Assalamu alaykum brothers:bro1and sisters:sis1,
I was wondering if someone could answer me this question...
wa ^alaykom essalam wa ra
hmatu Allah wa barakaatuhu dear sister
Inchaa Allah you would always find many brothers and sisters willing to help you here on our forums on
http://www.TalkAboutIslam.com I have had answers from two knowledgeable sisters but their answers were a bit different so I was wondering if you could clear this confusion up for me.
we will inchaa Allah…..
It's about alcohol. Not the alcohol one consumes (like liquor) but the alcohol you find in different products (like menthol).
Good question….. yes.
So is it haram do buy ANY product containing an alcohol derivative? because I've heard that there are some exeptions and not ALL alcohol derivatives are the same.
True. Because as my brother Wael has already indicated, the prophet ordered us not to consume whatever makes one “lose his mind”. Thus, not all alcohols are included in this hadith and the verses ordering us not to consume alcohol.
In other words, some alcohols do not cause any “lightness” in the spirit if consumed, and those do not have the same judgment as Ethanol, which is the alcohol usually present in liquor.
Another thing, is it haram to consume any alcohol derivative?
;-) see above…..
because I've realized just how many foods and things like that contain alcohol derivatives. I mean, does that mean that we can't take medications like to relieve throat pain or colds because all these medications are sure to have things like menthol in them.
I thought that when it was said that Muslims aren't allowed to drink alcohol, it was only meant for the liquor type of alcohol.
If Ethanol is included in those medications, then you’d better take another medication. I always ask my doctor or the pharmacist if this medication contains alcohol, and if it does, I ask for another medication, and there is always an alternative…. Sincerely, there was for me always an alternative….
Is it a responsibility to check absolutley ANY food we ingest for any traces of alcohol derivatives, cuz first of all, not all foods have ingredients or labels on them and also, if we went to someone's house, would that mean that we can't eat anyting until we ask if any alcohol derivative is in there, because there surely would be as there is in MANY foods and it's hard to avoid I think.
barakAllahou feekom for your time.
Alcohol is not like meat. The responsibility of asking about the origin of meat, and if it were prepared correctly is of particular importance. However you do not have the duty in Islam to go and ask about every little candy you are offered, to know whether it contains alcohol.
As you said, it is sometimes unfeasible to know whether a bag of candies for example has any traces of alcohol.. because simply the ingredients do not say that. In this case, if you think the candy does not contain any alcohol, you can consume it…..
Some chocolates and cakes (foret noir, chocolat au Kirch) are well known to include alcohol. Avoid those.
As you said, one can never really be sure whether food we are buying has any traces of alcohol. Simply, this is not possible. Islam is not that hard to follow. Islam is Yusr, as we love to say in Arabic, not ^usr.
Till next time, keep smiling my friend. :-) (Y)
