Is the alcohol found in perfumes of two types: one intoxicating and the other poisonous and lethal? And does the difference of opinion regarding the impurity of Khamr revolve only around intoxicating alcohol, thus making poisonous alcohol pure?
The intoxicating type of alcohol is ethanol, while methanol is poisonous. Medicine defines alcohol as a volatile, colorless liquid with a pungent taste and a distinctive odor, used as a solvent for perfumes. Ethanol (spirits) is used in medicines and intoxicants, whereas methanol is a toxic substance used in poisons and pesticides. There is a dispute regarding the intoxicating nature of methanol; some believe it is intoxicating, while others hold the opposite view, or that a person who drinks it would die before becoming intoxicated due to its extreme toxicity. Not everything called alcohol is intoxicating. Sheikh Abdur-Razzaq Afifi mentioned that orange peel contains alcohol but it is not intoxicating.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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