Fatwa ID: 07119
Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Altaf Hossen
Question:
What is the status of neatsfoot oil? Is it paak or najis?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Neatsfoot oil is derived from the feet bones and shin bones of cattle, is commonly used in leather conditioning. Its permissibility in Islam depends on the Islamic rulings regarding animal by-products. In general, if the animal from which Neatsfoot oil is derived was slaughtered according to Islamic principles, making it halal meat, then its by-products, including Neatsfoot oil, would also be considered halal.
The reality, if we don’t know the sources of Neatsfoot oil, it will be haram.(I-ii)
Islamic principles provide guidelines for determining the permissibility of such products. In general, if the source animal (cattle, in this case) was slaughtered by Islamic guidelines (halal), and the extraction process does not involve any haram (forbidden) substances or methods, then the resulting product would be considered halal.
The Quran emphasises the importance of consuming halal and tayyib (pure) food and goods: Allah SWT said in Sura Al- An’am: ١١٨ فَكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ بِآيَاتِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ
118 So eat of that over which the Name of Allah was pronounced, if you indeed believe in His revelations.
١١٩ وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُمْ مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُعْتَدِينَ
119 And why should you not eat of that over which the Name of God is pronounced, when He has detailed for you what is prohibited for you, unless you are compelled by necessity? Many lead astray with their opinions, through lack of knowledge. Your Lord knows best the transgressors.
١٢١ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ ۗ وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَىٰ أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ لِيُجَادِلُوكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ
121 And do not eat from that over which the Name of Allah was not pronounced, for it is abomination. The devils inspire their followers to argue with you; but if you obey them, you would be polytheists.
Allah SWT also said: sura Baqarah -168
١٦٨ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ
168 O people! Eat of what is lawful and good on earth, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. He is to you an open enemy. The hadith also emphasizes
The Hadith also emphasizes the permissibility of consuming lawful (halal) and pure (tayyib) products:
، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ طَيِّبٌ لاَ يَقْبَلُ إِلاَّ طَيِّبًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَقَالَ { يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ} وَقَالَ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ} ” . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ وَغُذِيَ بِالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ ” .
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
O people, Allah is Good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying: “O Messengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do” (xxiii. 51). And He said: “O those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you” (ii. 172). He then made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair disheveled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication): “O Lord, O Lord,” whereas his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How can then his supplication be accepted? Sahih Muslim :1015 PDf www.sunnah.com
So, if Neatsfoot oil is sourced and produced in a manner consistent with Islamic principles, it would be considered halal. However, if there are doubts about the source or production process involving haram substances or methods, it would be advisable to seek clarification from a knowledgeable religious authority.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Muhammad Altaf Hossen
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.
Reference: i) Sura Al-An’am 119-121 , Sura Baqarah-168
- ii) كتاب الذبائح والصيد
Chapter: Mentioning Allah’s Name on slaughtering an animal
باب التَّسْمِيَةِ عَلَى الذَّبِيحَةِ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ مُتَعَمِّدًا
قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَنْ نَسِيَ فَلاَ بَأْسَ.
وَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {وَلاَ تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ} وَالنَّاسِي لاَ يُسَمَّى فَاسِقًا، وَقَوْلُهُ: {وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ لِيُجَادِلُوكُمْ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ}.
، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِذِي الْحُلَيْفَةِ، فَأَصَابَ النَّاسَ جُوعٌ، فَأَصَبْنَا إِبِلاً وَغَنَمًا، وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي أُخْرَيَاتِ النَّاسِ، فَعَجِلُوا فَنَصَبُوا الْقُدُورَ، فَدُفِعَ إِلَيْهِمُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَمَرَ بِالْقُدُورِ فَأُكْفِئَتْ، ثُمَّ قَسَمَ فَعَدَلَ عَشَرَةً مِنَ الْغَنَمِ بِبَعِيرٍ، فَنَدَّ مِنْهَا بَعِيرٌ، وَكَانَ فِي الْقَوْمِ خَيْلٌ يَسِيرَةٌ فَطَلَبُوهُ فَأَعْيَاهُمْ، فَأَهْوَى إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ بِسَهْمٍ فَحَبَسَهُ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِنَّ لِهَذِهِ الْبَهَائِمِ أَوَابِدَ كَأَوَابِدِ الْوَحْشِ، فَمَا نَدَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاصْنَعُوا بِهِ هَكَذَا ”. قَالَ وَقَالَ جَدِّي إِنَّا لَنَرْجُو ـ أَوْ نَخَافُ ـ أَنْ نَلْقَى الْعَدُوَّ غَدًا، وَلَيْسَ مَعَنَا مُدًى، أَفَنَذْبَحُ بِالْقَصَبِ فَقَالَ ” مَا أَنْهَرَ الدَّمَ وَذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فَكُلْ، لَيْسَ السِّنَّ وَالظُّفُرَ، وَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْهُ، أَمَّا السِّنُّ عَظْمٌ وَأَمَّا الظُّفُرُ فَمُدَى الْحَبَشَةِ ”.
Narrated Rafi` bin Khadij:
We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) in Dhul-Hulaifa and there the people were struck with severe hunger. Then we got camels and sheep as war booty (and slaughtered them). The Prophet (ﷺ) was behind all the people. The people hurried and fixed the cooking pots (for cooking) but the Prophet (ﷺ) came there and ordered that the cooking pots be turned upside down. Then he distributed the animals, regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel. One of the camels ran away and there were a few horses with the people. They chased the camel but they got tired, whereupon a man shot it with an arrow whereby Allah stopped it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Among these animals some are as wild as wild beasts, so if one of them runs away from you, treat it in this way.” I said. “We hope, or we are afraid that tomorrow we will meet the enemy and we have no knives, shall we slaughter (our animals) with canes?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If the killing tool causes blood to gush out and if Allah’s Name is mentioned, eat (of the slaughterer animal). But do not slaughter with a tooth or a nail. I am telling you why: A tooth is a bone, and the nail is the knife of Ethiopians.” Sahihul Bukhari -5498
