Bandar Seri Begawan - The difficulty in choosing medicines is among one of the issues faced by the consumers particularly among the Muslims. It is an obligation for Muslim consumers to not only consider the effectiveness but also to ensure the ingredients the medicine contains are Halal.

"Medicines that Muslims consume should be pure and clean," said Hj Mas Reduan bin Hj Jumat, Senior Research Officer of the State Mufti's Office, who delivered his presentation entitled 'Criteria for Choosing Medicines' at The Empire Hotel & Country Club yesterday.

It is known that not all medicines in the market are certified Halal. Furthermore, it is sometimes difficult to acquire or are not available. In this matter, Islam as a religion of grace does not deprive its followers of the alternatives as long as the criteria in choosing the medicine are according to the Syariah laws.

Medicines are considered impure if it contains urine, blood, animal product that cannot be eaten and are still alive such as furs and horns, carcasses of animals that cannot be eaten or those that can be eaten but have died from other than syarak-compliant slaughter, intoxicating liquid such as strong drinks and palm wine, dogs and pigs.

The criteria for choosing medicines as laid out by Hj Mas Reduan at the seminar are as follows; the treatment should be with pure and clean substances. The second criterion is, if pure and clean medicines that are permitted by syarak are not available, then it is permissible to use 'naps' (impure) substances whether these are unadulterated (not mixed with other substances) or medicines that are mixed with `najis' or alcohol or intoxicant that has been mixed with another substances on conditions that no clean and pure medicine can be found that can replace the impure medicine, and the person seeking treatment (if he is knowledgeable in medicine) knows, or a muslim who is an expert in medicine confirms to him, the benefit of the impure medicine.

The third criterion is that if there is a choice between an impure medicine that is mixed with alcohol or intoxicant and an impure medicine that is not mixed with alcohol or intoxicant, for example a medicine from animal fat that is not slaughtered, then. in such a situation, it is a must to give preference to the impure medicine that is not mixed with alcohol or intoxicant.

The fourth criterion is that using unadulterated alcohol or intoxicant (that is not mixed with another substance) is forbidden.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin