Is medical alcohol among the things that invalidate wudu, and are perfume and fragrances also among the things that invalidate fasting? What is the ruling on this?

The questioner : The questioner says in this question: Noble Shaykh, is medical alcohol among the things that invalidate wudu, and are perfume or fragrances also among the things that invalidate fasting? What is the ruling on this? May you be rewarded.

The Shaykh : Medical alcohol does not invalidate wudu. In fact, all impurities, if they touch the body, do not require wudu, because the things that invalidate wudu are related to the body itself, such as urine, feces, wind, or similar known invalidators.
As for impurities touching the body, they do not invalidate wudu. However, the question remains: is medical alcohol impure or not? This is based on the view that khamr (intoxicants) is impure. Most scholars hold that khamr is impure in a tangible sense, like the impurity of urine and feces, and that a person must get rid of it. But the stronger view is that khamr is not impure in a tangible sense, because there is no evidence for that. And although it is undoubtedly forbidden, prohibition does not necessarily imply impurity. For example, poisons are forbidden but not impure; smoking is forbidden, but the smoke is not impure. So prohibition does not imply impurity, but impurity does imply prohibition.
Several matters indicate that khamr is not impure. First, there is no evidence for its impurity, and the original ruling for things is purity.
Second, evidence actually indicates that it is pure, and this is from several angles. When the prohibition of khamr was revealed, the Muslims went out with its containers and poured it out in the markets of Madinah. An impure substance is not permitted to be poured out in the streets of Muslims. Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to wash the containers when its prohibition was revealed; that is, he did not order them to wash the containers of it, even though he ordered the washing of containers from the meat of donkeys when donkeys were forbidden. And it is established in Sahih Muslim that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) with a container of khamr to give it to him as a gift. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "It has been forbidden." A man whispered to him, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The man said, "I said, sell it." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then the man opened the mouth of the container and poured out the khamr in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he did not order him to wash the container. If khamr had been impure, he would have ordered him to wash the container of it.
If khamr is not impure in a tangible sense, then alcohol is not impure in a tangible sense. So if it touches the garment or the body, it is not obligatory to wash it.
The question remains regarding the use of what contains alcohol: is this permissible or not? We say that if the proportion is large, meaning the proportion of alcohol in this substance is large, then it is like pure alcohol. And if it is small and does not affect it, then it is not considered, and it does not prevent its use. If someone asks, "Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not say: But there is no doubt that caution and scrupulousness involve avoiding its use, due to the generality of His saying: So we advise our brothers not to use what contains alcohol if the proportion is large, except for a pressing need, such as disinfecting wounds or similar matters. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.