Manufacturing cans used for intoxicants
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Fatwa number ( 18427 )
Q: We wish to inform Your Eminence that we are a private joint-stock company, with ownership structured as follows: 1 - The Jordanian side 20%. 2 - The Saudi side 40%. 3 - The American side 40%. Its capital and assets exceed thirty million US dollars, and production began in July 1995. It employs more than 150 Jordanian employees, including 20 engineers whom the company sent to America for training in this industry.
The factory manufactures aluminum cans for carbonated beverages, and we prepare the cans printed with the name of the substance intended to be filled by the companies we deal with. Our production volume is approximately 400 million cans annually, of which about 150 million are sold in Jordan to Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola filling companies, and the rest are exported to neighboring Arab countries, as well as Western and Eastern European countries, according to orders received by our parent company in America . We have received a request to fill 30 million cans of vodka, which is an intoxicating drink. We manufacture the empty can, exactly like a juice cup, and it is sent to Russia for them to fill it and place the lid, which is manufactured by other companies, and to seal and market it in their markets. Our question to Your Eminence is: Is there any prohibition or doubt in the workers’ engagement in this industry, which fills only about 10% of its output, and in most cases for companies selling intoxicating drinks, while the remaining 90% goes to companies selling carbonated beverages, most notably Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola? Please note that the factory operates automatically, with aluminum sheets entering from one side and an empty can printed with the name of the contents exiting at the end according to the order.
Since a small number of workers are hesitant to work, this leads to the disruption of work, depriving shareholders of income and production, and placing us in an awkward position with our Saudi and American partners, who own the majority of this industry. Given Your Eminence’s knowledge that such requests are seasonal and sometimes do not reach our factory at all, perhaps because they establish a factory in their own country and such requests cease, please advise us of your legal opinion, and may Allah reward you with the best reward.
A: It is not permissible to manufacture cans for a company to be filled with intoxicating drink by another company; because this is cooperation in sin and aggression, and Allah has forbidden that in His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] And from Ibn 'Umar - may Allah be pleased with them both - he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 3674Sahih (Al-Albani), narrated by Abu Dawud with this wording, and Ibn Majah, and he added: This is a warning to the Muslim against assisting in intoxicants by any means.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: We wish to inform Your Eminence that we are a private joint-stock company, with ownership structured as follows: 1 - The Jordanian side 20%. 2 - The Saudi side 40%. 3 - The American side 40%. Its capital and assets exceed thirty million US dollars, and production began in July 1995. It employs more than 150 Jordanian employees, including 20 engineers whom the company sent to America for training in this industry.
The factory manufactures aluminum cans for carbonated beverages, and we prepare the cans printed with the name of the substance intended to be filled by the companies we deal with. Our production volume is approximately 400 million cans annually, of which about 150 million are sold in Jordan to Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola filling companies, and the rest are exported to neighboring Arab countries, as well as Western and Eastern European countries, according to orders received by our parent company in America . We have received a request to fill 30 million cans of vodka, which is an intoxicating drink. We manufacture the empty can, exactly like a juice cup, and it is sent to Russia for them to fill it and place the lid, which is manufactured by other companies, and to seal and market it in their markets. Our question to Your Eminence is: Is there any prohibition or doubt in the workers’ engagement in this industry, which fills only about 10% of its output, and in most cases for companies selling intoxicating drinks, while the remaining 90% goes to companies selling carbonated beverages, most notably Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola? Please note that the factory operates automatically, with aluminum sheets entering from one side and an empty can printed with the name of the contents exiting at the end according to the order.
Since a small number of workers are hesitant to work, this leads to the disruption of work, depriving shareholders of income and production, and placing us in an awkward position with our Saudi and American partners, who own the majority of this industry. Given Your Eminence’s knowledge that such requests are seasonal and sometimes do not reach our factory at all, perhaps because they establish a factory in their own country and such requests cease, please advise us of your legal opinion, and may Allah reward you with the best reward.
A: It is not permissible to manufacture cans for a company to be filled with intoxicating drink by another company; because this is cooperation in sin and aggression, and Allah has forbidden that in His saying:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِAllah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed.
لعن الله الخمر وشاربها وساقيها ومبتاعها وبائعها وعاصرها ومعتصرها وحاملها والمحمولة إليهand its eater of the price
وآكل ثمنهاAnd success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.