[MADRASA] Is Alcohol Nejjus?

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[MADRASA] Is Alcohol Nejjus?
OLD_BOARD
08/18/01 at 03:44:03
assalamalakum everyone

I have been hearing alot lately that products such as lotions, soaps, toners, hair creams & products, etc. that contain alcohol are nejjus (one can not pray with them while it are on them).

Any truth to this?

I would appreciate ANY feedback because alot of the products that I use in my daily life contain alcohol-I don't know what to do.

May Allah reward you


H.R.

[hr]

Asalaam alaikum wrt wb,

I present to you a question asked of
Dr. Siddiqi (president of ISNA) with regards
to soap having alcohol, and the ruling:


What is the Islamic ruling for a liquid soap product
which contains 62% Ethyl Alcohol? It should be borne in
mind that this type of Alcohol is not consumable and is
for external use only.

A 4. Ethyl alcohol is not najas (unclean). It is denatured alcohol
and it can be used in soaps or perfumes. If this alcohol touches
the body or clothes there is no need to wash them for the
purpose of Taharah.


Wasalaam,
Arshad
http://members.home.net/arshad

[hr]

As-Salamu Alaikom

There are differences in the opinions of the scholars regarding this topic (whether Alcohol is Najis / impure or not).

Of course all the scholars had Ijmaa/Consensus (gathered on the opinion) that Alcohol is Haram to drink. But if you had a stain of Alcohol on your clothes (or if you wear any product that contains alcohol) would this nullify your prayer?

The differences in this regard can be read in Fiqh As-Sunna (Volume 1: impurities):

"ALCOHOL: According to most scholars, alcohol
is impure. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Alcohol, games of chance, idols and divining arrows are
only an infamy of Satan's handiwork."

Some scholars say that it is pure, for they take the meaning of rajis in its abstract sense
as describing alcohol and whatever is related
to it. This is not labeled as impure in a definite, sensory way. Says Allah, "Stay away from the impurities of idols."

Idols are impure in the abstract sense, and they are considered impure if one touches them. The explanation of the preceding verse is that they are a tool of Satan, for they cause enmity and hatred and keep people away from the remembrance of Allah and pra.yer. In Subul as-Salaam it
says, "Their origin is pure and their being
prohibited does not mean that the object itself is impure. For example, hashish is prohibited but it is pure. But, something impure is not necessarily prohibited. Every impure thing is
prohibited, but not vice-versa. That is because of the ruling that something impure cannot be touched under any circumstances. If a ruling says that something is impure, it is also
prohibited. This differs from a ruling that something is prohibited. For example, it is
forbidden to wear silk and gold, but they are absolutely pure by consensus." If one understands that, then the prohibition of alcohol does not necessarily entail its
also being considered impure: it needs some other evidence to prove that it is impure. If
not, then we are left with the original position that it is pure. If one claims other than that, he must substantiate it." END of quote

Also, it would be important to mention that Sheikh Bin Baaz is of the first opinion, that Alcohol and products containing Alcohol are Najis (impure), therefore you can not pray wearing them. I heard and read this in his Fatawa.


Mira

[hr]

Asalaam alaekum.

I must ask... the Rasool Isu (Jesus,) peace be upon him, most certainly drank wine. If the alcohol itself were forbidden, ... well, it certainly cannot be both ways.

Someone posted earlier that it was the setting of idols. Being as drinking is setting something before Allah (SWT) this makes perfectly good sense, is reasonable.

I wonder if Allah (SWT) may see a difference between drinking wine because the water is fouled and the drinking for the sake of getting drunk. As is the case in much of the scriptures, these things DO make sense, if one thinks about it a bit and looks to divine the intention of our Rabb.

Then again, I am quite new to Islam... and pray Allah, The Compassionate, will grant us all greater understanding of His will for us.

Wasalaam,

John

[hr]

Asalaam alaikum wrt wb,

There seems to be some confusion about alcohol
used in the acholic drinks and denatured alcohol
(ethyl alcohol) which is basically poisonous.
Dr. Siddiqi elaborates more on this here, sorry
for the confusion:

It is Haram to consume the alcoholic drinks because they are intoxicating. Even a small amount of such drinks are
haram for consumption. One should also avoid touching alcoholic drinks. If wine or similar alcoholic intoxicating drinks fall
on the body or clothes, they should be washed for Taharah. Although the denatured ethyl alcohol is chemically the same as
the alcohol used in intoxicants, its purpose changes when it is used in products such as cleansers, sterilizers, perfumes,
rubbing alcohol etc. According to most of the jurists, the use of such products externally is not forbidden. It is also
permissible to use Shampoos or soups that may contain some alcohol.

;--------------------------
When asked about using the alcohol in perfumes that is dissolved and is poisonous Shaykh,
al-Mufti al-?Allaamah ?Abd al-?Azeez ibn
?Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, replied that it is permissible
to use this as perfume, and there does not seem to be any reason not
to do so. And Allaah knows best.

Wasalaam,
Arshad
http://members.home.net/arshad

[hr]
Just a point to note:

In 1985, the Fatwa Council of Malaysia issue a Fatwa that the searing of alcoholic perfume during prayers is allowable. I only read it in the newspaper, so i do not know much of the detail.

Elaboration on the issue states that all terminology and words use in Al-Quran and Hadith implying to intoxicating drinks does not imply specifically to alchohol but the drink as a whole. It is only recent scientific finding that prove alchohol to cause the intoxicating effect in these drink. Alchohol is only a constituent of the intoxicating drink but not the drink as a whole. Secondly, alchohol does not fall into any of the catagory of najjis classified by the fuqaha, or of it's cherecteristics. Thirdly, the alchohol is whorn and not consume.

Personally, i dare not assume fore or otherwise.

waLlahu alam bissawab


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