Drinking Alcohol for Treatment: Forbidden

1-1-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

Can a Muslim drink alcohol or medicinal purposes, if it is really helpful?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

If by alcohol you mean wine, it is forbidden to drink it for treatment. The evidence for this is the Hadeeth reported by Muslim that Taariq ibn Suwayd Al-Ju’fi may Allaah be pleased with him asked the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) about wine. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) told him not to use it or make it. Taariq may Allaah be pleased with him said: “I make it for the purpose of treatment.” The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) replied: “It is not a treatment. It is rather an illness.”

So, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that it is forbidden to use wine as a treatment, regardless of the quantity being used or made.

For more benefit on the prohibition of alcohol in Islam, please refer to Fataawa 81900 and 81389.

Allah knows best.

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