The ruling on perfuming oneself with cologne.

The questioner : I used to hear a long fatwa from you in the past prohibiting the use of cologne for perfuming, but last time when I was in Oman, some young men asked you and you ruled it permissible, even though the first fatwa prohibiting it was very long and strict. So, is there something we should understand regarding the retraction of the first fatwa?

The Shaykh : There is no retraction; rather, it is a matter of specification. Permissibility has its place, and prohibition has its place. The place of permissibility is when the alcohol content is low, such that a large amount of the cologne does not become intoxicating; in this case, it is permissible. As for when the alcohol content in the cologne is high, such that drinking it would cause intoxication, then it is not permissible to use a large amount or a small amount.

The questioner : Is this known by what is written on the bottle? For example, a percentage of so much?

The Shaykh : This is the common, well-trodden path, and those afflicted with drinking intoxicants may know it. But the rule we have heard from some of them—chemists—is that intoxicating wine has an alcohol content of , for example. So, if the alcohol content in the cologne is or more, it is worse than wine. The reality we hear about some addicts in some Arab countries where wine is publicly forbidden, and they find no way to access it, is that they resort to mixing cologne with some liquids, they purify it and drink it, and they use it in place of wine. So, there is no contradiction between...

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : -And upon you be peace- The specification you referred to; because the summary you mentioned is included within it.