Islam Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for Muslims, experts in Islam, and those interested in learning more about Islam. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
So some days ago I've been taking strepsils and I recently found that it contains some sort of alcohol (Dichlorobenzyl alcohol to be specific).
My question is:
Is this type of alcohol specifically halal or haram to intake? And is taking any sort of alcohol for medication purposes halal?
That is a chemical Alcohol. The alcohol part is only to tell chemists, doctors pharmacists what the shape of the drug is and the chemical contents of the drug. It's not the Alcohol that is in beer or wine. That Alcohol's chemical name is actually ethanol. There is not Ethanol in Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol there is a benzene ring, with two chlorines bonded with an -OH structure.
IMO you are OK to use such medication, since such "Alcohol" won't get you drunk even if taking in large quantities.
Also this is a fatwa in such regards.
As a general Islamic rule regarding alcohol:
Each sort of alcohol which is considered as intoxicant, is counted as haram (forbidden) matter. But it seems has another ruling (Fatwa) in the case of (medical) treatment. Based on the ruling of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (as a Shia Marja'al-taqlid):
… In the case that it is the alcohol which is intoxicant that basically is liquid, then it is considered as a haram matter and according to the precaution it is Najis as well. But taking it as a medicine in all cases doesn't matter. (The significant point is that seemingly you should do other permissible solutions, then refer to this matter, not…) www.ahkamekhamenei.blogfa.com
Imam Khomeini has the similar view. In accordance with his ruling:
(medical)Treatment by every haram thing is permissible in the case that the treatment of a sick person is related to that. (Tahrir al Vasilah, Vol.2, Page176, M34) ((ترجمه تحریر الوسیله، ج2، ص176، م34))
On the other hand, it could be benefient for you to know in the case that the mentioned alcohol is relevant to ethanol, thus it seems to beconsidered not as a haram sort of alcohol. Because it is relevant to the industrial alcohol which seems not to be haram (forbidden). For further info. I suggest you to peruse the following site in regard to ethanol.
Reference(s):
