Is it permissible to use scents and perfumes that contain a percentage of alcohol, as in the purification of wounds and the like? Please inform us; may Allah reward you.
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The questioner : Is it permissible to use scents and perfumes that contain a percentage of alcohol, as in the purification of wounds and the like? Please inform us; may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This question requires two things in its answer. The first is: Is khamr (intoxicants) ritually impure or not? This is a matter on which the scholars have differed, and the majority of scholars hold that khamr is ritually impure in a tangible sense, meaning that if it touches a garment, the body, or a place, it is obligatory to purify oneself from it. Some scholars say that khamr is not ritually impure in a tangible sense, because impurity is a legal ruling that requires evidence, and there is no evidence that khamr is ritually impure. If it is not established by legal evidence that khamr is ritually impure, then the original state is purity. If the original state is purity, then the one who rules it impure is required to provide evidence.
Someone might say: The evidence is from the Book of Allah in His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:90] and "rajis" means impure, as indicated by His saying: [Al-An'am 6:145] meaning the food mentioned, namely carrion, pork, and flowing blood, , [Al-An'am 6:145] meaning this food, namely carrion, flowing blood, and pork, meaning it is impure. The evidence that "rajis" here means impure is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the skins of carrion: So his saying: is evidence that they were impure, and this is a known matter among the scholars. If "rajis" means impure, then His saying in the verse prohibiting khamr: [Al-Ma'idah 5:90] means it is impure. However, the response to this is that the "rajis" intended here is practical impurity, not tangible impurity, as evidenced by His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:90] and by the fact that gambling, sacrificial stones, and divination arrows are not ritually impure in a tangible sense, as is known. The report here [Al-Ma'idah 5:90] is a report about the four matters: khamr, gambling, sacrificial stones, and divination arrows. If it is a report about these four matters, it is a ruling on all of them with a ruling in which they are equal. Furthermore, those who say that khamr is not ritually impure in a tangible sense have evidence from the Sunnah. When the prohibition of khamr was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the vessels to be washed from it, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) poured it out in the markets. If it had been ritually impure, they would not have poured it out in the markets because of the resulting defilement of the markets and the impurity of those passing through them. Rather, it is established in "Sahih Muslim" in the story of the man who gifted a jar of khamr to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: So a man whispered to him, meaning another man spoke secretly to this Companion, telling him: Sell it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about that, and he informed him that the man was telling him: Sell it. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 26:35 So the man opened the mouth of the jar and poured out the khamr in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to wash it from this khamr. This indicates that khamr is not ritually impure in a tangible sense.
This is the first matter this question requires. As for the second matter: If it is established that khamr is not ritually impure, which is the stronger position in my view, then alcohol does not become ritually impure in a tangible sense, but its impurity is conceptual, because intoxicating alcohol is khamr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And if it is khamr, then its use in drinking and eating, by mixing it in something edible and eating it, is forbidden by explicit text and scholarly consensus.
As for its use in other things, such as purification from germs and the like, it is a matter of consideration. Whoever avoids it is more cautious. I am not able to say that it is forbidden, but I do not use it myself except when there is a need for it, such as if I need to sterilize a wound or the like. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This question requires two things in its answer. The first is: Is khamr (intoxicants) ritually impure or not? This is a matter on which the scholars have differed, and the majority of scholars hold that khamr is ritually impure in a tangible sense, meaning that if it touches a garment, the body, or a place, it is obligatory to purify oneself from it. Some scholars say that khamr is not ritually impure in a tangible sense, because impurity is a legal ruling that requires evidence, and there is no evidence that khamr is ritually impure. If it is not established by legal evidence that khamr is ritually impure, then the original state is purity. If the original state is purity, then the one who rules it impure is required to provide evidence.
Someone might say: The evidence is from the Book of Allah in His saying:
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, so avoid it that you may be successful.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَSay, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed,
قُلْ لا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it is
فإنه رِجْسٌSay, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed,
قُلْ لا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُimpure
رِجْسٌwater and gnawing purify it
يطهّرها الماء والقرضpurify it
يُطهرهاdefilement from the work of Satan
رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِdefilement from the work of Satan
رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِdefilement from the work of Satan
رجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِIt has been made forbidden.
إنها حرّمتIndeed, when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price
إن الله إذا حرّم شيئاً حرّم ثمنهThis is the first matter this question requires. As for the second matter: If it is established that khamr is not ritually impure, which is the stronger position in my view, then alcohol does not become ritually impure in a tangible sense, but its impurity is conceptual, because intoxicating alcohol is khamr, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every intoxicant is khamr (intoxicants)
كل مسكر خمرAs for its use in other things, such as purification from germs and the like, it is a matter of consideration. Whoever avoids it is more cautious. I am not able to say that it is forbidden, but I do not use it myself except when there is a need for it, such as if I need to sterilize a wound or the like. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.