Islam forbids consumption of intoxicants including alcohol. This sparked debate on whether Muslims should be using alcohol based sanitizers in the current situation to defeat the novel Coronavirus.
A lecturer at the Islamic University In Uganda (IUIU) , Abdulswamad Gyagenda who is a Master of Islamic Studies cites verses in the Holy Qur’an that forbids consumption of alcohol but elaborates that alcoholic based components can be used in some situations.
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan’s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. – Sura Al-Ma’idah, verse 90,”
“From the last verse, Alcohol in Islam means anything that intoxicates or changes the state of the mind. There are so many substances that can be consumed that are not necessarily alcohol and are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an but are considered and categorized as alcohol on grounds of intoxication for instance opium, cocaine, marijuana, meth, heroine, slow etcetera,” he says.
He says Islam disallows to deal with intoxicated people but alcohol has some purposes that are not prohibited.
“Islam deals with sober minds and it is Haram for one to deliberately tamper with this default state of the mind, it doesn’t matter how the substances are administered, whether drunk, injected, intravenously consumed , sniffed nor smoked. It is important to know that whatever intoxicates in large quantities is haram even if it is consumed or administered in small quantities,”
“However alcohol has other uses like Allah mentioned in the first verse I cited (2:219) . it is not haram if alcohol is either fully or partially used as a sterilizer to kill germs on machines and instruments the way it is used in salons and hospitals. The only reason for prohibition of alcohol is intoxication, if it is not used for such , its other uses can freely but carefully be explored,” he says.
The first verse from the holy that Gyagenda cites says ,” They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.” … -Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 219.”
He says there is absolutely no problem if it is used as a sanitizer where it is being used mostly in this situation.
“It is also okay to use items where alcohol is used as a preservative for instance in deodorants, perfumes, cakes, bread because it has changed from it’s original state of intoxication.Therefore brothers and sisters we need to slow down before we mislead the public,”
“Alcohol in Islam is not about color, smell, brand/name , taste not even bottling. It is everything to do with intoxication. Am aware that in Uganda most of the beer and wine brands are alcoholic but I know that there are non-alcoholic beers and wines brands, perhaps not Uganda,” he says.
He urges Muslims to enquire when they have no knowledge about something to avoid being misled.
“Let’s use sanitizers even those that are alcoholic, and you don’t have to get ablution after using it. May Allah guide us all. Don’t mislead the public out of ignorance, ask if you don’t know. Get emotions out of religion,”
“I pray to Allah to protect our families from COVID-19, I pray to Him to provide for us during this period and finally I pray to him to guide and give us a better and deeper understanding of his religion,” Gyagenda says.
