❖ 3 Essential Shari'ah Rulings on Alcohol and Wine in Detail ❖
Taken from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 328
Is it permissible to use alcohol or cologne-based liquids used in printing, painting, or laboratory tests? Also, is wine (khamr) impure (najis)?
Definition and Source:
Alcohol is generally derived from wood or the roots of certain plants.
It contains a specific compound called "talta", abundantly found in the peels of sour fruits.
This substance is known to be highly flammable and quickly evaporating.
When used in pure form, it becomes lethal and harmful to health.
However, when mixed with other elements in balanced proportions, it produces an intoxicating effect.
Shar'i Ruling:
Alcohol, when not consumed or used for intoxication, does not carry the ruling of khamr (wine).
But if it is used in a way that it produces intoxication, the mixture becomes khamr, and its ruling is:
❖ Khamr is prohibited by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ).
Scholarly Disagreement:
This issue is a matter of difference of opinion among scholars:
They hold that khamr is inherently impure (najis al-ʿayn).
He maintains that khamr is not physically impure, but rather has metaphorical impurity (najāsah maʿnawiyyah)—its impurity lies in the intoxicating effect, not in its physical composition.
Any substance is considered pure unless proven otherwise.
Not every ḥarām thing is necessarily najis—for example, poison is ḥarām but not impure.
The verse of the Qur’an:
﴿يـٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا إِنَّمَا الخَمرُ وَالمَيسِرُ وَالأَنصابُ وَالأَزلـٰمُ رِجسٌ مِن عَمَلِ الشَّيطـٰنِ فَاجتَنِبوهُ﴾
— Surah al-Mā'idah
In this verse, rijs is described as an act of Shayṭān, i.e., ritual or behavioral impurity, not physical filth.
When wine was declared ḥarām, the Companions poured it into the streets of Madinah.
If wine were physically impure, it would have been impermissible to pour it out in public places—just like it is prohibited to pour urine.
When the meat of domestic donkeys was declared ḥarām, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that the vessels be washed.
But when wine was declared ḥarām, no such command was issued, which proves that wine is not najis al-ʿayn.
If wine touches clothing or utensils, washing them is not obligatory.
Not every use of wine or alcohol is ḥarām.
Only drinking or usages that lead to harm and evil are prohibited.
In Surah al-Mā'idah (90), Allah commands:
"فَاجتَنِبوهُ" (So avoid it)
Then in verse 91, He explains the reason:
"Indeed, Satan intends to cause between you animosity and hatred through wine and gambling, and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer."
So, the prohibition is due to the harms of drinking, not general usage.
If alcohol usage does not involve intoxication, and there is some clear benefit, then there is no Shar’i prohibition against its use.
Where necessity exists and the probability of prohibition is weak, then the prohibition is lifted.
Thus, its specific uses in printing, painting, and laboratory testing are permissible, in shā’ Allāh.
"Allah has created everything in the earth for human benefit."
Therefore, unless there is an explicit prohibition in the Qur’an or Sunnah, we cannot forbid people from using such substances.
Objection:
Why was wine wasted (poured out) when it became prohibited?
Response:
That action was due to the urgency and speed with which the Companions complied with the ruling.
At that point, wine had lost all its benefit, and hence it was discarded.
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn’s research reflects deep insight and understanding, and this topic is discussed in greater detail under Issue No. 148.
ھٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Taken from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 328❀ Question:
Is it permissible to use alcohol or cologne-based liquids used in printing, painting, or laboratory tests? Also, is wine (khamr) impure (najis)?
➊ The Nature and Use of Alcohol
Definition and Source:
Alcohol is generally derived from wood or the roots of certain plants.
It contains a specific compound called "talta", abundantly found in the peels of sour fruits.
This substance is known to be highly flammable and quickly evaporating.
When used in pure form, it becomes lethal and harmful to health.
However, when mixed with other elements in balanced proportions, it produces an intoxicating effect.
Shar'i Ruling:
Alcohol, when not consumed or used for intoxication, does not carry the ruling of khamr (wine).
But if it is used in a way that it produces intoxication, the mixture becomes khamr, and its ruling is:
❖ Khamr is prohibited by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ).
➋ Is Wine (Khamr) Impure (Najis)?
Scholarly Disagreement:
This issue is a matter of difference of opinion among scholars:
Majority of Scholars (Jumhūr):
They hold that khamr is inherently impure (najis al-ʿayn).
View of Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله):
He maintains that khamr is not physically impure, but rather has metaphorical impurity (najāsah maʿnawiyyah)—its impurity lies in the intoxicating effect, not in its physical composition.
Evidence Provided by Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله):
✔ 1. Principle of Original Purity
Any substance is considered pure unless proven otherwise.
Not every ḥarām thing is necessarily najis—for example, poison is ḥarām but not impure.
The verse of the Qur’an:
﴿يـٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا إِنَّمَا الخَمرُ وَالمَيسِرُ وَالأَنصابُ وَالأَزلـٰمُ رِجسٌ مِن عَمَلِ الشَّيطـٰنِ فَاجتَنِبوهُ﴾
— Surah al-Mā'idah
In this verse, rijs is described as an act of Shayṭān, i.e., ritual or behavioral impurity, not physical filth.
✔ 2. Pouring Wine in the Streets of Madinah
When wine was declared ḥarām, the Companions poured it into the streets of Madinah.
If wine were physically impure, it would have been impermissible to pour it out in public places—just like it is prohibited to pour urine.
✔ 3. No Command to Wash Vessels
When the meat of domestic donkeys was declared ḥarām, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that the vessels be washed.
But when wine was declared ḥarām, no such command was issued, which proves that wine is not najis al-ʿayn.
➌ Shar'i Boundaries for Usage
If wine touches clothing or utensils, washing them is not obligatory.
Not every use of wine or alcohol is ḥarām.
Only drinking or usages that lead to harm and evil are prohibited.
In Surah al-Mā'idah (90), Allah commands:
"فَاجتَنِبوهُ" (So avoid it)
Then in verse 91, He explains the reason:
"Indeed, Satan intends to cause between you animosity and hatred through wine and gambling, and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer."
So, the prohibition is due to the harms of drinking, not general usage.
✔ Permissible Uses of Alcohol
If alcohol usage does not involve intoxication, and there is some clear benefit, then there is no Shar’i prohibition against its use.
Where necessity exists and the probability of prohibition is weak, then the prohibition is lifted.
Thus, its specific uses in printing, painting, and laboratory testing are permissible, in shā’ Allāh.
Shar’i Principle:
"Allah has created everything in the earth for human benefit."
Therefore, unless there is an explicit prohibition in the Qur’an or Sunnah, we cannot forbid people from using such substances.
An Objection and Its Response
Objection:
Why was wine wasted (poured out) when it became prohibited?
Response:
That action was due to the urgency and speed with which the Companions complied with the ruling.
At that point, wine had lost all its benefit, and hence it was discarded.
Final Note:
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn’s research reflects deep insight and understanding, and this topic is discussed in greater detail under Issue No. 148.
ھٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
