Brewing Beer

[roohiya]

Salaamu alaikum warahmatullah,

Currently studying a Biotechnology module, it's basically studying the use of biological entities in technology.

Beer fermentation was one of the topics we studied (alongside water treatment, antibiotic production, food fermentation, etc).

My query, albeit a little late, is that we had to brew beer in the labs. Is this allowed? We did it like 3 months ago, and I was just revising the process. I did think about it as I was "brewing", but didn't really think much of it, and now I need peace of mind!

I have come across the following hadeeth:

Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) cursed ten people in connection with alcohol: the wine-presser, the one for who it is pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who carries it, the one for whom it is carried, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.? (Sunan Tirmidhi, no: 1295)

This was done purely for experimental purposes, no-one drank it...would it still apply? Is there anything on this at all?

Anybody?

Shukran,

[Abu Najm Muhammad]

If you shop for Fataawaa, I am positive that you will find some who approved of your experiments and some who questioned the necessity for doing so...

The real question is 'is there a legitimate use for alcohol in medicine or industry?' and 'does the benefit in these uses outweigh the harm'...?

Ruling on using alcohol to dissolve kidney stones

Question:
I suffered from pain in my kidneys on a number of occasions, and I could hardly urinate. I went to the doctor, who told me: your treatment is to drink alcohol, because alcohol has the effect of dissolving kidney stones. Then I drank alcohol and benefitted from it a lot. Will Allaah hold me to account for drinking alcohol? Please give me the correct answer; may Allaah reward you with good.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for you to drink alcohol. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has answered this question. In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Taariq ibn Suwayd said: I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “What about the alcohol that we make for medicinal purposes?” He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No, in fact it is a disease.” He stated that it is a disease and that there is no cure in it. This hadeeth indicates that it is a disease, and in modern medicine, there is general consensus that alcohol is harmful in all cases. Many ( researchers ) have written books and articles on this topic, stating that the tissues of a forty-year old drinker’s body are like those of a sixty-year-old. Even though you may have benefitted as far as your kidneys are concerned, and you have noted that it had an effect, some other part of your body will inevitably have been harmed; alcohol causes harm in all cases. It is not permissible for you to drink it. There are permissible medicines which you can use to treat your kidneys, without using this thing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O slaves of Allaah, seek medical treatment but do not seek it is anything haraam. For Allaah does not make the cure for this ummah in things that He has forbidden for it.” Even though you may have noticed a benefit in one way, it will inevitably cause a lot of harm in many other ways, as stated in the hadeeth of Taariq ibn Suwayd referred to above, which was narrated by Muslim. And Allaah knows best.

From Fataawa Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Humayd, p. 153

Source: Islam QA - Ruling on using alcohol to dissolve kidney stones

[kamran]

Salam Ibn Muhammad,

How can you map the case of someone carrying out an activity so that he may consume it over that of someone who simply observes it? There is a marked difference between the two and the girl has clearly stated that nobody drank it.

The girl's lab activity could still be totally haram but how can you possibly compare the two especially when you have clearly implied that anyone who disagrees should engage in fatwa-shopping?

It would be better off if we use the term intoxicant for there are scores of alcohols which are never used as intoxicants but are still 'alcohols'. All benzene-based alcohols are never used like that but are still 'alcohols'.

Dr. Bilal Philips has dealt with this issue in great detail in his 'Foundations of Islamic Studies' series (or whatever the exact title is).

Kamran

[Abu Najm Muhammad]

The whole issue Kamran is that the students made 'Beer'...

If it was benzene or other materials definitely not used for consumption, then you are right that is a different issue...

What you mentioned is a different issue...

That's like saying:

We cooked some bacon just to see how fire changes the appearence of flesh...

Beer is an intoxicant, and brewing it, for whatever reason, is not allowed.

Perhaps I misunderstood your point, but seriously brother, what was the point of your post...?

[roohiya]

Shukran for your replies.

If you shop for Fataawaa, I am positive that you will find some who approved of your experiments and some who questioned the necessity for doing so...

The real question is 'is there a legitimate use for alcohol in medicine or industry?' and 'does the benefit in these uses outweigh the harm'...?

JazaakAllahu khair.

Alcohol in this case, was not used for medicinal purposes. Rather, the purpose of studying beer fermentation to begin with was to explore the uses of yeast in the industry. Yeast is what converts the sugar into alcohol.

The experiment was pathetic, it really wasn't needed. They're kuffaar what do you expect?

Referring back to the hadeeth;

"the wine presser" - ie, that whose job profession is to make khamr...what I'm trying to get at is whether making it for the reasons mentioned above fall into this category...?

I hope the query is understood.

I intend to take this to those responsible at the university. I'm quite surprised this experiment has been ongoing for all these years and no-ones mentioned anything, considering there are many Muslims.

[Abu Najm Muhammad]

Ok, I am having wanna-be Faqeeh's block or what...?

There is a hadeeth wherein a Companion specifically asks the Prophet about making alcohol for MEDICINAL purposes and he says NO...

How would INDUSTRIAL purposes outweigh the necessity of MEDICINAL purposes on earth...?

By the standard of necessity, wherein living/dying is given precedence to turning a profit, if an exception to a rule is turned down for greater needs, then automatically the lesser need becomes null as well...

In other words, if I say, don't eat that or you will die an extremely horrible death with convulsions, frothing at the mouth, swallowing tongue and all, and you then proceed to ask, well is it allowed to eat it...? What would be the point of the subsequent question...?

The Prophet prohibited making alcohol even if to cure someone, and the question is treated as left open since he didn't specifically say: even if to make money, or even if just for kicks, or even if just to study how to make it...

It is not allowed to make, sell, or drink beer, period, full stop...

Ok, now, am I having wanna-be Faqeeh's block...? Or are people just not getting it...?

[roohiya]

^ There was no need to be so rude about it. Maybe some people are not at your level of understanding. Or maybe you are not understanding them.

Salaamu alaikum

[Abu Najm Muhammad]

My query, albeit a little late, is that we had to brew beer in the labs. Is this allowed?

Anybody?

Shukran,

No, it's not allowed.

Your welcome...

[Tisatashar]

Assalamu alaykom Sister,

Here's what I was taught about such things. Re-capping, you made beer a while back without haram/halal thoughts crossing your mind. Later you found a strong hadith indicating that your action was haram.


You have found the best hadith for your story, its haram. Now in hindsight you want to know where you stand.

The next move now is tawbah. And now you know the situation, you won't do it again because you got the message.

Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another's burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger. 17.15

[manZERO]

There is a hadeeth wherein a Companion specifically asks the Prophet about making alcohol for MEDICINAL purposes and he says NO...

anyone heard of betnovate or elacon ? both these medications contain an alcohol which is not ethanol alcohol.is is one allowed to use such medications? i've been using them for the past 15 years of my life.