Is there any exception that consuming alcohol or alcoholic foods is OK?

Question

Actually I have few questions relating to alcohol consumption. They are so related that I feel they should be at one place.

1. What is the purpose of Allah in making alcohol haram?
2. Is it OK to drink alcohol if that purpose is still met?
3. There are cough (and other) medicines which contain alcohol. They are not wine or something like that. Is it ok to take that medicine in cough?
4. Some foods in which a little amount of alcohol is mixed to make the food soft and cook earlier. Alcohol is volatile and evaporates on heating. Is it ok to eat that food?

Answer 1

1. What is the purpose of Allah in making alcohol haram?

Because of reasons that are stated in Quran:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاء فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ
Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants^(*) and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?
Maide 91 (5/91)

I don't know why they translated "خمر" as intoxications, but خمر means "wine, vintage, booze, brew, ferment", and means "drinks that make you drunk" in general.

According to this ayat, the reasons stated in Quran are:

1. Alcohol makes hostilities (الْعَدَاوَةَ) among us.
2. Alcohol spreads hatred (الْبَغْضَاء) among us.
3. Alcohol averts us from the remembrance of Allah (ذِكْرِ اللّهِ).
4. Alcohol averts us from prayers (الصَّلاَةِ).
   (Actually, the word "salat" means more than just "prayer". It literally means "supporting", as a term it means "supporting the way of Allah through education". The basic practice know as "prayer" is only a kernel of salat. It consists of parts (rakats) in which we read Quran and do ruku (bowing) and sacde (prostrating) to show our obedience. The kernel of our prayers is reading Quran, in a wider meaning it is education. So, in this ayat, Allah also means/implies that alcohol obstructs education.)

2. Is it ok to drink alcohol if that purpose is still met?

No. When Allah orders something, it becomes a must. We cannot decide back doors with our own minds. Allah prevents us finding our way with our own minds.

وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُم بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ
But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away.
Muminun 71 (23/71)

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3. There are cough (and other) medicines which contain alcohol. They are not wine or something like that. Is it ok to take that medicine in cough?

About good usages of alcohol:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ كَذَلِكَ يُبيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they should spend. Say, "The excess [beyond needs]." Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought.
Bakara 219 (2/219)

Allah says that "the things that make you drunk" (خمر - khamr) has also good points.
When we read the entire Quran, we get an impression that Allah loads less responsibilities to diseased people.

4. Some foods in which a little amount of alcohol is mixed to make the food soft and cook earlier. Alcohol is volatile and evaporates on heating. Is it ok to eat that food?

If there is no alcohol in the final form of the food, then there is no problem. But, some alcohol may have remained in it. A Mumin (believer) must be cautious and finicky. Allah's orders comes before anything else. So, I personally would avoid any food that was prepared with alcohol.

Answer 2

[2:219] They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they should spend. Say, "The excess [beyond needs]." Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought.

This verse from the Qur'an clearly states that although there is benefit in alcohol, the negative effects are much greater (such as the acts you commit while intoxicated or the harm it does to your body.)

In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3392 "Anything which intoxicates in a large quantity, is prohibited even in a small quantity."

From this hadith, it is clear that any amount that is sufficient enough to intoxicate you is prohibited. Even if someone takes a small amount of alcohol with the intention of staying sober, it's still prohibited.

The majority of scholars have decided that if the amount of alcohol is so insignificant (most accept between 0-0.5%) and if it is mixed with another substance, it is impossible to become intoxicated, hence, the hadith above wouldn't refer to the situation of medicine. Although some scholars still recommend avoiding it unless it's necessary, since there are a lot of alternatives.

Based on the chart I saw here, I don't believe that the food would contain less than 0.5% alcohol. The chart says that after 2.5 hours of cooking it would still contain 5% alcohol, a much higher percentage than what the above-mentioned scholars agree is permissible.

Answer 3

According to Fiqh of Shia Islam foods and drinks that alcohol is added to them are not permissible for eating and drinking. Quran says:

There will circulate among them young boys made eternal (17) With vessels, pitchers and a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring - (18) No headache will they have therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated - (19)

http://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sahih/56:19

Answers of questions:

1- according to Quran its harms are more than its benefits. also to test humans and believers be determined and drink wines of paradise.

2- that purpose can be met only in paradise. your death is needed.

3- there are some Hadith saying: God has places no cure in wine. also the shia scholars say the rule is that if that alcohol is inebriant or not (not in little consume).

4-

برخي غذاها به خودي خود درصد بسيار کمي الکل دارندکه مست کننده نيست اين غذاها اشکال ندارد اما برخي غذاها درصد کمي از الکل به آنها اضافه مي شود.اين مورد حتي اگر الکل بسيار کم باشد و مست کننده نيز نباشد خوردن اين غذاها اشکال دارد.اما اگر الکلي باشد که خود آن مست کننده است اگر آن را اضافه کنند اشکال دارد.

Some foods naturally have a little alcohol which is not inebriant and there is no problem in eating them. but in some foods a little alcohol is added to them. in this case even if the alcohol is very little and is not inebriant eating that food is not permissible. if a alcohol which itself is inebriant be added to food it is not permissible also.

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References:

Online answering of Official website of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

Answer 4

Just to answer your third question: we all know that drinking/taking too much medicine will kill you. But still medicine is not haram. And probably if you drink too much of your cough medicine, your last worries will be being drunk, as the amount of medicine you took will probably destroy your body in other manners. So you don't need to be a faqih to see that there is no harm in drinking this medicine as it will kill you before you even get drunk if you somehow decide to drink a full bottle of it. We are here talking about taking a product that was basically produced as medicine and happens to contain alcohol and not about drinking alcohol (wine or whatever it is in order to heal your body, like you all know a glas of wine a day keeps the doctor away)

I see a lot of "According to Quran" "According to Hadith" but unfortunately never "According to your mind and to common sense while interpreting Quran and Hadiths".

Answer 5

I see it as a ban on drunkenness and especially drunkenness that causes people harm than a ban on alcohol. Islam thus is like all religions in warning that reckless drunkenness is a sin and does harm. Also it can be implied that people use alcohol to do wrong and give them courage and this kind of drinking is wrong.

So, to answer, I think Islam warns us about the dangers in alcohol, totally outlaws hurting other innocent people whether it is alcohol-fueled or otherwise. It does not ban alcohol but tells us instead to treat it with respect and not to let it rule one's lives.