Using too much khamar lately??---hope not‏!

Picture

Asalaam Wa Alykum Wa Rahmat Allah Hi Wa Barakat

We may not notice but most of the products we use, be it perfumes, cosmetics, vinegar has alcohol in it. So the question is should we stop using them then? Read further to understand the concept properly. And the next time someone asks you a question about alcohol, inshallah you’ll be able to answer it with justifications from the Hadiths/Quran.

 

Since we live in a society where SADLY people believe in what science has to say rather than what the Quran says, let me begin by pointing out the negatives of alcohol as discovered by the scientists.



(NOTE: The paragraph below has been text lifted from a medical websites, the reference to which can be found under “References”. I have NOT added my opinion/words so that there is no chance of me making a mistake here :))

 When used as a social drug, alcohol is a sedative (any variety of drugs that relieve anxiety). Most sedatives act as mild depressants of the nervous system, lessening general nervous activity or reducing the irritability or activity of a specific organ. . When introduced into the stomach, alcohol goes rapidly into the bloodstream. From the intestines it enters the blood even faster. When it is consumed with food, it is absorbed into the blood more slowly. After entering the blood, it passes easily into the brain, where it exerts its effects on behavior.

Along with alcohol's effect on the brain causing sedation or drunkenness, it causes a general loss of brain tissue. There is a specific condition of the brain called alcoholic dementia, in which individuals develop difficulty swallowing, suffer impaired problem-solving skills, and have difficulty in manipulating objects.

Alcohol is associated with cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, stomach, liver, lung, pancreas, colon (large intestine), and rectum. These cancers may result from alcohol's irritating effects on body tissues.

 In the United States alone, more than 50% of the reported crimes are due to alcoholism, and I’m not even talking about any medical conditions here.

  

It’s not just Islam that prevents its followers from drinking Alcohol. It’s the Bible too. There are 2 versions of the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament. BOTH prevent its followers from alcohol. I’ve quoted a few verses from both the testaments below.

 OLD TESTAMENT:

“Woe to those who are champions at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks” Isaiah 5:22 (New International Version) 

“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor” Proverbs 23:20-21 (New International Version) 

”Then the LORD said to Aaron: ‘You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You must distinguish between the holy and the profane, between the unclean and the clean.’” Leviticus 10:8-10 (New International Version) 

 NEW TESTAMENT:

“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, and idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard of a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11 (New International Version) 

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 9:9-10 (New International Version) 

“Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 (New International Version) 

  

Finally coming to the Quran, though there are many verses that talk about alcohol being prohibited, I think listing just one is more than sufficient. (If you are interested to see more verses in the Quran that talks about alcohol, read Surah Al Baqarah)

 O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaiytan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. 
( 
سورةالمائدة  , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #90) (Interpretation of the meaning. Translated by Mohsin Khan)

 The Prophet (PBUH) was once asked about certain drinks made from honey, corn, or barley by the process of fermenting them until they became alcoholic. The Prophet (PBUH) succinctly replied, "Every intoxicant is Khamr, and every Khamr is haraam." (Reported by Muslim.)

 And `Umar (RAA) declared from the pulpit of the Prophet (PBUH) that "Khamr is that which befogs the mind." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

 

So that’s about proving alcohol is HARAAM in Islam. However, does that means the alcohol in medicines, mouthwashes, cologne/perfumes and cosmetics haraam too?

 Let’s deal with it one by one:

 Medicines that contain alcohol:

If the medicine containing alcohol is essentially an intoxicant, such that drinking a large amount of it would make one drunk, then it is haraam to take it or to give it, because the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whatever makes one drunk in large amounts, a little of it is haraam" (Reported by the four muhadditheen and others). If it is not an intoxicant, then it is permitted to give it and to apply it to the skin, etc.

 Mouthwash that contains alcohol:

If the alcohol which this mouthwash contains is not intoxicating, then it is OK to use it, so long as it is not harmful, because what is haraam is only that which is intoxicating. 

 (Note: The above statements about alcohol in mouthwash/medicines were made by Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd).

 Colognes/Perfumes that contains alcohol:

If the percentage of alcohol is very little (5% or less), then it does not matter, and a person may use them. However, if the percentage of alcohol is very high, so that you can detect it, then it is better not to use it except where it is necessary, such as for sterilizing wounds and the like.

However, the Shaykhs were cautious not to say that it is haraam. This is so because no doubt CONSUMING intoxicants is haraam according to Islam, but is using it in ways other than drinking allowed? This is open to speculation but to be on a safe side we should avoid using it if the content of alcohol is way high.

But why is there an open speculation about it?

Due to the verse of Surah al-Ma’idah (5:90-91) where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning) “O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, al-ansaab [animals that are sacrificed on stone altars for idols], and al-azlaam [arrows for seeking luck or decision], are an abomination of Shaytaan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytaan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from al-salaah (the prayer). So will you not then abstain?”

If we look at the reason why, Allah says, “Shaytaan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from al-salaah (the prayer). So will you not then abstain?” We may understand this to mean that only drinking it is forbidden, because applying it to the skin does not lead to that (enmity and hatred, etc.).

Cosmetics that contain alcohol:

It is safer not to use beauty products that contain alcohol, because of the difference of opinion as to whether intoxicating substances are naajis (impure) or not. If one is forced to use them and the amount of alcohol contained is very small, then it is OK.

 (Note: The above statements about alcohol in perfumes and cosmetics were made by Shaykh Muhammad S Al-Munajjid)

 Thus, the conclusion that can be drawn here is that we can use these products if they have small amounts of alcohol in them such that this amount does not caus intoxication. As for the products with high level of alcohol in them, we should try to avoid it!

If you have paid enough attention in your Chemistry class you would know that alcohol is a volatile liquid (a liquid that evaporates at room temperature). If you never had chemistry then let it be information for you. So now is it permissible to eat dishes cooked with alcohol? I mean the alcohol evaporates doesn’t it.

 Again, let’s let an expert answer that:

“Many people believe that because alcohol is sensitive to heat, it is eliminated with cooking. However, not all the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks is removed with heat; it depends on the type and time of cooking. For instance if you add beer or wine to boiling liquid, then immediately remove it from the heat, 85 per cent of the alcohol content will remain. If you light the alcohol, as in flambé dishes, 75 per cent will remain. Even after simmering the dish for one and a half hours, it will still have 20 per cent of the original alcohol content. It is only if you simmer the mixture for two or more hours, (as you would with a wine-based beef casserole), that as little as five to 10 per cent of the original alcohol content remains.” (Mayo Clinic Health Oasis)
 
What is the punishment of consuming alcohol???


In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (2295) and Saheeh Muslim (86) it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said: the Prophet (PBUH) said: “No one who commits zina is a believer at the moment when he is committing zina, and no one who drinks wine is a believer at the moment when he is drinking it, and no thief is a believer at the moment when he is stealing, and no robber is a believer at the moment when he is robbing and the people are looking on.” This means that such a person is not a believer in the sense of having complete faith, rather his faith is greatly lacking because of this evil action.  In Sunan Abi Dawood (3189) it is narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (RAA) said: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Allah has cursed alcohol, the one who drinks it, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who squeezes it (squeezes the grapes, etc), the one for whom it is squeezed, the one who carries it and the one to whom it is carried.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2/700)

In Sunan al-Nasaa’i (5570) it is narrated that Ibn al-Daylami said to ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr, “O ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr, did you hear the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say anything about wine?” He said, “Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say, ‘If any man from among my ummah drinks wine, Allah will not accept his prayers for forty days.’” What this means is that he will not be rewarded for them, but he is still obliged to pray; in fact he is obliged to do all the prayers. If he forsakes prayer during this time, he will be committing one of the worst of major sins, one which some of the scholars said amounts to kufr, Allah forbid.

It was narrated from Jaabir (RAA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Allah has made a covenant (agreement) to those who drink alcohol, that He will make them drink teenat al-khabaal.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is teenat al-khabaal?” He said, “The sweat of the people of Hell,” or, “The juice of the people of Hell.” Narrated by Muslim, (3732). 



The Council of Senior Scholars is agreed that the punishment for one who drinks wine is the hadd punishment, which is eighty lashes.

 
Conclusion:
Using alcohol in ways other than drinking it may be permitted if small amounts are used, such as mixing it with perfumes that are used on clothes or the body, because it keeps them from spoiling, and because it keeps the clothes clean. This is OK, but drinking it is not permissible under any circumstances.

May Allah guide us to what is right and protect us from what is haraam- Ameen!


Picture


Wa-alykum Assalaam Wa Rahmat Allah Hi Wa Barakat!