Here I have collections of Alcohol related question and answers by various scholars.

QUESTION :: As-Salamu `Alaykum. I know that drinking alcoholic beverages is Haram according to Islamic law. What about other uses of alcohol in the following categories: rubbing over an injury, cologne or perfumes that contain alcohol, toothpaste that contains alcohol and using any soap or any cleaning material that contains alcohol?

ANSWER :: In his response to the question, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), states the following:

“There are many types of alcohol, actually there are hundreds of members in alcohol family. Among them ethyl is the best known and this alcohol is generally used in beverages. There are some types of alcohol that are denatured and are used in perfumes and other cleansing agents. The rubbing alcohol does not contain ethyl alcohol. It is dangerous for drinking and may cause blindness and death. The external use of such alcohol is not forbidden in Islam.

According to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it is Haram to drink alcohol or alcoholic beverages. Even a small amount of alcohol is Haram and it must be avoided. However, jurists have differed on the Najasah or the physical impurity of alcohol. Some of them consider it Najis (impure), meaning that if it touches the body and clothes then it must be washed. There are others who do not consider it Najis. There are many jurists who have allowed the use of rubbing alcohol and the use of perfumes that contain alcohol.

As far as toothpaste or mouthwash that contain alcohol is concerned, it is better to avoid them, because they go inside the mouth.”

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QUESTION :: Scholars of Islam, as-Salamu `alaykum! What is the Islamic ruling on wearing perfumes that contain alcohol?

ANSWER :: As for your question, some Muslim scholars say that wearing alcohol-based perfumes is allowed in Islam.

In this regard, Al-Azhar House of Fatwa issued the following Fatwa:

“In Islam, it is unanimously held that all things are supposed to be deemed pure, and that it is not necessary that all what is declared forbidden is considered impure. This is because impurity is a legal ruling that needs evidence. For example, drugs and fatal poisons are forbidden, yet this by no means qualify them to be impure.

For this reason, some scholars including Rabi`ah, Al-Layth Ibn Sa`d, Al-Muzani (the companion of Ash-Shafi`i) and some other scholars hold that wine is pure regardless of its being unlawful, and that only drinking it is forbidden. However, the majority of jurists are of the view that wine is impure and forbidden.

Thus, we conclude that all that is impure is deemed forbidden, but not vice versa. This is because regarding something as impure is to forbid any physical contact with it, whereas regarding something as unlawful is not necessarily to forbid any contact with it. To illustrate, wearing gold and silk is unlawful (for men), yet they are considered pure by the consensus of scholars and thus can be touched by men.

As far as perfumes containing alcohol is concerned, they consist of many ingredients like water, perfume, and alcohol that comprises the highest percentage. It is known that alcohol is produced from sugarcane by way of distillation. Thus, according to the juristic rule, which states that all things are presumed to be originally pure and that being prohibited does not render something impure, perfumes that contain alcohol are pure, particularly if we bear in mind that they are used for cleaning and perfuming the body. Thus, it is permissible to use these perfumes and there is nothing wrong in that.”

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America, adds:

“It is forbidden to drink alcohol. In the perfumes usually denatured alcohol is used. This alcohol is not unclean (najas). According to some jurists even natural alcohol is not najas. According to the Shari`ah, there is nothing wrong in using alcohol based perfumes.”

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QUESTION :: As-Salamu `Alaykum, are Muslims allowed to put on hair gel that has alcohol in it?

ANSWER :: In his response to the question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, Senior Lecturer and Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states the following:

“As Muslims, it is our Islamic duty to steer clear of prohibited things to the best of our ability. Therefore, if you know for sure that gel contains alcohol then you should avoid it as much as possible. However, because gel and cosmetics are generally applied externally on the skin, they are considered permissible if they are used only for external use according to the Fatwa of a number of scholars in the Muslim world.

This is based on the fact that the prohibition of consuming alcohol cannot be applied to external uses. Also, the amount of alcohol that is used in producing such cosmetics is so minor that one may overlook it without incurring a sin, because Shari`ah does not encourage extreme rigidity especially in matters that are of common use and cannot be avoided except with difficulty.

However, in case of doubt, it is always close to piety or Al-Wara` to avoid that which is doubtful in favor of that which is not doubtful. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “Leave alone what puts you in doubt and turn toward what put your heart at ease.”(Reported by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi, An-Nisa’i, Al- Hakim, and Ibn Hibban)

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