Q. On the question of Shellac, SANHA has changed its stance. From haraam
SANHA has made shellac now halaal. SANHA’s previous statement on Shellac
was: “Whilst Shellac is generally defined as a secretion of the lac insect, our investigations have revealed that Shellac does not only comprise of the secretion but also
insect residue which cannot be avoided and this forms part of the ingredient. SANHA has
researched, and consulted with various Muftis on the issue of Shellac for almost two years and exhausted every possible angle on this issue. The Muftis are unanimous that Shellac is not permitted for consumption.” SANHA has made a most surprising turn-about, and now its new statement reads:
“SANHA is pleased to announce that the Shellac ingredient used in confectionary, bakery, and pharmaceutical products amongst others, has been declared HALAAL. Muslim consumers may enjoy Halaal suitable products containing Shellac.” How did the haraam become halaal?
A. The HARAAM became ‘halaal’ by the usual carrion tricks and stunts of SANHA, the carrion halaalizer. These incorrigible carrion halaalizers have an inordinate appetite for haraam riba money which they acquire in their carrionhalaalizing shaitaani trade. Just imagine! ‘Two years exhaustive investigations and the unanimous fatwa of a panel of muftis’ declared this substance haraam. Now suddenly the haraam Shellac has become ‘halaal tayyib’ to be enjoyed. What has happened to the ‘two years of investigations’? On what did the muftis now base their ‘halaal’ fatwa? What constrained them to review all the facts of the two years of study? SANHA and the muftis owe to the Muslim community and to Allah Ta’ala the obligation of publishing all the arguments for the hurmat and the hillat of Shellac. Why conceal the arguments under the mountains of haraam, rotten, diseased, halaalized carrion chickens?
Let SANHA produce the detailed fatwas of the muftis for scrutiny. The issue of shellac is straight forward and simple. SANHA’s talk of having researched shellac for two years and that a whole panel of Muftis had to probe the issue as if it dealt with something extraordinary is plain skulduggery. The simple truth is that shellac is derived from insects. In fact it is the excreta of insects. Eating insects is Haraam. How can it then be halaal to consume the excreta of something which is haraam? SANHA should be asked to provide the arguments of the Muftis who had earlier ruled that shellac is haraam, as well as their latest arguments on which they base their fatwa of permissibility. After all, these arguments are not ‘military’ secrets. They must release their full fatwa. After two years of intense probing and studying they had issued the fatwa of haraam. Now they fabricate an opposite fatwa. It will be interesting to see what their new arguments are.
Shellac is haraam. All edible products containing this haraam substance are HARAAM. SANHA’s haraam fatwa is the effect of mercenary motives – to gain haraam revenue for further halaalizing a range of haraam products.

THE MAJLIS VOL 20 NUM 09 (MAY 2011)