Excerpted from the book: Aḥkām wa Masā’il – In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbani
Is it permissible to implant body parts of ḥarām (prohibited) animals into the human body?
Please provide a detailed answer in the light of the Qur’an and Ḥadīth.
Allah ﷻ has created pure and lawful things (ṭayyibāt) for our use, while impure and unlawful items (khabā’ith) are prohibited. In the Qur’an, Allah says:
﴿وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ﴾
“And He makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the impure things.”
— Surah al-Aʿrāf (7:157)
Imām Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله explains:
“Some scholars have said that whatever food items Allah has declared ḥalāl are pure and beneficial for the body and religion, and whatever He has declared ḥarām are impure and harmful for both body and religion.”
— Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 3/339
So it is established that ḥalāl items contain benefit and purity, whereas ḥarām items are inherently harmful, even if that harm is not immediately apparent.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden the use of ḥarām substances for medicinal purposes.
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Verily, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the use of impure (khabīth) medicine.”
— [Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Ṭibb, Bāb fī al-Adwiyah al-Makrūhah, ḥadīth 3870]
Some narrations clarify this to refer to poison and alcohol, but the ḥadīth is general in its wording — and includes all kinds of impure and prohibited substances.
Nāfiʿ رحمه الله narrates:
“Whenever Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما would call a physician to treat someone at his house, he would make it a condition that the physician would not use any substance which Allah has declared unlawful.”
— [Al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 10/65, ḥadīth 19683]
Abū al-Dardāʾ رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah has sent down both the disease and the cure, and has appointed a cure for every disease.
So use medicine — but do not use anything ḥarām as medicine.”
— [Abū Dāwūd ḥadīth 3871; Bayhaqī 10/5, ḥadīth 19681]
While the chain includes Thalabah ibn Muslim — a narrator with limited biography — this narration is supported by the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah, and its opening part is corroborated by the narration of Usāmah رضي الله عنه in Abū Dāwūd [ḥadīth 3855].
From the above authentic narrations, the following conclusions are drawn:
① Using ḥarām or impure substances as medicine is forbidden.
② Therefore, implanting body parts from ḥarām animals into the human body is not permissible, as it falls under the use of khabā’ith (impure and unlawful things), even if used with a medicinal or surgical objective.
③ Muslims should seek alternative ḥalāl sources for treatment and medical procedures.
④ This principle aligns with the Islamic objective of maintaining purity in body, diet, and treatment.
✔ Qur’an and Sunnah clearly prohibit the use of ḥarām substances, even in treatment.
✔ Ḥarām animal parts (like pig valves, etc.) should not be used in medical implantation.
✔ Seeking cure through permissible, pure means is mandatory in Islam.
✔ “The end does not justify the means” when the means involve what Allah has forbidden.
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to implant body parts of ḥarām (prohibited) animals into the human body?
Please provide a detailed answer in the light of the Qur’an and Ḥadīth.
❖ Answer:
Allah ﷻ has created pure and lawful things (ṭayyibāt) for our use, while impure and unlawful items (khabā’ith) are prohibited. In the Qur’an, Allah says:
﴿وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ﴾
“And He makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the impure things.”
— Surah al-Aʿrāf (7:157)
Imām Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله explains:
“Some scholars have said that whatever food items Allah has declared ḥalāl are pure and beneficial for the body and religion, and whatever He has declared ḥarām are impure and harmful for both body and religion.”
— Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 3/339
So it is established that ḥalāl items contain benefit and purity, whereas ḥarām items are inherently harmful, even if that harm is not immediately apparent.
❖ Prohibition of Using Ḥarām Substances as Medicine
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden the use of ḥarām substances for medicinal purposes.
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Verily, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the use of impure (khabīth) medicine.”
— [Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Ṭibb, Bāb fī al-Adwiyah al-Makrūhah, ḥadīth 3870]
Some narrations clarify this to refer to poison and alcohol, but the ḥadīth is general in its wording — and includes all kinds of impure and prohibited substances.
❖ Practice of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
Nāfiʿ رحمه الله narrates:
“Whenever Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما would call a physician to treat someone at his house, he would make it a condition that the physician would not use any substance which Allah has declared unlawful.”
— [Al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 10/65, ḥadīth 19683]
❖ Statement of Abū al-Dardāʾ رضي الله عنه:
Abū al-Dardāʾ رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, Allah has sent down both the disease and the cure, and has appointed a cure for every disease.
So use medicine — but do not use anything ḥarām as medicine.”
— [Abū Dāwūd ḥadīth 3871; Bayhaqī 10/5, ḥadīth 19681]
While the chain includes Thalabah ibn Muslim — a narrator with limited biography — this narration is supported by the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah, and its opening part is corroborated by the narration of Usāmah رضي الله عنه in Abū Dāwūd [ḥadīth 3855].
❖ Final Ruling:
From the above authentic narrations, the following conclusions are drawn:
① Using ḥarām or impure substances as medicine is forbidden.
② Therefore, implanting body parts from ḥarām animals into the human body is not permissible, as it falls under the use of khabā’ith (impure and unlawful things), even if used with a medicinal or surgical objective.
③ Muslims should seek alternative ḥalāl sources for treatment and medical procedures.
④ This principle aligns with the Islamic objective of maintaining purity in body, diet, and treatment.
Summary:
✔ Qur’an and Sunnah clearly prohibit the use of ḥarām substances, even in treatment.
✔ Ḥarām animal parts (like pig valves, etc.) should not be used in medical implantation.
✔ Seeking cure through permissible, pure means is mandatory in Islam.
✔ “The end does not justify the means” when the means involve what Allah has forbidden.
