English - Ma'ariful Qur'an - Mufti Shafi Usmani RA - Vol - 1
Surah Al-Baqarah - 2 : Verses 172 - 173

Pages for Current Surah - Verse/s :-

Using the forbidden as a cure without necessity

As far as situations of extreme necessity are concerned, the relevant injunction has been given in the text of the Holy Qur'an and there is total agreement on that. But, about the question of using impure or haram medicine even in common diseases, the jurists differ. Most of them say that, barring compulsion, and all those conditions mentioned above, it is not permissible to use haram medicine, because the Holy Prophet as reported in al-Bukhari has said that Allah Almighty has placed no cure for the Muslims in haram.

Some other jurists have used a particular episode reported in, Hadith to declare it as permissible. That episode relates to people of the 'Uraynah tribe and has been reported in all books of Hadith where it is said that some villagers came to the Holy Prophet . They suffered from several diseases. He permitted them the use of camel milk, and urine, which cured them.

But, this episode has several possibilities which make the use of prohibited things doubtful. Therefore, the correct original position is:

Unless the conditions of extreme necessity exist in common diseases, the use of haram medicine is not permissible.

However, later-day jurists, keeping in view the influx of unlawful and impure medicines in modern times, the general climate of suffering, and the weakness of people against it, have permitted the use of prohibited medicine on the condition that another lawful and pure medicine is not effective, or is not available. It is mentioned in Al-Durr al-Mukhtar, the well-known book of Fiqh:

There is difference of opinion in medication through the unlawful. Apparent religious ruling forbids it, as is mentioned in Al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, Kitab al-Rida' but the author has, at that point in al-Rida', as well as here, reported from al-Hawi al-Qudsi that some 'ulama' have permitted the use of the prohib­ited on medical grounds, if the cure is certain and there is no alternate available, which is like the permission granted to the critically thirsty to take a sip of liquor.