Halalopathy: A science of trust in medicine

Cell-based influenza vaccine: current production, halal status assessment, and recommendations towards Islamic-compliant manufacturing

Influenza virus is a life-threatening pathogen that infects millions of people every year, with annual mortality in the hundreds of thousands. The scenario for controlling infection has worsened with increasing numbers of vaccine hesitancy cases reported worldwide due to objections on safety, religious and other grounds. Uses of haram (impermissible) and mashbooh (doubtful) ingredients in vaccine production has raised doubts among Muslim consumers and consequently stimulated serious vaccine hesitancy. To address this major problem, we have reviewed and recommended some alternatives appropriate for manufacturing cell-based influenza vaccine which comply with Islamic laws and consumers' needs. Intensive assessments of current influenza vaccine production in both scientific and Islamic views have led to the identification of four main ingredients deemed impermissible in novel sharia-compliant (approved by Islamic laws) vaccine manufacturing. Only some of these impermissible components could be replaced with halal (permissible) alternatives, while others remain impermissible due to unavailability and unsuitability.

Cannabis and Its Permissibility Status

Cannabis has been used and misused to treat many disorders. Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most important components of cannabis and could be used for recreational and medical purposes. The permissibility (Halal) status of cannabis is controversial, and its rational use is ambiguous. Global awareness and interest in cannabis use are increasing and its permissibility status, especially for recreational and medical purposes, needs to be addressed. Rationalizing the scientific value and Halal status of cannabis is useful for the rational use and maintenance of the compatible system. It is rare in Muslim countries to discuss the permissibility status of cannabis from the perspective of its value and composition. Using the analogy concept, the CBD component extracted from a cannabis plant in a clean and pure form is permissible to use in industry, particularly in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. If THC component is present in <1% and CBD is >99%, the mixture is considered permissible as long as THC is not intentionally added or intentionally left, but is mainly present due to the limited capabilities and efficiency of the purification methods. However, any amount of THC prepared with the intention to be used as an intoxicant is considered non-Halal.