Why Muslims Can Touch Alcohol with 5 Convincing Hadiths
C.J Ahmed-01.04.2023
Alcohol is a chemical that is used for various purposes and Isam does not prohibit touching chemical substances such as alcohol. The main opposition among those who are against the touching of alcohol is that it is impure. This argument has no basis whatsoever in Islam.
1 Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported,
“Allah's Messenger (sal) took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it from Allah's Apostle (sal). Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir.”
(Sahih Muslim)
2 Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (sal) asked his family for condiments. They (the members of his household) said: “We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said "Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Vinegar contains alcohol and if alcohol is impure, the prophet(sal) would have not touced vinegar.The biggest confusion among Muslims on alcohol is due to not understanding the difference between alcohol and intoxicants. The below hadith will explain this difference.
3 Narrated Ibn `Umar:
"I heard `Umar while he was on the pulpit of the Prophet (sal) saying, "Now then O people! The revelation about the prohibition of alcoholic drinks was revealed; and alcoholic drinks are extracted from five things: Grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley. And the alcoholic drink is that which confuses and stupefies the mind." (Sahih al Bukhari)
From the above hadith is should be understood that alcohol that causes intoxication is what is haram and alcohol that does not qualify to the level of intoxication is not haram. There is a level of alcohol which is non- intoxicant and that level of alcohol is not haram. Banana for an example contains 0.2 g of alcohol per 100 g but this level of alcohol is harmless and only will turn into an intoxicant if it is fermented and turned into wine or some other intoxicant. The other example is eating grapes. Islam never forbade grapes but only forbade intoxicants.
Muslim brothers and sisters should not worry too much in eating food that contains alcohol because the above evidence that were discussed is more than enough to understand why eating food containing alcohol is not haram in Islam.
Let me quote one hadith,
4 Narrated As-Samma' sister of Abdullah ibn Busr (rali):
“The Prophet (sal) said: Do not fast on Saturday except what has been made obligatory on you; and if one of you can get nothing but a grape skin or a piece of wood from a tree, he should chew it.”
(Abu Dawud-graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith the prophet(sal) clearly told to eat grapes because grapes is not haram even though grape fruit contains little alcohol and it is the fermentation that causes the alcohol level to shoot up to the level of intoxication.
5. Ibn ‘Abbaas (rali) narrated that a man gave the Prophet (sal) a small water-skin of wine. The Prophet (sal) said to him, ‘Don’t you know that Allah has forbidden it?’ The man replied, ‘No.’ Then he whispered to a man at his side. The Prophet (sal) asked what he had whispered, and the man (to whom he whispered) replied, ‘I told him to sell it.’ Thereupon, the Prophet (sal) said: “The One who has made drinking it forbidden has made selling it forbidden.” Ibn ‘Abbaas (rali) said: “The man then opened the water-skin and poured out what was in it.” (Sahih Muslim)
In the above hadith theman poured out the wine from the watreskin and the prophet (sal) never forbade him from touching or using the waterskin. This is another proof why touching alcohol is not haram in Isam.
Touching alcohol is not haram because it is nothing but a chemical.
Alcohol is a chemical that is used for various purposes and Isam does not prohibit touching chemical substances such as alcohol. The main opposition among those who are against the touching of alcohol is that it is impure. This argument has no basis whatsoever in Islam.
1 Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported,
“Allah's Messenger (sal) took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it from Allah's Apostle (sal). Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir.”
(Sahih Muslim)
2 Jabir bin 'Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (sal) asked his family for condiments. They (the members of his household) said: “We have nothing with us but vinegar. He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said "Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Vinegar contains alcohol and if alcohol is impure, the prophet(sal) would have not touced vinegar.The biggest confusion among Muslims on alcohol is due to not understanding the difference between alcohol and intoxicants. The below hadith will explain this difference.
3 Narrated Ibn `Umar:
"I heard `Umar while he was on the pulpit of the Prophet (sal) saying, "Now then O people! The revelation about the prohibition of alcoholic drinks was revealed; and alcoholic drinks are extracted from five things: Grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley. And the alcoholic drink is that which confuses and stupefies the mind." (Sahih al Bukhari)
From the above hadith is should be understood that alcohol that causes intoxication is what is haram and alcohol that does not qualify to the level of intoxication is not haram. There is a level of alcohol which is non- intoxicant and that level of alcohol is not haram. Banana for an example contains 0.2 g of alcohol per 100 g but this level of alcohol is harmless and only will turn into an intoxicant if it is fermented and turned into wine or some other intoxicant. The other example is eating grapes. Islam never forbade grapes but only forbade intoxicants.
Muslim brothers and sisters should not worry too much in eating food that contains alcohol because the above evidence that were discussed is more than enough to understand why eating food containing alcohol is not haram in Islam.
Let me quote one hadith,
4 Narrated As-Samma' sister of Abdullah ibn Busr (rali):
“The Prophet (sal) said: Do not fast on Saturday except what has been made obligatory on you; and if one of you can get nothing but a grape skin or a piece of wood from a tree, he should chew it.”
(Abu Dawud-graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith the prophet(sal) clearly told to eat grapes because grapes is not haram even though grape fruit contains little alcohol and it is the fermentation that causes the alcohol level to shoot up to the level of intoxication.
5. Ibn ‘Abbaas (rali) narrated that a man gave the Prophet (sal) a small water-skin of wine. The Prophet (sal) said to him, ‘Don’t you know that Allah has forbidden it?’ The man replied, ‘No.’ Then he whispered to a man at his side. The Prophet (sal) asked what he had whispered, and the man (to whom he whispered) replied, ‘I told him to sell it.’ Thereupon, the Prophet (sal) said: “The One who has made drinking it forbidden has made selling it forbidden.” Ibn ‘Abbaas (rali) said: “The man then opened the water-skin and poured out what was in it.” (Sahih Muslim)
In the above hadith theman poured out the wine from the watreskin and the prophet (sal) never forbade him from touching or using the waterskin. This is another proof why touching alcohol is not haram in Isam.
Touching alcohol is not haram because it is nothing but a chemical.