[HALAL COSMETIC] Is It Permissible to Use a Product Containing Snail Secretion?

Snail beauty products are made from snail mucin or snail secretion filtrate. Since snail beauty products are usually used in skin care routine and applied topically, only edible (safe to be consumed, not poisonous but prohibited to be eaten by syara’) snails are used. Popular edible snail species used in beauty products include the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) a common ingredient in escargot, its close relative the garden snail (Helix aspersa) and giant African snail (Achatina fulica).

Snail is categorized as khabaith

The concept of uruf (custom) categorized snails as filthy animal (khabaith) and is prohibited to be eaten. The reason is, it is considered as a disgusting and filthy animal by society in general. Thus, it is prohibited according to the concept of uruf that categorized it as a khabaith (filthy animals). This is in accordance with the statement of Allah SWT:

وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ

“Makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil (khabaith).”

Surah al-A’raf (157)

Snail is a type of animal categorize as land animals. Here we include the division of land animals that are permissible and prohibited to be eaten, referring to the book al-Fiqh al-Islam wa Adillatuh:

Land-animals or animals that live on land are divided into three:

Animals that don’t have blood, such as bees, fly, ants and others like it. It is prohibited to be eaten, for it is included as al-khabaith, which are animals that are considered filthy by the Arabs.

Animals that do not have flowing blood, such as lice, gecko, mouse and others like it. These animals are also prohibited to be eaten for they are also included as al-khabaith and some of them are poisonous and are harmful to humans.

Animals that have flowing blood. These types of animals are further divided to wild and tame animals. Tame animals from the al-An’am (farm animals) are permissible to be eaten, such as camels, goats and cows. It is also permissible to eat tame animals from the bird category, such as chickens and ducks. However, for wild animals that have canine teeth, such as tigers and lions and birds that have claws of a predator such as eagles and bats, are prohibited.

See al-Fiqh al-Islam wa Adillatuh (4/2793)

Hence, referring to the above categories, snail falls under the second type of animal that do not have flowing blood and is considered as khabaith which is prohibited to be eaten. The jurists of madhab Syafi’e ruled snails as najis (impure) for it is considered as carcass after it dies.

Using snail compounds as ingredients in products

The original ruling for snails is they are not considered as najis (impure). The reason is, there is no clear and sahih evidence that prohibits it. Thus, the ruling of using snail in the production of cosmetic products is permissible, for there are many benefits from it. For snails, there are no stated prohibition or permissibility of it in clear Quranic or prophetic evidences. It is included under the animals whose status are not mentioned by syara’, either to be eaten, used or benefited.

Here, we cite the words of Dr Yusuf al-Qaradhawi from his book al-Halal wa al-Haram:

“The first principle that is set in Islam is that all that Allah SWT created, whether it is an object or a creature, originally are ruled permissible and can be used. There is no prohibition for any of it unless there is a clear prohibition for it stated in the Quran or hadith or it is prohibited by syara’. If there is no clear and sahih evidence regarding its prohibition, or just stated in dhaif (weak) hadith, then it is ruled back to its original ruling which is mubah (permissible).”

Islamic scholars state that the basis of everything that benefits is Mubah, which means it is permissible. This is in accordance with the clear verses of the Quran.

Allah SWT states:

وَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا

“It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth.”

Surah al-Baqarah (29)

Allah SWT also states:

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ

“And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him.”

Surah al-Jathiah (13)

In another verse, Allah SWT states:

أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً

"Do you not see that Allah has made subject to you whatever is in heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and unapparent?"

Surah Luqman (20)

Source from : https://muftiwp.gov.my/en/artikel/irsyad-fatwa/