Praying in a storage room which contains alcohol boxes
14-9-2005 | IslamWeb
Question:
I would appreciate if you can please answer me on the following question. I work in a company and the only place to pray is in a storage. However, I have found out that this storage holds alcohol in various boxes. I am unsure if I should continue praying as usual or do I stop because it's not a purity place.
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. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
You may perform the prayers in the mentioned place, but the place to which the body of the praying person touches should be free from alcohol. If the place is free from it then the prayer is Islamicly valid since the person is not touching the impurity with his body. The jurists have explicitly mentioned that having impurity besides the praying person or even under his chest during his prostration, does not affect his prayer if it does not touch his body.
Thereupon, the details prove that your prayer is valid with the above condition. On the other hand, you are aware of the fact that alcohols are clearly forbidden in Islam so, storing them or guarding them is forbidden rather one should destroy them and pour them on the ground.
The Prophet 
cursed ten persons who have involvement in wine. He said: "Allaah has cursed wine, its presser, the one who demands it to be pressed, its drinker, its carrier, the one to whom it is conveyed, its server, its seller, its buyer, the one who consumes its price, its purchaser and the one for whom it is purchased." [At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]
A Muslim has to avoid all these forbidden matters and keep away from a job that involves them. Allaah Says (which means): {And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is severe in penalty.}[Quran 5:2].
Therefore, working in a company that sells or export wine is forbidden.
Allaah Knows best.