Is alcohol ritually impure in its essence or by ruling?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence, is alcohol impure in its essence or impure by ruling?
The Shaykh : No, it is impure by ruling.
The questioner : By ruling, meaning if it enters any foods that we do not eat?
The Shaykh : What do you mean?
The questioner : If it enters any foods or drinks that we eat and drink?
The Shaykh : What do you eat?
The questioner : If alcohol enters foods, like fish.
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, is there no difference between impurity by ruling and impurity in essence?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What does "by ruling" mean and what does "in essence" mean?
The questioner : "By ruling" means it is impure by a ruling, whereas "in essence" is a severe impurity...
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, the meaning of "sensory" is that it is forbidden, but it is not prohibited in the sense that, for example, khamr (intoxicants) is forbidden but it is not impure. This is what is meant by "by ruling" and "in essence."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So when you ask, "What do you eat?" are you asking about something forbidden or something lawful?
The questioner : Yes, something forbidden.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : When alcohol enters beverages, it becomes forbidden. For example, Pepsi contains a substance called caffeine. Is it permissible to drink it?
The Shaykh : This, O Shaykh, may Allah guide you, is a second question. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1865Hasan (Darussalam).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So Pepsi or any other drink, if the majority of it intoxicates, then the minority of it is forbidden.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : As for something that contains an intoxicant but does not make it intoxicating in large quantities, it is not forbidden, like medicine, for example. It is not forbidden. So, medicine contains alcohol, but no matter how much a person drinks of this medicine...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ...it cannot intoxicate him. So it is permissible to take it. Likewise, apply this to all liquids that contain a type of alcohol. If the majority of this type intoxicates, then the minority of it is forbidden.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you understood the answer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
The Shaykh : No, it is impure by ruling.
The questioner : By ruling, meaning if it enters any foods that we do not eat?
The Shaykh : What do you mean?
The questioner : If it enters any foods or drinks that we eat and drink?
The Shaykh : What do you eat?
The questioner : If alcohol enters foods, like fish.
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, is there no difference between impurity by ruling and impurity in essence?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What does "by ruling" mean and what does "in essence" mean?
The questioner : "By ruling" means it is impure by a ruling, whereas "in essence" is a severe impurity...
The Shaykh : O Shaykh, the meaning of "sensory" is that it is forbidden, but it is not prohibited in the sense that, for example, khamr (intoxicants) is forbidden but it is not impure. This is what is meant by "by ruling" and "in essence."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So when you ask, "What do you eat?" are you asking about something forbidden or something lawful?
The questioner : Yes, something forbidden.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : When alcohol enters beverages, it becomes forbidden. For example, Pepsi contains a substance called caffeine. Is it permissible to drink it?
The Shaykh : This, O Shaykh, may Allah guide you, is a second question. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
Whatever a lot of it intoxicates, a little of it is unlawful.
ما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرامThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So Pepsi or any other drink, if the majority of it intoxicates, then the minority of it is forbidden.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : As for something that contains an intoxicant but does not make it intoxicating in large quantities, it is not forbidden, like medicine, for example. It is not forbidden. So, medicine contains alcohol, but no matter how much a person drinks of this medicine...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ...it cannot intoxicate him. So it is permissible to take it. Likewise, apply this to all liquids that contain a type of alcohol. If the majority of this type intoxicates, then the minority of it is forbidden.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Perhaps you understood the answer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.