By Haider Hobbollah 

Translated by Sadiq Meghjee (UK)

What is mainstream amongst Muslim jurists is that all forms of intoxicants are forbidden to be drunk, irrespective if the intoxicant has been fermented from grapes or from another substance. It is also forbidden to consume even a little of it even if it does not cause intoxication. This is what is popularly known via the legal maxim: “what intoxicates when drunk a lot, is also forbidden when drunk a little”. This is a subject that has caused quite protracted jurisprudential discussions in Islamic history.

Some scholars from the Hanafi school opposed this maxim, in particularly the early scholars among them, as did some contemporary thinkers, all of them arguing that the only intoxicant forbidden in the religion are those fermented from grapes. As for all other intoxicants, such as alcohol, or those fermented from other than grapes, they are permissible to be consumed provided a person does not become intoxicated. In their opinion a person who consumes a little of these types of intoxicants and does not get intoxicated has not committed a forbidden act.

However what I have reached in my discussion on this is that the mainstream opinion is correct, whatever intoxicates in plenty is forbidden to be consumed in little, this is regardless of whether it is fermented from grapes or not, or if drinking it makes a person intoxicated or not.

If you want to read more on this please refer to my book Fiqh al-At’ima wa al-Ashriba, v. 3, p. 21-146.

Haidar Hobbollah Monday, 13^th September 2021.