Using medicine that contains alcohol

12-12-2013 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamualaikum. I have a 5 year old son who likes to bite his nails until they bleed. I recently bought a Nail Bite Deterrent but realised it has alcohol content. The application is pretty much like applying nail polish. Is this ok for me to use on my young son - it being like a nail polish and having alcohol content? Please advise. JazakAllah

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Alcohol is the substance of intoxication in wine and liquor, so if it has not been transformed from its original state before adding it to the medicine, then it is not permissible to use it.

Abdur-Razzaaq reported in his book, Al-Musannaf, that Jaabir ibn Zayd was asked about the sediment (dregs) of alcohol whether or not it is permissible to massage one’s body with it in the public bath or be treated with it in surgery or the like, and he said: “It is impure and Allaah ordered us to avoid it.”

For more benefit, kindly refer to Fataawa 87607 and 92279.

Allaah Knows best.