What is the ruling on perfume that contains alcohol?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : We are addressing the Emiratis... there is much disagreement, unlike in many other countries... that abundant wealth makes it easy for a person... I advise against using alcohol... this introduction and this preamble... alcohol... if we know this fact, and that khamr (intoxicants) is from alcohol, and were it not for alcohol, there would be no khamr, as came in some reports, then alcohol is the mother of all evils, the known khamr of old... to extract alcohol from... it is beyond being forbidden; this ruling itself transfers... it does not become ritually impure, but... I may fear, due to His saying—Blessed and Exalted is He—: ... it leads to righteousness and piety, so there is no doubt... completely, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression... any means that leads to disobedience... came as a detail for this Qur'anic rule... and this, for example, and this—also—reminds people of the thing; those who deposit their money, and the best of them is the one who deposits his money and does not take interest on it, the riba (usury or interest) that you do not hear of except very rarely, and rather the benefit, the benefit. He tells you, for example, the righteous man: "I am compelled to deposit my money, but I do not take benefit on it." We use the expression in its place... here the benefit is not here, and here the benefit is... ., in connection with the previous verse: , he said—peace be upon him— he—peace be upon him—restricted himself to his saying... I deposit my money in the bank to preserve it and do not take benefit on it, he has made a mistake... the one who deposits money in the bank only to preserve it has made a mistake twice: the first time in action, and the second time in words, in speech. I deposited my money in the bank, this is an action, ah, the second time when he said: "I do not take benefit on it." That one made a single practical mistake, and without doubt, the practical mistake is more dangerous with Allah—Mighty and Majestic—than the verbal mistake. You must know that shirk (associating partners with Allah) is practical and shirk is verbal, ah, do you know this?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And so all matters are divided; every sin is divided into a practical mistake and a verbal mistake. The rich man who deposits his money in the bank and says: "I deposited my money in the bank and do not take benefit on it," we know that he has made a mistake twice: a practical mistake and a verbal mistake. And the one who says, "I deposited my money in the bank and do not take riba (usury or interest) on it," has made a mistake once... his ruling is: like the one who eats riba. Why? Because the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—and here is the point—said: and this is part of the intervening sentence... naturally, its seller, its buyer, its carrier, and the one to whom it is carried, all of them have the same ruling... we return to alcohol: the perfume that contains alcohol, perhaps you know... perfumes differ in their alcohol percentages. This cologne, many people use it for washing and cleaning, and it has a pleasant scent, and the alcohol percentage in it is high, 60%, 70%, etc., but other perfumes have a very small percentage. What is of the first type, i.e., cologne with a high percentage of alcohol, this is not permissible to sell or buy. Why? Because it turns into khamr for the addicts... the khamr in it is at least openly, and it is not allowed as is the case here, for example... others use cologne instead of khamr. Therefore, this type of cologne is not permissible, neither its purchase nor its sale nor trading in it. As for other perfumes that may contain alcohol in a percentage that makes it impossible to convert it into khamr, as is the case with cologne, then it is permissible to trade in them. This is what I wanted to mention, and you have known the answer to your question.

The questioner: Yes, may Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : And I gave you an answer in addition to what you asked.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : That is because, at the time when we are, as you saw, busy, but this is an opportunity not to be missed, as long as you are eager to meet me, I am more eager to meet you than you are of me.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you all.