكن بوجه حلال بأن يجعل النرد سينجات الموازين، والبربط والطبل والدف ظروف الأشياء، وإذا لم تكن متعينة للمعصية لا يسقط تقومها كالمغنّية فإنه لما تصور الانتفاع عينها بطريق حلال لا يسقط تقومها وماليتها حتى جاز بيعها ، كذا ههنا ( المحيط البرهاني: 9/ 334 ، إدارة القرآن )

And Allah Ta'ala knows best

Mufti Faizal Riza
31/5/2013

Checked and approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

 

Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

 

---

DISCLAIMER: 
Darul Ifta Australia answers questions  pertaining to Shariah. Thereafter, some of these questions and answers are placed for public view on www.fatwa.org.au for educational purposes. However, many of these answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation or another environment. Darul Ifta Australia bears no responsibility with regards to these questions being used out of their intended context.

• The Shariah ruling herein given is based specifically on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.
• Darul Ifta Australia bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer and is being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.
• This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of Darul Ifta Australia.
• Any or all links provided in our emails, answers and articles are restricted to the specific material being cited. Such referencing should not be taken as an endorsement of other contents of that website.