Magnesium stearate in medicines

This resource on magnesium stearate is for the Muslim community (including patients, carers, parents and members of the public). Healthcare professionals may also find this resource useful when supporting people with gathering and understanding information about their medicine(s).

It highlights the issues of magnesium stearate use in medicines that you should be aware of. There is also a table to help you understand if magnesium stearate is halāl or harām, according to each of the four Sunni schools of thought.

Table Of Contents
  1. What is magnesium stearate?
  2. How magnesium stearate is used in medicines
  3. How the use of magnesium stearate in medicines affects the Muslim community
  4. Is magnesium stearate halāl or harām?
  5. Halāl alternatives and substitutes
  6. How do I find out if a medicine contains magnesium stearate and is halāl?
  7. Summary
  8. References and further reading

What is magnesium stearate?

Magnesium stearate is a salt made up of stearic acid (a saturated fat) and magnesium (a mineral). 1

The stearic acid used to make magnesium stearate can come from either plant or animal sources. 1, 2

Bovine (cow)

Plant (e.g., palm oil, coconut oil)

Porcine (pig)

How magnesium stearate is used in medicines

Magnesium stearate is used to make medicinal tablets, capsules and powders.3

It is an inactive substance used as a lubricant in medicine capsules. It prevents the ingredients inside the capsule from sticking to each other and the machine used to make the capsules.1

It can be used as a release agent to delay the breakdown and absorption of medicines until it reaches the correct area of the bowel.3

Tablets

Capsules

Powders

How the use of magnesium stearate in medicines affects the Muslim community

The Muslim community needs to be aware that if magnesium stearate is used in medicines, then it may be derived from animal sources, such as cows that were not Islamically slaughtered, or from other harām sources such as pigs. Most of the magnesium stearate used today in medicines are from plant sources and are unlikely to be from animal sources. However, it is best to check.

Cross contamination may also occur during the manufacturing process if magnesium stearate is processed in facilities that handle pork-derived materials. Therefore, it is important to check for halāl-certification to ensure halāl-compliant manufacturing. However, it is also important to note that information regarding cross-contamination with harām sources (e.g. pork and alcohol) is not always readily available from manufacturers.

It is important for the Muslim community to:

  1. Check if your medicine contains magnesium stearate and clarify the source
  2. Check for halāl-certification.

To find out this information, see section on How do I find out if a medicine contains magnesium stearate and is halāl?. You may need to directly contact the manufacturer of your medicine to find out the source of magnesium stearate and for halāl-certification (manufacturers may have limited information). You can also speak to your local pharmacist for advice and support.

Is magnesium stearate halāl or harām?

The table below summarises the ruling of magnesium stearate according to the four Sunni schools4:

SourceḤanafīMālikīShāfiʿīḤanbalī
Plant✅ Halāl ✅ Halāl ✅ Halāl ✅ Halāl
Bovine (cow)✅ Halāl – if derived from a cow that was Islamically slaughtered.

❌Harām – if derived from a cow that was not Islamically slaughtered.		✅ Halāl – if derived from a cow that was Islamically slaughtered.

❌Harām – if derived from a cow that was not Islamically slaughtered.		✅ Halāl – if derived from a cow that was Islamically slaughtered.

❌Harām – if derived from a cow that was not Islamically slaughtered.		✅ Halāl – if derived from a cow that was Islamically slaughtered.

❌Harām – if derived from a cow that was not Islamically slaughtered.
Porcine (pig)❌Harām ❌Harām ❌Harām ❌Harām

In summary, according to the four schools of thought, magnesium stearate derived from porcine is harām. Magnesium stearate derived from plant sources is halāl. Magnesium stearate derived from bovine is halāl only if the cow was Islamically slaughtered, otherwise it is harām.

Halāl alternatives and substitutes

If you are seeking halāl products, look for halāl-certified bovine or plant-based sources of magnesium stearate (where available).

How do I find out if a medicine contains magnesium stearate and is halāl?

You can check if a medicine contains magnesium stearate using the relevant product patient information leaflet (PIL) or summary of product characteristics (SPC) available on the electronic medicines compendium (emc) website. However, you may need to contact the manufacturer to find out the source of magnesium stearate and for halāl-certification. You may also find our resources on ‘How to find out if a medicine contains harām ingredients or excipients’ useful. If you are still unsure if your medicine contains magnesium stearate, speak to your local healthcare professional such as your local pharmacist. 

It is important to remember that even if a medicine contains a harām ingredient or excipient, it does not always mean it is prohibited to take. If you find out a medicine contains harām ingredients or excipients from harām sources, then see our guide on ‘What to do if a medicine contains harām ingredients or excipients?’. The guide includes the conditions of when it is acceptable to take a medicine that contains harām ingredients or excipients from harām sources. It may also help you make informed decisions on the next steps in discussions with your healthcare professional. If you are still not sure if it is permissible to take your medicine, then speak to your local Imam or trusted Islamic scholar (ideally who has relevant knowledge and expertise in the Fiqh of medicines).

Please continue to take your medicine(s) as prescribed.
Do not stop taking your medicine(s), change your medicine(s), or change the way you take your medicine(s) without discussing this with the healthcare professional who prescribed it for you.

Summary

  • Magnesium stearate derived from porcine is harām
  • Magnesium stearate derived from plant sources is halāl – most of the magnesium stearate used today in medicines are of plant source
  • Magnesium stearate derived from bovine is considered halāl only if the cow was Islamically slaughtered, otherwise it is harām
  • You can check if the medicine you are taking contains magnesium stearate using the PIL or SPC. If you are unsure, then speak to your local pharmacist
  • You can check cross contamination with the manufacturers and if halāl-certification is available for the medicine, to ensure halāl-compliant manufacturing (manufacturers may have limited information)
  • If you are unsure if your medicine is permissible to take, then speak to your local Imam or trusted Islamic scholar (ideally who has relevant knowledge and expertise in the Fiqh of medicines)
  • If you are seeking halāl products, look for plant-based magnesium stearate or halāl-certified bovine sources (where available and possible).

References and further reading

  1. Hansen, K. (2017). Everything You Should Know About Magnesium Stearate. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/magnesium-stearate. ↩︎
  2. Pharma Excipients. (2024). Introduction to Stearic Acid as a pharmaceutical Excipient. [online] Available at: https://www.pharmaexcipients.com/stearic-acid-excipient/. ↩︎
  3. Hobbs CA, Saigo K, Koyanagi M, Hayashi SM. Magnesium stearate, a widely-used food additive, exhibits a lack of in vitro and in vivo genotoxic potential. Toxicol Rep. 2017 Oct 16;4:554-559. Accessed 4.3.25 from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5655391/ ↩︎
  4. Islamic Perspective on Magnesium Stearate by Shaykh Dr Rafaqat Rashid ↩︎
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