This content is extracted from the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women", based on the fatwas of the scholars of Haramain and translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
Wail bin Hujr (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Tariq bin Suwayd (رضي الله عنه) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the use of alcohol, and he (ﷺ) forbade its consumption. Tariq said, “I use it as a medicine.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِدَوَاءٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ دَاءٌ
(“It is not a remedy but a disease.”)
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1984]
This narration is recorded by Imam Ahmad and Muslim (رحمهما الله).
Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الدَّاءَ وَالدَّوَاءَ، وَجَعَلَ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءً، فَتَدَاوَوْا، وَلَا تَدَاوَوْا بِحَرَامٍ
(“Indeed, Allah has sent down the disease and the cure, and He has made a cure for every disease. So seek treatment, but do not seek treatment through unlawful means.”)
[Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 3874 (Da'if)]
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) also reported:
نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الدَّوَاءِ الْخَبِيثِ
(“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade the use of impure medicines.”)
[Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3459 (Sahih)]
In another narration, the term "impure medicines" includes poisons or other harmful substances.
Imam Bukhari (رحمه الله) mentioned in his Sahih, quoting a narration from Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه):
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ شِفَاءَكُمْ فِيمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ
(“Indeed, Allah has not placed your cure in what He has made unlawful for you.”)
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5291]
Ibn Mas’ud’s (رضي الله عنه) statement was later narrated as a saying of the Prophet (ﷺ) in the works of Abu Hatim Ibn Hibban.
May Allah bless the believers who prioritize lawful solutions and avoid unlawful remedies, trusting in His wisdom and mercy.
Question
What is the ruling in Islamic law regarding the consumption of alcohol in cases of necessity, such as when a doctor prescribes it as part of treatment?Answer
According to the majority of scholars, consuming alcohol or any other impure (khabith) substance prohibited by Allah for the purpose of treatment is impermissible.Wail bin Hujr (رضي الله عنه) narrated that Tariq bin Suwayd (رضي الله عنه) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the use of alcohol, and he (ﷺ) forbade its consumption. Tariq said, “I use it as a medicine.” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِدَوَاءٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ دَاءٌ
(“It is not a remedy but a disease.”)
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1984]
This narration is recorded by Imam Ahmad and Muslim (رحمهما الله).
Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الدَّاءَ وَالدَّوَاءَ، وَجَعَلَ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءً، فَتَدَاوَوْا، وَلَا تَدَاوَوْا بِحَرَامٍ
(“Indeed, Allah has sent down the disease and the cure, and He has made a cure for every disease. So seek treatment, but do not seek treatment through unlawful means.”)
[Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 3874 (Da'if)]
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) also reported:
نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الدَّوَاءِ الْخَبِيثِ
(“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade the use of impure medicines.”)
[Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3459 (Sahih)]
In another narration, the term "impure medicines" includes poisons or other harmful substances.
Imam Bukhari (رحمه الله) mentioned in his Sahih, quoting a narration from Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه):
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ شِفَاءَكُمْ فِيمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ
(“Indeed, Allah has not placed your cure in what He has made unlawful for you.”)
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5291]
Ibn Mas’ud’s (رضي الله عنه) statement was later narrated as a saying of the Prophet (ﷺ) in the works of Abu Hatim Ibn Hibban.
Clarification on Using Alcohol for Treatment
The above texts and narrations clearly prohibit using impure or unlawful substances, such as alcohol, for treatment. Alcohol is regarded as Umm al-Khaba’ith (the mother of all evils) and a compilation of sins. Scholars from Kufah who permitted treatment with alcohol based their reasoning on its comparison to eating carrion or drinking blood in cases of necessity. However, this analogy is weak, as:- Necessity and Life Preservation:
- Eating carrion or drinking blood in dire circumstances directly preserves life and fulfills an immediate necessity. Allah has specifically allowed these actions to save a person’s life.
- On the other hand, consuming alcohol for treatment is not a guaranteed remedy or necessity. The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly stated that alcohol is not a cure but a disease.
- No Assurance of Cure:
- The use of alcohol as medicine does not provide certainty of healing. Instead, the Prophet (ﷺ) affirmed that it is harmful and not a remedy.
Advice for Muslims
Muslims should restrict themselves to treatments that are lawful (halal) and pure (tayyib). They should avoid what Allah has prohibited, relying instead on permissible remedies. Allah’s mercy and wisdom encompass all things, and He has made adequate provision for cures within lawful and pure means.May Allah bless the believers who prioritize lawful solutions and avoid unlawful remedies, trusting in His wisdom and mercy.