Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Alcohol: Difference between revisions

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{{Underconstruction}}
{{QualityScore|Lead=2|Structure=3|Content=4|Language=3|References=3}}
{{QuranHadithScholarsIndex}}
{{QuranHadithScholarsIndex}}
Alcohol is banned in all major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, both from being sold in an Islamic state and from being consumed by believers. Numerous [[surah]]s of the [[Qur'an]], and passages of the [[hadith]] and [[tafsir]] provide the rational for totally banning alcohol. By extension, other substances that cause similar intoxication are also [[haram]]. 
==Qur'an==
==Qur'an==


Verses concerning [[alcohol]] arranged in [[Chronological Order of the Qur'an|chronological order]].
Verses concerning alcohol arranged in [[Chronological Order of the Qur'an|chronological order]].


{{Quote|{{Quran|2|219}}|They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "'''In them is great sin''', and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider-}}
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|219}}|They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "'''In them is great sin''', and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider-}}
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Allah's Apostle was asked about Al-Bit. He said, "'''All drinks that intoxicate are unlawful''' (to drink.) }}
Allah's Apostle was asked about Al-Bit. He said, "'''All drinks that intoxicate are unlawful''' (to drink.) }}


{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|69|494}}|Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari:  
{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|69|494}}|Narrated 'Umar:


that he heard the Prophet saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, '''the drinking of alcoholic drinks''' and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' '''Allah will destroy them''' during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection." }}
"Alcoholic drinks are prepared from five things, i.e., raisins, dates. wheat, barley and honey." }}


{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|69|490}}|Narrated Anas bin Malik:  
{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|69|490}}|Narrated Anas bin Malik:  
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{{Quote|{{Muslim|23|4890}}|Anas b. Malik reported: '''Allah revealed the verse in which Allah prohibited the use of liquor'''. In those days no other liquor was drunk but that prepared from dates.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|23|4890}}|Anas b. Malik reported: '''Allah revealed the verse in which Allah prohibited the use of liquor'''. In those days no other liquor was drunk but that prepared from dates.}}


{{Quote|[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.islamhelpline.com/node/7288|2=2011-10-28}} Sahih Muslim No. 4962]|2= Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah
{{Quote| {{Muslim|23|4962}}|2= Jabir reported that a person came from Jaishan, a town of Yemen, and he asked Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) about the wine which was drunk in their land and which was prepared from millet and was called Mizr. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked whether that was intoxicating. He said:
Allah`s Messenger (saws) said: “'''Every intoxicant is haraam!''' Verily Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, made a covenant to those who drank intoxicants to make them drink ‘Tinat al-Khabal’. The companions asked: “Allah`s Messenger, what is ‘Tinat al-Khabal?’” He (saws) said: “It is the sweat of the denizens of Hell, or the discharge of the denizens of Hell.}}
 
Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger () said: Every intoxicant is forbidden (haraam). Verily Allah the Exalted and Majestic, made a covenant to those who drank intoxicants to make their drink Tinat al-Khabal. They said: Allah's Messenger, what is Tinat a]-Khabal? He said: It is the sweat of the denizens of Hell or the discharge of the denizens of Hell.}}


{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4226}}|Anas b. Malik reported that a person who had drink wine was brought to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). He gave him forty stripes with two lashes. Abu Bakr also did that, but when Umar (assumed the responsibilities) of the Caliphate, he consulted people and Abd al-Rahman said: '''The mildest punishment (for drinking) is eighty (stripes)''' and 'Umar their prescribed this punishment.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4226}}|Anas b. Malik reported that a person who had drink wine was brought to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). He gave him forty stripes with two lashes. Abu Bakr also did that, but when Umar (assumed the responsibilities) of the Caliphate, he consulted people and Abd al-Rahman said: '''The mildest punishment (for drinking) is eighty (stripes)''' and 'Umar their prescribed this punishment.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4227}}|This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas through another chain of transmitters.}}


{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4228}}|Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) gave a beating with palm branches and shoes, and that Abu Bakr gave forty lashes. When Umar (became the Commander of the Faithful) and the people went near to pastures and towns, he said (to the Companions of the Holy Prophet). What is your opinion about lashing for drinking? Thereupon Abd al-Rahman b. Auf said: My opinion is that you fix it as the mildest punishment. Then ''''Umar inflicted eighty stripes'''.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4228}}|Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) gave a beating with palm branches and shoes, and that Abu Bakr gave forty lashes. When Umar (became the Commander of the Faithful) and the people went near to pastures and towns, he said (to the Companions of the Holy Prophet). What is your opinion about lashing for drinking? Thereupon Abd al-Rahman b. Auf said: My opinion is that you fix it as the mildest punishment. Then ''''Umar inflicted eighty stripes'''.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4229}}|This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.}}


{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4230}}|Anas reported that '''Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to strike forty times with shoes and palm branches (in case of drinking of) wine'''. The rest of the hadith is the same and there is no mention of pastures and towns.}}
{{Quote|{{Muslim|17|4230}}|Anas reported that '''Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to strike forty times with shoes and palm branches (in case of drinking of) wine'''. The rest of the hadith is the same and there is no mention of pastures and towns.}}
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===Abu Dawud===
===Abu Dawud===
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3666}}| Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: '''Allah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed'''. }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|38|4467}}| Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn AbuSufyan:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: '''If they (the people) drink wine, flog them, again if they drink it, flog them. Again if they drink it, kill them'''.}}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|38|4474 }}| Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Azhar:
I saw the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) on the morning of the conquest of Mecca when I was a young boy. He was walking among the people, seeking the camp of Khalid ibn al-Walid. '''A man who had drunk wine was brought (before him) and he ordered them (to beat him)'''. So they beat him with what they had in their hands. Some struck him with whips, some with sticks and some with sandals. '''The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) threw some dust on his face'''.
When a man who had drunk wine was brought before AbuBakr, he asked them (i.e. the people) about the number of beatings which they gave him. They numbered it forty. So AbuBakr gave him forty lashes...}}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|38|4465}}| Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
Hudayn ibn al-Mundhir ar-Ruqashi, who was AbuSasan, said: I was present with Uthman ibn Affan when al-Walid ibn Uqbah was brought to him. Humran and another man bore witness against him (for drinking wine). One of them testified that he had seen him drinking wine, and the other testified that he had seen him vomiting it.
Uthman said: He could not vomit it, unless he did not drink it. He said to Ali: Inflict the prescribed punishment on him. Ali said to al-Hasan: Inflict the prescribed punishment on him.
Al-Hasan said: He who has enjoyed its pleasure should also bear its burden. So Ali said to Abdullah ibn Ja'far: Inflict the prescribed punishment on him. He took a whip and struck him with it while Ali was counting.
When he reached (struck) forty (lashes), he said: It is sufficient. '''The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave forty lashes'''. I think he also said: "And AbuBakr gave forty lashes, and Uthman eighty. '''This is all sunnah (standard practice)'''. And this is dearer to me." }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3673}}| Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of '''it is prohibited'''.}}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3672}}|Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: '''Every intoxicant is khamr (wine) and every intoxicant is forbidden'''. If anyone drinks wine, Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he repeats it a fourth time, it is binding on Allah that He will give him tinat al-khabal to drink.
He was asked: What is tinat al-khabal, Apostle of Allah? He replied: Discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell. If anyone serves it to a minor who does not distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful, it is binding on Allah that He will give him to drink the discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell. }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3675}}|Narrated Daylam al-Himyari:
I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: Apostle of Allah! we live in a cold land in which we do heavy work and we make a liquor from wheat to get strength from if for our work and to stand the cold of our country. He asked: Is it intoxicating? I replied: Yes. He said: '''You must avoid it'''. I said: The people will not abandon it. He said: '''If they do not abandon it, fight with them'''.  }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3689}}| Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I forbade you three things, and now I command (permit) you for them. I forbade you to visit graves, now you may visit them, for in visiting them there is admonition. I forbade you drinks except from skin vessels, but now you may drink from any kind of vessels, but '''do not drink an intoxicant'''. I forbade you to eat the meat of sacrificial animals after three days, but now you may eat and enjoy it during your journeys. }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3677}}| Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade wine (khamr), game of chance (maysir), drum (kubah), and wine made from millet (ghubayrah), saying: '''Every intoxicant is forbidden'''. }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3678}}| Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin:
The '''Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade every intoxicant''' and everything which produces languidness.
}}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3679}}| Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: '''Every intoxicant is forbidden'''; if a faraq of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden.
}}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3663}}| Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
A man of the Ansar called him and AbdurRahman ibn Awf and supplied them wine before '''it was prohibited'''. Ali then led them in the evening prayer, and he recited; "Say: O ye who reject faith." He was confused in it. Then the following verse came down: "O ye who believe! approach not prayers with a mind befogged until you can understand all that ye say. }}
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|26|3662 }}|Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
'''When the prohibition of wine (was yet to be) declared''', Umar said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine.
So the following verse of Surat al-Baqarah revealed; "They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: In them is great sin...." Umar was then called and it was recited to him.
He said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine.
Then the following verse of Surat an-Nisa' was revealed: "O ye who believe! approach not prayers with a mind befogged...." Thereafter the herald of the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) would call when the (congregational) prayer was performed: Beware, one who is drunk should not come to prayer. Umar was again called and it was recited to him).
He said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. This verse was revealed: '''"Will ye not then abstain?" Umar said: We abstained'''.  }}


===Malik's Muwatta===
===Malik's Muwatta===
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{{Quote|{{Muwatta|42|42|5|13}}|Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Anas ibn Malik said, "I was serving wine to Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and Abu Talha al-Ansari and Umayy ibn Kab. The wine had been prepared from crushed ripe dates and dried dates. Someone came to them and said, ''''Wine has been made haram'''.' Abu Talha ordered me to go and take the jugs and break them. I stood up and went to a mortar of ours and I struck them with the bottom of it until they broke." }}
{{Quote|{{Muwatta|42|42|5|13}}|Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Anas ibn Malik said, "I was serving wine to Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and Abu Talha al-Ansari and Umayy ibn Kab. The wine had been prepared from crushed ripe dates and dried dates. Someone came to them and said, ''''Wine has been made haram'''.' Abu Talha ordered me to go and take the jugs and break them. I stood up and went to a mortar of ours and I struck them with the bottom of it until they broke." }}


===Al Tirmidhi===
{{Quote|{{Muwatta|41|41|10|31}}|Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu'z-Zinad informed him that a governor of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz took some people in battle and had not killed any of them. He wanted to cut off their hands or kill them, so he wrote to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz about that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz wrote to him, "Better to take less than that."


{{Quote|Al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 61|Narrated byMu'adh ibn Jabal:
Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What is done among us about a person who steals the goods of people which are placed under guard in the markets, and their owners put them in their containers and store them together is that if anyone steals any of that from where it is kept, and its value reaches that for which cutting off the hand is obliged, his hand must be cut off, whether or not the owner of the goods is with his goods and whether it is night or day."


Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) instructed me to do ten things saying: 1. Do not associate anything with Allah even if you are killed and burnt on that account. 2. Don't be disobedient to your parents even if they command you to abandon your family and your property. 3. Do not deliberately neglect to observe a prescribed prayer for he who neglects the prescribed prayer deliberately will become out of the protection of Allah. 4. '''Do not drink wine for it is the height of every obscenity'''. 5. Shun evil, for with evil there descends the wrath of Allah. 6. Beware of running away from the battle-field even if the people perish. 7. And when the death overtakes the people (in a plague or disaster) and you are one amongst them, show steadfastness. 8. Spend on your children according to your means. 9. Do not refrain from using pressure (of punishment) with a view to training them. 10. Inculcate in them the fear of Allah. (Transmitted by Ahmad)}}
Malik said about some one who stole something for which cutting off the hand was obliged and then what he stole was found with him and he returned it to its owner, "His hand is cut off."
 
Malik said, "If someon says, 'How can his hand be cut off when the goods have been taken from him and returned to their owner?', it is because he is in '''the same position as the wine drinker when the smell of the wine is found on his breath and he is not drunk. He is flogged with the hadd'''.  
 
"'''The hadd is imposed for drinking wine even if it does not make the man intoxicated. That is because he drank it to become intoxicated'''. It is the same as that with cutting off the hand of the thief for theft when it is taken from him, even if he has not profited from it and it was returned to its owner. When he stole it, he stole it to take it away." [...] }}
 
===Ibn Majah===
 
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|20|3|20|2570}}|It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:
“The Messenger of Allah used to '''beat (offenders) for drinking wine''' with sandals and date-palm stalks.” (Sahih)}}
 
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|20|3|20|2571}}|Hudain bin Mundhir said: “When Walid bin `Uqbah was brought to `Uthman, they had testified against him. He said to 'Ali: 'You are close to your uncle's son, so carry out the legal punishment on him.' So ''''Ali whipped him. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah gave forty lashes, and Abu Bakr gave forty lashes, and 'Umar gave eighty''' all are Sunnah.'” (Sahih)}}
 
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|20|3|20|2572}}|It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “If he gets drunk, then whip him. If he does it again, then whip him. If he does it again, then whip him.' And he said concerning the fourth time: 'If he does it again, then '''strike his neck (i.e., execute him)'''.' ” (Sahih)}}
 
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|20|3|20|2573}}|It was narrated from Mu`awiyah bin Abu Sufyan that the Messenger of Allah said: “If they drink (again), then whip them. If they drink (again), then whip them. If they drink (again), then whip them. '''If they drink (again), then kill them'''.(Hasan)}}


==Scholars==
==Scholars==
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Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Abu Bakr ibn Abi Khalid> Yusuf ibn Musa al-Marwazi> Ahmad ibn Salih> ‘Anbasah> Yusuf> Ibn Shihab> ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn> Husayn ibn ‘Ali who related that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “I had an old camel mare which was my share from the booty of Badr. Before that, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, had given me an old camel mare from the quint (khums). And when I was going to marry Fatimah, I had an appointment with a goldsmith from Banu Qaynuqa‘ whom I wanted to travel with me to buy Bulrush (Idhkhir) from a goldsmith for my wedding ceremony. I went to gather some saddles, sacks and ropes — for my camels which were kneeled down close to a Helper’s room. When I came back, I found my two camels with their humps cut off, their haunches ripped open and their insides taken away. I could not believe what I saw, and asked: ‘Who did this?’ They said: ‘It was Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib; he is now in the house drinking with some Helpers. They have a songstress who had sung: O Hamzah, proceed to the old fat camels Which are tied in the courtyard. Put the knife to their throat And, O Hamzah, smear blood on them. And feed us from their slices, meat on skewer attached together on glowing fire. For you are, O Abu ‘Umarah, our hope To relieve us from harm and affliction. So when he heard this, he jumped to his sword, cut off the camels’ humps, ripped open their haunches and took away their insides’. I proceeded until I entered in on the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. He had with him Zayd ibn Harithah. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, knew why I went to see him. He said: ‘What’s the matter with you?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have not seen anything like what I saw today. Hamzah attacked my camels, cut off their humps, ripped open their haunches and he is still drinking until now in a certain house’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, called for his outer garment and walked off. Zayd ibn Harithah and I followed him. He proceeded until he arrived to the house where Hamzah was drinking. He asked permission to enter and permission was granted. They were all drunk. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, began reproaching Hamzah for what he did while Hamzah’s eyes were red from being completely drunk. Hamzah looked at the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace; then he stared at him, looked at his knees, then stared at his face and said: ‘Are you not but the slaves of my father?’ The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, realised that he was very drunk. He stepped back, left the house and we left after him”. Narrated by Bukhari from Ahmad ibn Salih. This incident was among the reasons which made incumbent the revelation of forbidding intoxicants.}}
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya informed us> Abu Bakr ibn Abi Khalid> Yusuf ibn Musa al-Marwazi> Ahmad ibn Salih> ‘Anbasah> Yusuf> Ibn Shihab> ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn> Husayn ibn ‘Ali who related that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “I had an old camel mare which was my share from the booty of Badr. Before that, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, had given me an old camel mare from the quint (khums). And when I was going to marry Fatimah, I had an appointment with a goldsmith from Banu Qaynuqa‘ whom I wanted to travel with me to buy Bulrush (Idhkhir) from a goldsmith for my wedding ceremony. I went to gather some saddles, sacks and ropes — for my camels which were kneeled down close to a Helper’s room. When I came back, I found my two camels with their humps cut off, their haunches ripped open and their insides taken away. I could not believe what I saw, and asked: ‘Who did this?’ They said: ‘It was Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib; he is now in the house drinking with some Helpers. They have a songstress who had sung: O Hamzah, proceed to the old fat camels Which are tied in the courtyard. Put the knife to their throat And, O Hamzah, smear blood on them. And feed us from their slices, meat on skewer attached together on glowing fire. For you are, O Abu ‘Umarah, our hope To relieve us from harm and affliction. So when he heard this, he jumped to his sword, cut off the camels’ humps, ripped open their haunches and took away their insides’. I proceeded until I entered in on the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. He had with him Zayd ibn Harithah. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, knew why I went to see him. He said: ‘What’s the matter with you?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have not seen anything like what I saw today. Hamzah attacked my camels, cut off their humps, ripped open their haunches and he is still drinking until now in a certain house’. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, called for his outer garment and walked off. Zayd ibn Harithah and I followed him. He proceeded until he arrived to the house where Hamzah was drinking. He asked permission to enter and permission was granted. They were all drunk. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, began reproaching Hamzah for what he did while Hamzah’s eyes were red from being completely drunk. Hamzah looked at the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace; then he stared at him, looked at his knees, then stared at his face and said: ‘Are you not but the slaves of my father?’ The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, realised that he was very drunk. He stepped back, left the house and we left after him”. Narrated by Bukhari from Ahmad ibn Salih. This incident was among the reasons which made incumbent the revelation of forbidding intoxicants.}}


==See Also==
===Al Munajjid===
 
{{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://islamqa.info/en/271192 |title=Fatwa No.271192: Ruling on working in a pharmacy and making or selling medicines containing alcohol or haraam gelatine |publisher=IslamQA |author=Al Munajjid |date=9 September 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919160832/https://islamqa.info/en/271192 |deadurl=no}}|
I am a pharmacist and am currently living in Germany, where I am in the process of having my university credentials assessed and verified so that I can work and complete my studies in Germany. I want to ask about the ruling on working in a pharmacy in this country, as I may have to make or sell medicines containing gelatin derived from pork, or that may contain alcohol. Please note that I am determined to try hard not to sell these medicines to Muslims if there is an alternative available.
Published Date: 2017-09-09
Praise be to Allah
 
Firstly: '''It is not permissible to work in the manufacture of medicines containing alcohol or gelatin derived from pork, because alcohol comes under the heading of khamr (intoxicants), and it is not permissible to consume it, use it as medicine, or mix it with food or drink. Rather what should be done is to destroy it and dispose of it. Anything derived from pork is impure and must be avoided and measures taken to purify oneself from it. So it is not permissible to add it to any kind of medicine, food or drink.'''
 
'''Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Treating sickness with unlawful things is abhorrent both from a rational point of view and from an Islamic point of view.''' As for the Islamic point of view, that is seen in the hadith and other texts that we have quoted above. As for reason, that is seen in the fact that Allah, may He be glorified, only prohibited it because of its evil, for He has not prohibited to this ummah anything good or wholesome as a punishment, as He did in the case of the Children of Israel, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “For wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them” [an-Nisa’ 4:160]. Rather He prohibited to this ummah what He prohibited because of its evil nature.
 
His prohibition of it is a protection for them, to keep them away from consuming it. So it is not appropriate to seek healing from sickness and disease by means of it, because even if it could be effective in removing the sickness, that will be followed by sickness that is even worse than it, namely spiritual sickness, because of the strength of its evil nature. Thus the one who uses it as medicine to remove physical sickness, is doing so in a way that causes spiritual sickness.
 
Moreover, the prohibition thereon dictates that one should avoid it and stay away from it by all possible means. Using it as a medicine is making it acceptable to people and making them deal with it, and this is the opposite of what the Lawgiver intended.
 
Moreover, it is a disease, as was stated by the Lawgiver, so it is not permissible to take it as a remedy.
 
Moreover, it will have an impact on man’s physical and spiritual being and will cause them to become contaminated with evil, because his body will clearly be affected by the evil nature of the remedy. Therefore if the remedy has evil qualities, it will have an evil impact on his physical being, so how about if the remedy is evil in and of itself?
 
Hence Allah, may He be glorified, forbade to His slaves all evil foods, drinks and clothing, so that one will not acquire evil qualities under their impact.
 
End quote from Zaad al-Ma‘aad (4/141)
 
In Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (22/106) it says: What is the ruling on benefitting from alcohol and khamr in general, that is, using it in paint for furniture, medicines, fuel, cleaning materials and perfumes, or for cleansing purposes, or to make vinegar?
 
Answer: Whatever causes intoxication when drunk in large amounts is khamr (intoxicant). Whether the amount is small or large, it is all the same, and it is all the same whether it is called alcohol or is called by some other name. What must be done is to pour it away, and it is prohibited to keep it in order to use it and benefit from it for purposes such as cleaning and cleansing, using it as fuel or perfume, or turning it into vinegar, or any other benefit.
 
As for that which does not cause intoxication in large amounts, it does not come under the heading of khamr, and it is permissible to use it in perfumes and medicines, and to use it for cleansing wounds and the like.
 
‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood, ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Baaz. End quote.
 
Secondly:
 
If there are some manufacturers who mix the medicine with alcohol or haraam gelatine, then they are sinning thereby, as we have mentioned above. Then we should look at the medicine. If the amount added is small, in the sense that one who drinks a large amount of the medicine will not become intoxicated, or if it is fully absorbed and has no impact on the taste, colour or smell, then it is permissible to take this medicine and treat sickness with it.
 
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (22/297): Some medicines and sweets are sold in the marketplace that contain a tiny amount of alcohol. Is it permissible for us to consume them? Please note that if a person were to eat the sweets and have his fill of them, he would never reach the point of intoxication.
 
Answer: If the alcohol in the sweet or medicine is of a very tiny amount, such that eating or drinking a lot of that thing would not lead to intoxication, then it is permissible to consume it and to sell it, because it does not have any effect on the taste, colour or smell, because it has been absorbed into the pure and permissible components. But it is not permissible for the Muslim to make anything like that or to add it to the food of Muslims, or to help someone else in doing that. End quote.
 
Thirdly:
 
It is permissible to sell medicine containing alcohol or haraam gelatine, if the amount that has been added is small or has been fully absorbed. Statements and fatwas on the permissibility of using medicines containing a tiny amount of intoxicant alcohol have been issued by Islamic fiqh councils, and fatwa-issuing councils and bodies in the Muslim world, whilst noting that it is preferable to avoid adding alcohol to any medicines, so as to avoid dubious matters.
 
It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, no. 23(11/3) in response to enquiries from the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in Washington:
 
There are many medicines that contain varying amounts of alcohol, between 0.01% and 25%. Most of these medicines are remedies for colds, sore throats, coughs and other common ailments. These alcohol-containing medicines constitute nearly 95% of the medicines for such ailments, which makes it very difficult or even impossible to obtain medicines that are free of alcohol. What is the ruling on taking these medicines?
 
Answer: The Muslim patient may take medicine containing a small amount of alcohol if alcohol-free medicine is not available, and that medicine has been prescribed by a trustworthy doctor.
 
End quote from Majallat al-Majma‘, issue no. 3, vol. 3, p. 1087
 
In a statement issued by the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging to the Muslim World League, it says: It is permissible to use medicines containing alcohol in small amounts that are fully absorbed, that is dictated by the way in which the medicine is made, when there is no alternative to it, on condition that it be prescribed by a doctor of good character
 
End quote from Qaraaraat al-Majma‘ al-Fiqhi al-Islami bi Makkah al-Mukarramah, p. 341
 
For more information on medicines and products containing haraam gelatin or glycerin, please see the answer to question no. 97541.
 
Fourthly:
 
If there is a medicine or product that would cause intoxication if drunk in large amounts, or it contains lard (pig fat), for example, that has not been transformed (istihaalah), then it is not permissible to consume it or sell it.
 
The one who works in the pharmacy must avoid that.
 
Conclusion:
 
The basic principle is that it is permissible to work in pharmacies, and that most types of medicine are permissible.
 
If it becomes clear that there is a medicine that it is haraam to consume, then it is not permissible to sell it, but there is nothing wrong with continuing to work there whilst avoiding selling that which is haraam.


* [[Alcohol]] ''- A hub page that leads to other articles related to Alcohol''
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