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SINGAPORE – Sunday’s (December 13) move to allow Covid-19 vaccines for Muslims here, regardless of their ingredients, was an executive decision made by the Mufti of Singapore, the highest Islamic authority here, due to the urgency of the situation.
While the Fatwa Committee typically provides religious guidance, the guidance on the Covid-19 vaccine released on Sunday came directly from the Mufti’s Office.
“When vaccines are available in Singapore for safe use, I strongly urge the Muslim community to adopt the vaccine, as part of our contribution (to society), and not to worry about being allowed to do so, because the The religious orientation is very clear on this matter, “Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir said on Monday.
Speaking to the media at the Singapore Islamic Hub on Braddell Road, Dr. Nazirudin said the immediate priority is to protect lives and keep everyone safe, so that religious and social activities can resume in a safe and responsible manner. .
“And we know the difference that the vaccine will make in helping us achieve these goals,” he said.
He noted that there are concerns in some parts of the Muslim world about ingredients in vaccines, as Muslims have strict dietary requirements and cannot consume food or ingredients derived from pigs.
“So when Muslims look at this, they may be concerned about whether we can take such medications or drugs. It is a general concern. And the fatwa was issued to assure Muslims that they can use,” Dr. Nazirudin said.
He said that in the context of a global pandemic, vaccination helps save lives and protect livelihoods, and “these are goals that are clearly part of the teachings of Islam.”
He noted that the religious guide was issued preemptively and was not simply a response to concerns brewing on the ground, and said Muslims in Singapore are “not concerned about this because there is precedent.”
For example, a fatwa was issued in 2013 when there was an outbreak of rotavirus, which ruled that vaccines are a form of preventive treatment of diseases and is encouraged in Islam.
In 2015, the drug Heparin, an anticoagulant containing porcine enzymes, was also ruled on, said Dr. Nazirudin.
Dr. Nazirudin pointed to the Islamic concept of Istihalah, which recognizes that certain substances can go through processes that change the shape of substances, particularly in drug development.
“Changing that substance may have made that particular substance negligible and almost undetectable in the final product,” he explained.
“When the vaccine or drug in the end does not contain any more substances or animal cells, these drugs or vaccines are considered permissible in Islam because they have gone through this Istihalah process, which changes the nature of the substance.”
He added that there are also Covid-19 vaccines that are completely synthetic and do not contain any animal substances.
Dr. Nazirudin highlighted the importance of establishing the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Singapore’s ethical and regulatory bodies responsible for ensuring vaccine safety are trusted “to have done their due diligence and work, and have subjected vaccines to very rigorous and strict safety standards,” he said.
On Sunday, the Singapore Islamic Religious Council (Muis) issued an irsyad, or religious guide, urging Muslims to get vaccinated once the Covid-19 vaccine is available and medically licensed as safe and effective.
The minister in charge of Muslim Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, also said in a Facebook post that he appreciated Muis’s religious guidance and strongly encouraged Muslims to get vaccinated once the vaccines are available in Singapore.
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