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Does the contention of alcohol's purity justify its use in paints and perfumes, and does this contradict the Prophet's (PBUH) prohibition to Abu Talha against fermenting the orphans' wine?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The majority of scholars are of the opinion that it is forbidden to benefit from alcohol, even in ways other than drinking it, such as using it on the surface of the body or perfuming oneself with it. This is based on the absolute prohibition in Allah's (the Most High) saying: "So avoid it," and the saying of Ibn Mas'ud: "Allah has not placed your cure in what He has forbidden for you." The view that alcohol is pure does not necessarily mean that it is permissible to use it according to those who hold this view. Many of them have prohibited its use due to the absolute command to avoid it. The Permanent Committee has issued a fatwa prohibiting the use of alcohol in all forms of benefit.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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