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Are injectable steroids which contain benzyl/cetyl alcohol which are generally used as a preservative allowed to be consumed/bought or sold?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

I have two questions to  ask and would really appreciate if you could answer them for me

1. after reading many responses on your site many of my questions have been answered but i would like to know if  i use a cream/lotion/wipe with benzyl/cetyl alcohol in it on my hands and face and then eats using my hands and fingers literally (no cutlery) becasue the benzyl/cetyl alcohol has gone into my mouth and hand through cross-contamination, will this make my wudhu break or mean i have committed a sin through cunsumption of alcohol?

2. Are injectable steroids whcih contain benzyl/cetyl alcohol which are generrally used as a preseravtive allowed to be consumed/bought or sold? Considering many people use these for medical purposes such as muscle growth/ joint relief, weight gain, etc (some of these steroids injectbale and non injectable are also used in regards to sever illnesses such as cancer and its side-effects). I don’t know if this owuld be relevent but the reason i am asking thius is becasue for example, if somebody was selling methadone which is used a painkiller for people in serious pain but then some people can use it to get high. Would a person still be allowed to sell it as you don’t know with what intention a person is buying it for??????? (only after once confirmed that the ingredient of the alcohol is not derived from grapes of dates)???

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1). Cetyl alcohol is commonly derived from coconut and palm oil.[1] Benzyl alcohol is produced naturally from many plants and is commonly found in fruits.[2] You will not be sinful if you taste the lotion whilst eating food with your hands, nor will your wudu be nullified.[3]

2). Benzyl and cetyl alcohol are halal ingredients. However, the remaining ingredients of the specific steroid will be considered before passing a ruling on the product.

3). Sale of methadone is permissible[4]for medical purposes.[5]

4). If one has a strong feeling that the purchaser will abuse the drug, then it will be impermissible to sell the drug to that individual.[6]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hisham Dawood

Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.


[1] http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2011/01/ingredients-dictionary-cetyl-alcohol.html

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzyl_alcohol

[3]

 الأشربة المحرمة أربعة الخمر وهي عصير العنب إذا غلا واشتد وقذف بالزبد والعصير إذا طبخ حتى يذهب أقل من ثلثيه وهو الطلاء المذكور في الجامع الصغير ونقيع التمر وهو السكر ونقيع الزبيب إذا اشتد وغلا (الهداية/ كتاب الأشربة)

[4]

 كفاية المفتي ج-٩ ص-١٢٤، دار الإشاعت

 أحسن الفتاوى ج-٦ ص-٤٩٤، سعيد

 إسلام أور جديد معاشي مسائل ج-٤ ص-١٣، إدارة إسلاميات

فتاوى دار العلوم زكريا ج-٥ ص-٨٧، زمزم

[5] http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/methadone/Pages/methadone_dyk.aspx

[6]

 أحسن الفتاوى ج-٦ ص-٤٩٤، سعيد

 فتاوي دار العلوم زكريا ج-٥ ص-٨٧، زمزم 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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