What is the ruling on using perfume that contains alcohol? And what is the evidence?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on using perfume that contains alcohol? And what are the evidences of those who prohibit it and those who permit its use? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : First, perfume that contains alcohol is not impure, even if it touches clothes, the clothes do not become impure. This is because the stronger position is that intoxicants are not impure in a sensory sense. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:90] He made it a practical abomination and associated it with gambling, sacrificial stones, and arrow-lots, and these three are not impure by consensus.
Another piece of evidence from the Sunnah is that when intoxicants were prohibited, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the vessels to be washed of them. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not shy away from pouring them out in the markets; rather, they poured them out in the markets. And what is impure is not permissible to be poured out in the market.
A third piece of evidence from the Sunnah: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after intoxicants were prohibited, and he had with him a large leather bag of intoxicants. Do you know what a "rawiyyah" is? It is a large bag containing intoxicants. He offered it as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not accept it and said:. Then a man whispered to him, meaning a man from the Companions spoke to the man who offered the bag. He told him: "Sell it." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man: . Then the man opened the mouth of the bag and poured it out. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to wash the bag after this intoxicant, nor did he forbid him from pouring it out in that place. This indicates that intoxicants are not impure.
A fourth piece of evidence: The original state is purity until evidence establishes impurity. Not everything that is forbidden is impure, correct? Not everything that is forbidden is impure, and everything that is impure is forbidden, correct?
Not everything that is forbidden is impure; the sentence ends there. And is everything that is impure forbidden? Hmm? Is that correct, my brothers? Yes, not everything that is forbidden is impure. Is poison forbidden and is it impure?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, it is not impure. What about silk for men? Is it clothing?
The student: It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden and it is not impure. What about gold for men? It is forbidden and not impure. What about smoking?
The student: It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden and not impure. So, not everything that is forbidden is impure; this is a rule.
And is everything that is impure forbidden? Hmm, is that correct? Everything that is impure is forbidden. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:145] So Allah attributed the prohibition to what? To impurity. We derived from this that everything that is impure is forbidden.
So we say: The prohibition of intoxicants is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims. Therefore... and he is living among the Muslims... but has evidence been established that it is impure? Absolutely not; there is no evidence that it is impure. So the original state for it is purity along with prohibition, until evidence establishes impurity.
And here are two important rules: "The original state of things is permissibility, and the original state of things is purity, unless prohibition is mentioned in the first issue, and unless impurity is mentioned in the second issue".
Based on this, we say: These perfumes that contain some alcohol are not impure. But do we say it is permissible to use them? We say that drinking them is undoubtedly forbidden because they intoxicate. As for using them for perfumery, it is a matter of consideration. Because if we look at the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted: we say it is obligatory to avoid intoxicants and anything containing intoxicants absolutely. And if we look at the reason for the command to avoid them, what is the reason? [Al-Ma'idah 5:91] This does not occur when a person uses it for perfumery, so we say that this is permissible.
And what I see, since the evidences are ambiguous, is that a person should not use this perfume except out of necessity. For example, if he wants to disinfect a wound, or something similar, or if it has a bad smell and he has no other perfume, and he wants to perfume himself to remove the bad smell. This is a necessity, and there is no harm in it, if Allah wills.
The reader: May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : First, perfume that contains alcohol is not impure, even if it touches clothes, the clothes do not become impure. This is because the stronger position is that intoxicants are not impure in a sensory sense. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah 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
يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما الخمر والميسر والأنصاب والأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطانAnother piece of evidence from the Sunnah is that when intoxicants were prohibited, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the vessels to be washed of them. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not shy away from pouring them out in the markets; rather, they poured them out in the markets. And what is impure is not permissible to be poured out in the market.
A third piece of evidence from the Sunnah: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after intoxicants were prohibited, and he had with him a large leather bag of intoxicants. Do you know what a "rawiyyah" is? It is a large bag containing intoxicants. He offered it as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not accept it and said:
It has been made forbidden.
إنها حرّمتWhat did you whisper to him? He said: I said, "Sell it, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price"
بم ساررته؟ قال: قلت بعها يا رسول الله، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن الله إذا حرّم شيئا حرّم ثمنهA fourth piece of evidence: The original state is purity until evidence establishes impurity. Not everything that is forbidden is impure, correct? Not everything that is forbidden is impure, and everything that is impure is forbidden, correct?
Not everything that is forbidden is impure; the sentence ends there. And is everything that is impure forbidden? Hmm? Is that correct, my brothers? Yes, not everything that is forbidden is impure. Is poison forbidden and is it impure?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No, it is not impure. What about silk for men? Is it clothing?
The student: It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden and it is not impure. What about gold for men? It is forbidden and not impure. What about smoking?
The student: It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden and not impure. So, not everything that is forbidden is impure; this is a rule.
And is everything that is impure forbidden? Hmm, is that correct? Everything that is impure is forbidden. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Say, "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, it is impure
قل لا أجد فيما أوحي إلي محرّما على طاعم يطعمه إلا أن يكون ميتة أو دما مسفوحا أو لحم خنزير فإنه رجسSo we say: The prohibition of intoxicants is established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims. Therefore... and he is living among the Muslims... but has evidence been established that it is impure? Absolutely not; there is no evidence that it is impure. So the original state for it is purity along with prohibition, until evidence establishes impurity.
And here are two important rules: "The original state of things is permissibility, and the original state of things is purity, unless prohibition is mentioned in the first issue, and unless impurity is mentioned in the second issue".
Based on this, we say: These perfumes that contain some alcohol are not impure. But do we say it is permissible to use them? We say that drinking them is undoubtedly forbidden because they intoxicate. As for using them for perfumery, it is a matter of consideration. Because if we look at the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
So avoid it
فاجتنبوهSatan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?
إنما يريد الشيطان أن يوقع بينكم العداوة والبغضاء في الخمر والميسر ويصدّكم عن ذكر الله وعن الصلاة فهل أنتم منتهونAnd what I see, since the evidences are ambiguous, is that a person should not use this perfume except out of necessity. For example, if he wants to disinfect a wound, or something similar, or if it has a bad smell and he has no other perfume, and he wants to perfume himself to remove the bad smell. This is a necessity, and there is no harm in it, if Allah wills.
The reader: May Allah reward you.