Answer to the Question

The Reality of Ethanol from the Viewpoint of Islam

(Translated)

Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
To the honorable scholar, Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah, may Allah safeguard
him and look after him. Can you please provide an explanation of what exactly
is the Islamic view on Ethanol? Is the substance itself considered Khamr, and
therefore it is prohibited, regardless whether it stands alone or in a solution,
and regardless of its amount (in a solution, e.g.: drinks, perfume, etc.?) I
apologize, there is one more thing, please discuss about ethanol in fruits.
Barak Allahu Feek.

Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
As I learned from the specialists in the science of alcohol, that there are two
types: Ethyl alcohol and Methyl alcohol. So if the name contained in the
question, "Ethanol", is Ethyl alcohol then here's the answer:
1. Alcohol has a class called methyl alcohol, and I was told that it is not an
intoxicant but is a deadly poison. Spirit fuel is from this class, and is taken
from sawdust of wood and others. Drinking it causes blindness and can lead
to death within days. Accordingly, the methyl is not Khamr, and does not
take the ruling (Hukm) of Khamr in terms of impurity (Najasa) and
prohibition (Tahreem), except in terms of the use of methyl as a poison
based on the principle of causing damage, for Ibn Majah reported from
'Ubadah Bin As-Samit :
‫َأ‬ ‫َأ‬
‫ِضَر اَر َواَل َضَرَر اَل ْن َقَضى ﷺ الَّلِه َر ُس وَل َّن‬
"That the Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬ruled that there is no damage and no
causation of harm".
2. Another class of alcohol is called ethyl alcohol, which is used in fermented
or distilled intoxicating drinks, and Medical spirit is of this kind. Ethyl alcohol
is also used in the industry as a preservative of some materials, as a drying
(dehydrating) agent, as a solvent for some alkali and fats (lubricants), as an
anti-freeze, as a solvent for some drugs, as a solvent for aromatic
substances such as cologne and perfumes, and is involved in the
manufacture of some carpentry materials. These uses are of three types:
a. In one type, alcohol is used as a solvent only, or as an additive to some
materials. In such use, alcohol does not lose its essence or its chemical
properties; rather it remains unchanged in its chemical composition and
its intoxicating effect. Hence the usage of alcohol under this type is
absolutely prohibited (Haram), such as the example of cologne. Thus the
usage of cologne is not permissible and it remains impure (Najis),
because it contains impurity (Najasa) which is mixed with it, and alcohol
remained unchanged. So it constitutes of materials that are blended with
 Khamr, and Khamr is impure. The evidence for this is the Hadeeth of Al-
Khushani: Ad-Daraqtani reported from Al-Khushani who said:

‫ َيا َر ُس وَل الَّلِه ِإَّنا ُنَخاِلُط اْلُمْش ِرِكيَن َوَلْيَس َلَنا ُقُدوٌر َواَل آِنَيٌة َغْيُر‬: ‫ ُقْلُت‬: ‫َقاَل‬
‫ اْس َتْغُنوا َعْنَها َما اْس َتَطْعُتْم َفِإْن َلْم َتِج ُدوا َفاْر َحُضوَها ِباْلَماِء‬: ‫ َفَقاَل‬: ‫ َقاَل‬، ‫آِنَيِتِهْم‬
‫َفِإَّن اْلَماَء َطُهوُر َها ُثَّم اْطُبُخوا ِفيَها‬
"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! We interact with the Mushrikeen and we
have no utensils other than their utensils.' 'Then he ‫ ﷺ‬said: 'Avoid them
as much as you can, but if you do not find anything else, then rinse them
with water, because water restores their purity, then cook in them.'"
Hence the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬said:
‫َطُهوُر َها اْلَماَء َفِإَّن‬
"because water restores their purity (Tahara)".
It means that these utensils were Najis, since they were filled with
Khamr, and they were purified after being rinsed. This proves that Khamr
is Najis and the question concerned utensils that were filled with Khamr,
as stated in the narration of Al-Khushani, reported by Abu Dawood from
Abi Tha'laba Al- Khushani, that he asked the Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬and
said:
‫َأ َأ‬ ‫َأ‬
‫َقاَل الَّلِه َر ُس وَل َس َل َّنُه‬: ‫َيْطُبُخوَن َوُهْم اْلِكَتاِب ْهَل ُنَج اِوُر ِإَّنا‬
‫َأ‬
‫ َثْعَلَبَة ِبي َعْن‬، ‫اْلُخ َش ِنِّي‬
‫ آِنَيِتِهُم ِفي َوَيْش َر ُبوَن‬، ‫الَّلِه َر ُس وُل َفَقاَل اْلَخ ْمَر‬: ‫َفُكُلوا َغْيَر َها َوَجْدُتْم ِإْن‬
‫اْلِخْنِزيَر ُقُدوِرِهُم ِفي‬
‫ ِفيَها‬،‫َواْش َر ُبوا َوُكُلوا ِباْلَماِء َفاْر َحُضوَها َغْيَر َها َتِج ُدوا َلْم َوِإْن َواْش َر ُبوا‬
"We adjoin the people of the book while they cook pork in their pots and
drink Khamr from their vessels. The Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬said: 'If you
find others than drink and eat from them. If you do not find others, then
rinse them with water and eat and drink.'"
Both pork and Khamr are Najis. Hence the utensils in which they are
placed become Najis. They must be washed to restore their purity
(Tahara) before their usage.
b. In another type, the essence of alcohol changes and it loses its
intoxication property. It is transformed, together with the other
substances, into a new substance that has properties different from
those of alcohol. The new substance is non-toxic hence it does not take
the Hukm of Khamr and it is pure (Tahir) like any other substance that
falls under the Shari'i principle "things are permitted in origin unless
there is an evidence of prohibition".
c. In another type, alcohol is changed in its essence and loses its
intoxication property. It forms with the other substances a new
substance with chemical properties different from those of alcohol, but
the new substance is poisonous, thus it falls under the Hukm of poison: It
is Tahir, but its usage for drinking or causing harm with them to oneself
or to others is Haram.
3. Therefore, if ethyl alcohol is mixed with other substances then the Hukm
regarding it depends on knowing whether the ethyl mixture loses its
intoxication property or not, and whether the mixture is poisonous or not...
This needs investigating the underlying reality by experts and specialists. If
it is scientifically proven or demonstrated that this mixture is intoxicating
then it takes the Hukm of Khamr, indicating that ethyl in the mixture has
not lost its intoxicating property and its essence in this mixture.
Nevertheless, if it is scientifically or practically proven that this mixture is no
longer intoxicating nor that it is poisonous, then it does not take the Hukm
of Khamr or the Hukm of poison. However, if it is scientifically or practically
proven that the mixture is no longer intoxicating but it remains poisonous,
then it does not take the Hukm of alcohol, but it falls under the Hukm of
poison.
Accordingly, if the resulting mixture is intoxicating like cologne then it takes
the Hukm of Khamr, for the Hadeeth of the Meesenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬as
narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from 'Aisha , the Mother of the
believers, she  said:
‫َح َر اٌم َفُهَو َأْس َكَر َش َر اٍب ُكُّل‬
"Every drink intoxicate it is Haram"

And with Muslim narrated from Ibn 'Umar , who said: The Messenger of
Allah ‫ ﷺ‬said:

... ‫ ُمْس ِكٍر ُكُّل‬، ‫َح َر اٌم ُمْس ِكٍر َوُكُّل َخ ْمٌر‬
"Every intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is Haram".

And in another narration of Ibn 'Umar :

‫ ُمْس ِكٍر ُكُّل‬، ‫َح َر اٌم َخ ْمٍر َوُكُّل َخ ْمٌر‬
"Every intoxicant is Khamr and every Khamr is Haram".
Additionally, Khamr is forbidden under ten circumstances and not only if it is
drunk. At-Tirmidhi reported from Anas Ibn Malik  who said:
‫َل‬
‫َعَش َر ًة الَخ ْمِر‬: ،‫ َعاِصَر َها‬،‫ َوُمْعَتِصَر َها‬،‫ َوَش اِرَبَها‬،‫َوالَمْح ُمو ُة َوَح اِمَلَها‬
‫ِفي ﷺ الَّلِه َر ُس وُل َلَعَن‬
‫ ِإَلْيِه‬،‫ َوَس اِقَيَها‬،‫ َوآِكَل َوَباِئَعَها‬،‫ َوالُمْش َتِري َثَمِنَها‬،‫َلُه َوالُمْش َتَر اُة َلَها‬،
"The Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬has cursed ten in relation to Khamar (alcohol): its
producer, the one for whom it is produced, the one who drinks it, the one
who transport it, and the one to whom it is transported, the one who serves
it, the one who sells it, the one who eats from its profit, the one who
purchase it, and the whom to whom it is purchased."
Any one of these ten roles is Haram.
4. With regard to your question about ethanol in fruit, this question is not
clear... If you meant in the question the innate properties of fruit, when it
ripens and is on the tree, and there was some of ethyl alcohol inherently
present there, i.e. if an analysis of the components of an orange, for
example, was carried out and found some ethanol ... If so, this has no effect,
 because alcohol here is not in a liquid intoxicant solution, it is in the solid
fruit that is innately existing in it. Nevertheless, if the fruit that contains
ethanol causes damage, it is not permissible to eat it according to the
principle of damage. Ibn Majah reported from 'Ubadah Bin As-Samit :
‫َأ‬ ‫َأ‬
‫ﷺ الَّلِه َر ُس وَل َّن‬، ‫ِضَر اَر َواَل َضَرَر اَل ْن َقَضى‬
"That the Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬ruled that there is no damage and no
causation of harm".

Otherwise, if you intended in the question other than this, then clarify it so that
we are able to give you the answer, Allah willing.

Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
23 Jumada I, 1435 AH
24.03.2014 CE