Explanation of the author's statement: "And if he swore not to eat something, but ate it in a state where it is consumed in something else, like one who swore not to eat butter but ate a flatbread containing butter whose taste does not appear in it"
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The Shaykh : He said, "And if he swore not to eat something, but ate it in a state where it is consumed in something else, or consumed in something else, he has not broken his oath". This contains a great benefit. He says, "By Allah, I will not eat something." This thing he swore not to eat was mixed with another thing, but it was consumed... the place of this thing, no trace of it remains, neither taste nor smell nor effect, then he has not broken his oath. For example, it might be made one part out of a hundred parts, or two parts out of a hundred, or three out of a hundred, or something similar, such that it has no effect, then he has not broken his oath. Let us suppose he said, "By Allah, I will not drink this thing," and he mixed it with water, and this thing disappeared in the water because the thing is little and the water is much. It disappeared and has no effect at all. Does he break his oath or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He has not broken his oath, because that was consumed and disappeared; its effect, taste, and color disappeared. The evidence for this is the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes. And from here we know that regarding what is said about perfumes, that they may be mixed with alcohol or intoxicating substances, if this mixture is a small part, it has no effect. It does not make it khamr (intoxicants), and we do not sit with the opinion of those who consider it impure, even though the correct view is that khamr (intoxicants) is not impure in the first place. Now, if someone asks about the last issue, what do we do? With the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1865Hasan (Darussalam) Sunan Abi Dawud 3687Sahih (Al-Albani). What do we do with this hadith? We say the meaning of the hadith is that if there is a drink, if you drink a little of it you do not get intoxicated, and if you drink a lot you do get intoxicated, then both the little and the much are forbidden to you. Even the little that does not intoxicate you is forbidden to you, because drinking this little that does not intoxicate leads a person gradually to drinking a lot that intoxicates. It is not the meaning of the hadith that if a little of an intoxicant is mixed in it, it becomes forbidden. This is not the meaning of the hadith, and the hadith cannot be understood in this way. Rather, the meaning of the hadith is that this drink, if you drink a lot of it and get intoxicated, then its little is forbidden. Now, and if you drink a little of it and get intoxicated? Is that so?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, a fortiori. Now, it is said that this beer found in the market contains a mixture of alcohol; it is said so. We base it on this issue: if the mixture is small, it has no effect. If this mixture is small such that it is consumed in the barley in it, it has no effect. And if it is much, then both its little and its much are forbidden. Now, if someone says that if a person drinks five bottles of it... and what is the meaning of...? Is that so?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not intoxication, but it means he gets tired and his nerves relax. Is that so?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is not... in that it intoxicates, because if a person drinks a lot, even of water, he becomes weak. You find that if he drinks, for example, five cups of water, yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, or he lies down, he sprawls out and his belly distends, but he lies down. Now, in any case, the standard for this issue, my brothers, the standard is that if something is mixed with another and is consumed in it and no effect of it appears, its presence is like its absence. And this issue, as you have seen.
"Like one who swore not to eat butter but ate a flatbread containing butter". He said, "By Allah, I will not eat butter," and he ate a flatbread containing butter whose taste does not appear in it, he has not broken his oath. What is the flatbread?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The flatbread is something made from flatbreads or similar, yes, and butter is mixed in it, but this flatbread.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : He has not broken his oath, because that was consumed and disappeared; its effect, taste, and color disappeared. The evidence for this is the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)
Water is pure; nothing makes it impure except what overcomes its taste, color, or smell with impurity that occurs in it.
إن الماء طهور لا يُنجّسه شيء إلا ما غلب على طعمه أو لونه أو ريحه بنجاسة تحدث فيهWhatever a lot of it intoxicates, a little of it is unlawful.
ما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرامif a faraq of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden
ما أسكر منه الفرَق فملء الكف منه حرامThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, a fortiori. Now, it is said that this beer found in the market contains a mixture of alcohol; it is said so. We base it on this issue: if the mixture is small, it has no effect. If this mixture is small such that it is consumed in the barley in it, it has no effect. And if it is much, then both its little and its much are forbidden. Now, if someone says that if a person drinks five bottles of it... and what is the meaning of...? Is that so?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It is not intoxication, but it means he gets tired and his nerves relax. Is that so?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, we say this is not... in that it intoxicates, because if a person drinks a lot, even of water, he becomes weak. You find that if he drinks, for example, five cups of water, yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, or he lies down, he sprawls out and his belly distends, but he lies down. Now, in any case, the standard for this issue, my brothers, the standard is that if something is mixed with another and is consumed in it and no effect of it appears, its presence is like its absence. And this issue, as you have seen.
"Like one who swore not to eat butter but ate a flatbread containing butter". He said, "By Allah, I will not eat butter," and he ate a flatbread containing butter whose taste does not appear in it, he has not broken his oath. What is the flatbread?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The flatbread is something made from flatbreads or similar, yes, and butter is mixed in it, but this flatbread.