The ruling on using perfumes containing alcohol
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What is the ruling on using perfumes on the body and clothing? Some people prohibit this, citing the presence of alcohol in them.The Shaykh: What are perfumes?The questioner: Perfumes, O Shaykh! The Shaykh: Perfumes! Does anyone ask about the ruling on perfume? People seek out perfume. (Indeed, Allah is Pure and accepts nothing but what is pure) And the Mighty and Majestic said: [Al-Ma'idah: 100] I do not think this is the question you intend; perhaps you want something else.
The questioner: O Shaykh! They say that Eastern perfumes contain alcohol?The Shaykh: Do people drink them, or do they use them to perfume themselves?The questioner: They apply them to the body and clothing.
The Shaykh: I mean, do they use them to perfume themselves, or do they drink them?The questioner: No, they do not drink them.
The Shaykh: I say: There is no harm in using them. If the mixture is small, such as 30% or 40%, there is no problem with it, because the ruling is based on the majority. And if it is small and does not appear in the substance it is mixed with, there is no harm in it, nor is there any problem with it. And if there is a possibility [of harm], I do not forbid it, but I do not use it. I do not forbid it; because the noble verse only indicates the prohibition of drinking or eating khamr (intoxicants), for that is what destroys the intellect and causes enmity and hatred. As for rubbing it on the body, this does not cause enmity or hatred.Therefore, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Ma'idah: 90-91] And it is known that this, which I mean sowing enmity and hatred, does not occur except through drinking.It does not appear that his saying: (Avoid it) means: eating, drinking, and using it. This does not appear [to be the case]. (Avoid it) in this situation where it is a cause of enmity and hatred.
And in summary
First: Khamr (intoxicants) is not najis (ritually impure). The essence of khamr is not najis; because there is no evidence for its impurity. And prohibition does not necessitate that something is najis. It may be something forbidden but not najis, just as poison is forbidden but not najis. Smoke is forbidden but not najis. However, impurity necessitates prohibition. So every najis thing is forbidden, but not every forbidden thing is najis.
This is one point: there is no evidence for the impurity of khamr.
And as for His saying (the Exalted): [Al-Ma'idah: 90] So the intended meaning of "abomination" (rijas) is spiritual,Like His saying, the Exalted: [At-Tawbah: 28] (Impure) Is this physical impurity or spiritual impurity? It is spiritual. For this reason, the body of a disbeliever is pure.
So the impurity mentioned in the verse is spiritual impurity, which is the impurity of the deed.
Second: This is also indicated by the fact that when khamr was prohibited and it was with the Companions in their vessels, they poured the khamr into the markets and were not ordered to wash the vessels. If it had been najis, they would have been ordered to wash the vessels, just as they were ordered to wash the vessels from donkey meat when it was prohibited.
Third: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) with a large leather bag of khamr - a large water skin - khamr he had gifted to the Messenger (peace be upon him), and he said: It has become forbidden -Meaning: And I will not accept it while it is forbidden - So the man remained silent, and one of the Companions spoke to him in secret and said to him: Sell it.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (What did you whisper to him?He said: I said, O Messenger of Allah: Sell it.He said: No, if Allah forbids something, He forbids its price) So the man opened the mouth of the leather bag and poured out the khamr in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to wash the leather bag. If khamr had been najis, he would have ordered him to wash the leather bag.
Fourth: If we say that khamr is not najis, then what is mixed with it is not najis, a fortiori.
Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good
قُلْ لا يَسْتَوِي الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُThe questioner: O Shaykh! They say that Eastern perfumes contain alcohol?The Shaykh: Do people drink them, or do they use them to perfume themselves?The questioner: They apply them to the body and clothing.
The Shaykh: I mean, do they use them to perfume themselves, or do they drink them?The questioner: No, they do not drink them.
The Shaykh: I say: There is no harm in using them. If the mixture is small, such as 30% or 40%, there is no problem with it, because the ruling is based on the majority. And if it is small and does not appear in the substance it is mixed with, there is no harm in it, nor is there any problem with it. And if there is a possibility [of harm], I do not forbid it, but I do not use it. I do not forbid it; because the noble verse only indicates the prohibition of drinking or eating khamr (intoxicants), for that is what destroys the intellect and causes enmity and hatred. As for rubbing it on the body, this does not cause enmity or hatred.Therefore, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (91) Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling
إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِAnd in summary
First: Khamr (intoxicants) is not najis (ritually impure). The essence of khamr is not najis; because there is no evidence for its impurity. And prohibition does not necessitate that something is najis. It may be something forbidden but not najis, just as poison is forbidden but not najis. Smoke is forbidden but not najis. However, impurity necessitates prohibition. So every najis thing is forbidden, but not every forbidden thing is najis.
This is one point: there is no evidence for the impurity of khamr.
And as for His saying (the Exalted):
O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِO you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَذَاSo the impurity mentioned in the verse is spiritual impurity, which is the impurity of the deed.
Second: This is also indicated by the fact that when khamr was prohibited and it was with the Companions in their vessels, they poured the khamr into the markets and were not ordered to wash the vessels. If it had been najis, they would have been ordered to wash the vessels, just as they were ordered to wash the vessels from donkey meat when it was prohibited.
Third: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) with a large leather bag of khamr - a large water skin - khamr he had gifted to the Messenger (peace be upon him), and he said: It has become forbidden -Meaning: And I will not accept it while it is forbidden - So the man remained silent, and one of the Companions spoke to him in secret and said to him: Sell it.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (What did you whisper to him?He said: I said, O Messenger of Allah: Sell it.He said: No, if Allah forbids something, He forbids its price) So the man opened the mouth of the leather bag and poured out the khamr in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to wash the leather bag. If khamr had been najis, he would have ordered him to wash the leather bag.
Fourth: If we say that khamr is not najis, then what is mixed with it is not najis, a fortiori.