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haqq
01-12-2004, 09:11 PM
Assalaamualaikum,

Anybody seen this?


Too Small To Matter? Low Alcohol Drinks OK'ed in Britain


This just in: It's OK for Muslims to drink alcohol and eat pork. The caveat: only in small quantities. Until recently, many Muslims and Islamic scholars had taken a "zero tolerance" approach to the issue, which made life difficult for many Muslims, who found that even ordinary soft drinks would have a minute, yet detectible amount of alcohol and/or gelatin (which can be derived from pigs) in it. But a recent ruling by the UK Muslim Law Council, which is Britain's highest authority on what is halal and what isn't, said that there are amounts that are too small to matter. "I see no harm in consuming Ribena and Lucozade (popular British juice and energy drinks)," wrote Council chair Zaki Badawi, "which contain traces of ethyl alcohol and animal ingredients that do not bear their original qualities and do not change the taste, colour or smell of the product." Badawi cited the documented practice of the Prophet Muhammad of soaking raisins and dates in water and drinking the result after three days. (No word yet on whether the ruling exonerates non-alcoholic beer and its trace amounts of alcohol.) More significantly, however, is the part of the ruling which allows drinks containing animal gelatin - which has been a major bugaboo for Muslims and has resulted in a cottage industry of halal Jell-O knockoffs and marshmallows. "Because even if [the gelatin] is made from haram meat it has undergone fundamental process of transformation through certain chemical changes that is called 'istihalah' in Islamic law," wrote Dr. Nazih Hammad, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy and Fiqh Council of North America. So on your next Muslim camping trip, feel free to toast Smores by an open fire with a cold O'Douls in your other hand.

http://www.altmuslim.com/biztech_comments.php?id=1266_0_23_0

Like Rasulullah (saw) said, wolfs in sheeps clothing.

It's just sad. May Allah Ta'la guide this Ummat and protect us from the evil snares of the Shayateen.

Was-salaam,
haqq

Muawiyah
01-12-2004, 09:21 PM
I think this is a ripoff from a bbc article which seemed to be misrepresenting the MLC position (http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=854)

saq333
02-12-2004, 06:44 AM
Assalaamualaikum,

Anybody seen this?



Like Rasulullah (saw) said, wolfs in sheeps clothing.

It's just sad. May Allah Ta'la guide this Ummat and protect us from the evil snares of the Shayateen.

Was-salaam,
haqq


Well it disgusts me,
but Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) approved of fermented drinks, as long as it wasnt from grapes or dates.

It was the low-level fermented drinks in particular.
As long as you didnt get drunk, he allowed it.

This is why I ask, if your Fiqh approves of something which the other 3 schools dont approve of; and your heart cant accept the ruling from your school, why not "pick and choose" ?

haqq
02-12-2004, 01:38 PM
Well it disgusts me,
but Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) approved of fermented drinks, as long as it wasnt from grapes or dates.

It was the low-level fermented drinks in particular.
As long as you didnt get drunk, he allowed it.




Assalaamualaikum,

As far as I know the call of the Hanafi fiqh is on Imam Mohammad (ra) regarding alcohol produced from "non-date and non-grapes", which is prohibitted.


The Fatwa of the Hanafi Math-hab remains valid and in full force even today and so it will remain until the end of earthly time. No o*ne has the authority to override this 13 hundred year old Fatwa by attempting to water it down with the assertion that it is Imaam Muhammad's ruling/view in conflict with the view of Imaam Abu Hanifah. People of Ilm should understand the operation of the principles of the Math-hab. They should not attempt to detract from the gravity and importance of the Fatwa of the hurmat (prohibition) of all types of alcohol by simply attributing the prohibition to Imaam Muhammad (rahmatullah alayh). In so doing they are rendering a great disservice to the Deen and are unconsciously constituting the category of men who come within the scope of the Hadith which predicts the legalization of liquor.

...

It should be noted that the scope for the permissibility of using non-grape and non-date alcohol applies to medicines and non-edibles. In view of the difference of opinion among the Fuqahaa regarding the types of alcohol, the latitude in its use is restricted to essentials. The permissibility cannot be extended to non-essential consumables which in fact are harmful for the health.

from: The Majlis (http://www.themajlis.net/Sections-article242-p1.html)