I am a student and I have to take very tough exams in three months. I have severe memory problems right from my teenage years. I have short term memory loss problems. Now that it is very critical for me to pass these exams, I am having problems remembering things in my studies. I am working hard to remember but it's not helping. My husband and I went to a store GNC, which deal in herbal products with no side effects. I bought an herbal medicine, GYNCO, .I took one tablet and I really feel better. I read the contents after taking the pill and I saw it has GELATIN in it. I am from Pakistan and its been a month I am here in states. People tell me gelatin is haram. I want to ask if there is no other herbal alternative for this medicine, can I take it with the intention of curing my disease. What does Islam say about this?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

First and foremost we ask Allah to cure you from the disease  you are suffering from, and help you  succeed in your exams.

You have to know, dear sister, that what is easy is, what Allah made easy, and what is difficult, is what Allah made difficult.

Ibn Hibban reported in his Sahih, and al-Baihaqi and others that Anas Ibn Malik (Radiya Allahu Anhu) said that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to say this supplication: "O, Allah, there is no ease except in that which you have made easy, and you make the difficult,  if You wish, easy."

You have also to know that the cure is in the Hands of Allah, so ask Him with sincerity, as Allah Said about Ibrahim: {"And when I am ill, it is He who cures me;}[26:80].

You have to trust Allah and rely on Him because if He wishes something He just says "Be" and it is.  He is able to do everything.

You have to be careful and not to take illicit (Haram) procedures to seek the cure, except in case of necessity.  The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Allah descended the disease and descended the cure, and for every disease He made a cure, so treat yourselves but do not cure yourselves with Haram." [Reported by Abu Dawud]

Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others reported that Abu Hurairah (Radiya Allahu Anhu) said: "The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) forbade the evil cure."  It is permissible, however, to seek treatment with Haram or evil medicine in case of necessity, except alcohol, there is no cure in it at all.  It is reported in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said about curing with alcohol: "It is not a cure but it is a disease."

The evidence about the permissibility to cure with an evil medicine in case of necessity is the Saying of Allah: {…while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity?....}[6:119].

Al-Iz Bin Abdussalam (Radiya Allahu Anhu) said: 'It is permissible to seek treatment with impure things when there is no pure things, which could serve instead, because good and sound health comes in priority in comparison to avoiding impurity.'

Therefore, if the pills that you are taking contain gelatin from slaughtered animals like sheep and goats, then there is no harm in using them even if there is no necessity.  However, if this gelatin is taken from animals that we are not allowed to eat their meat like donkeys or pigs, or an animal that we are allowed to eat its meat but was not slaughtered according to Islamic etiquettes, then it is not permissible to take these pills except in the case of necessity or a need which is at the same level of necessity, i.e. when there is hardship on the person.

As for an alternative, it is only the doctors who are specialized in this field who can tell you about it, therefore you should refer to them.

Allah knows best.