Is Wool and Its By-Products Considered Pure and Permissible in Sacred Law?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is it excessive to avoid butter and products with lanolin or cholecalciferol, given most scholars find them permissible, especially if it results in a vitamin D deficiency?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
This answer is inspired by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed’s scholarly response on a similar topic and aligns with the principles of the Shafi‘i School.
The default position regarding wool and its derivatives, such as lanolin, is that they are pure and permissible to consume. This permissibility stands unless one is certain that the source is an animal that died without Islamic slaughter. [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab]
Balancing Religious Precaution
Scruples (wara‘) when consuming substances should be balanced against hardship and necessity, such as in cases of vitamin D deficiency. Hence, refraining from lanolin due to personal piety is a matter of individual discretion. Still, it is not considered making things unduly difficult on oneself, especially if there is a deficiency that needs addressing.
Allah says: “Ask, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Who has forbidden the adornments and lawful provisions Allah has brought forth for His servants?” Say, “They are for the enjoyment of the believers in this worldly life, but they will be exclusively theirs on the Day of Judgment.1 This is how We make Our revelations clear for people of knowledge.” [Quran,7:32]
Avoid Extremism
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Religion is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to draw nearer [to Allah] and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded, and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and the last hours of the nights.” [Bukhari]
In light of the above, one can determine how religiously cautious one should be. Consider also of the several Hanafi fatwas I have consulted, I have not seen any rulings claiming prohibition, and Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
