Is it Halal to use hand sanitisers containing alcohol?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Mufti Saheb, people are rather concerned about the outbreak of Coronavirus and as a result, questioning the permissibility of using Alcohol-based hand gels for hygiene purposes. Please clarify.

Answer

Alcohol (khamr) is not only forbidden for consumption but rather, its application on the body or clothing is also forbidden in the law of Islam whether it is for cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Using hand sanitiser which contains alcohol for prevention of infection is included in this law, this is because isopropyl or ethyl alcohol fits the category of khamr which is explicitly forbidden in the Quran. It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited the use of impure medicine.

عن أبى هريرة قال نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الدواء الخبيث رواه أحمد و أبو داود و الترمذي و ابن ماجة

It mentioned in Bahar e Shariat with reference to Fatawa Alamgiri,

شراب سے خارجی علاج بھی نا جائز ہے مثلا زخم میں شراب لگائی یا کسی جانور کو زخم ہے اس پر شراب لگائی یا بچہ کے علاج میں شراب کا استعمال ان سب میں وہ گنہگار ہو گا جس نے اس کو استعمال کرایا (عالمگیری)

Topical application of alcohol is also impermissible, for example, applying alcohol to a wound. If an animal is wounded and alcohol is applied to it or it is applied as medicine for a child, the person who applied it will be accountable for the sin.

Although prevention is important, it is not as important and necessary as cure after the illness has occurred. If the law has forbidden the application of alcohol for cure then it is surely forbidden for prevention.

The fact of the matter is that alcohol (khamr) is an impurity and it will cause anything to become impure once applied to it or added to it. A drop of alcohol in a bucket of water renders the whole bucket of water impure and similarly, the hand sanitiser is ruled impure if it contains alcohol.

It is mentioned in Bahar e Shariat, in the section of major impurities,

ہر قسم کی شراب اور نشہ لانے والی تاڑی

Which means every type of alcohol (consumable) and date wine that causes intoxication is an impurity itself.

The Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, states,

ما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرام

That which may cause intoxication in large amounts, its small amount is also forbidden.

Based on this, the Jurists confirm that every drop of these alcohols (which cause intoxication) is an impurity and forbidden and a drop of it into a pure substance will render the pure substance impure. However, if it is a large pool of water (Al-Maa Al-Katheer), then only that part of the pool will be ruled impure where a change in the water is observed due to the impurity via colour, smell or taste. Whereas when it is smaller than a large pool (Al-Maa Al-Sagheer), regardless of any observation, it is all ruled impure.

Alcohol that is forbidden in Islam, is every type that may potentially cause intoxication when consumed. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him said,

الخمر ما خامر العقل

Khamr (Forbidden Alcohol) is that which engrosses the intellect.

This rules that any substance whether natural or synthetic that possesses the potential capability to cause intoxication to the intellect after consumption is not only forbidden for oral intake, but also for topical application.

If any individual does use hand sanitiser that contains alcohol then the advice is that they must wash their hands before performing Salah if already in the state of ablution. If anyone applies any substance which contains alcohol on their clothing, then the advice is to remove or change that clothing before performing Salah.

For Salah, a small amount of major impurity (Najasat e Ghaliza) is forgiven and will not invalidate the Salah. This amount is less than the circumference of the amount of water one can hold in his palm when open flat. This means that if there is major impurity on your body or clothing and it is equivalent to the circumference of water that you can hold in your palm when flat open then the Salah is incomplete. One must repeat the Salah after removing the impurity or changing the garment accordingly. If it is greater than that amount then Salah is invalid and if it is less than that amount then it is forgiven. This is in the Hanafi Fiqh.

Prevention of Viruses and Illnesses

As for the prevention of viruses and illnesses, Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, have emphasised us to put our faith and trust in Allah but after taking appropriate measures. Appropriate measures were demonstrated to us more than fourteen hundred years ago by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

In Sunan Ibn Majah, it is recorded that Sayyiduna Ali was prohibited by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, from eating certain dates while recovering from a certain illness yet he, peace and blessings be upon him, ate from those particular dates and advised him that this is harmful to you. On the contrary, when cooked chard and barley was brought, he, peace and blessings be upon him, advised Sayyiduna Ali to eat it and advised it was beneficial for him in his recovery.

The experts, although uncertain, have advised regular and thorough washing of hands is the best action for prevention of the coronavirus and also for other illnesses. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in several narrations practised and advised us to regularly and thoroughly wash our hands.

It is recorded in the Sunan of Ibn Majah,

عن أبى هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال إذا نام أحدكم و في يده ريح غمز فلم يغسل يده فأصابه شيء فلا يلومن إلا نفسه

“If a person can smell fat (or grease) on his hands and does not wash his hands before sleeping and then is inflicted with an illness then there is none other than himself to blame.”

A similar narration is recorded from Sayyidah Fatimah, Allah is pleased with her. Today the experts have said that the coronavirus is an enveloped virus, which means it has an outer lipid membrane layer and the washing of the hands is advised to remove this greasy fatty layer that inevitably kills the virus.

It is recorded in the Sunan of Abu Dawood,

عن سلمان فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم بركة الطعام الوضوء قبله و الوضوء بعده

This means that he, peace and blessings be upon him, would perform ablution before and after eating and advised others to do so and it is explained by the Scholars that this ablution refers to the washing of the hands, face and mouth.

He, peace and blessings be upon him, would wash his hands first thing in the morning and rinse his mouth and nostrils, he also advised us to do so. He would wash his hands and after the call of nature, and again advised us to do so. He would also wash his hands, rinse his mouth and wash his face before eating and after eating.

He would wash his hands thoroughly for every ablution. He, peace and blessings be upon him, also made it a condition to ensure that water flows over every particle of skin and hair while washing and advised to specifically pay attention to the skin in between the fingers (the purlicue and interdigital folds). The flowing of water is so that the germs and bacteria are carried away and removed from the hands. The rinsing of the mouth and gargling is also to ensure all germs and bacteria are removed and similarly the emphasis he, peace and blessings be upon him, placed in ensuring the water reaches the soft bone in the nose is for this purpose.

In a narration he, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited blowing or breathing into food or drink,

عن ابن عباس قال لم يكن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ينفخ في طعام و لا شراب و لا يتنفس في الإناء

Every Muslim should ensure he follows these measures demonstrated and emphasised by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and then put their faith in Allah for the protection from viruses, infections and illnesses.

If after all these measures, one is inflicted with any of these illnesses then it is a test from Allah and patience must be practised and expert advice must be adhered to as long as it does not force an individual to violate the law of Allah by using impure or forbidden medicine.

All illnesses are from Allah and the cure is also from Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما أنزل الله داء إلا أنزل له شفاء

“For every illness that Allah has sent, He has also sent a cure.”

Although He is the one who tests us with illnesses, He is the one who gives cure and therefore we should supplicate to His Majesty that he protects us from illnesses and gives patience and cure to those who are inflicted and Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain al-Qadiri