The jurists have differed on the permissibility of food or drink containing a small amount of alcohol.
The correct view is to distinguish between intoxicating alcohol and other types of alcohol that are used for different purposes and do not intoxicate a person if consumed before poisoning occurs. Most of these types are used for cleaning and other purposes.
Based on this, we can conclude that the alcohol used in medicine is not prohibited, and it is similar to the type of alcohol used for disinfection purposes.
In his book “Mughni al-Muhtaj,” Imam Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: “The dispute regarding using wine as a medicine is when it is used in its liquid form. However, if it is used as an ingredient in medications in which wine is consumed, it is permissible to use it as a remedy to cure an ailment, if there is no other pure alternative and when it is necessary for the treatment. This is similar to using impure substances such as snake meat and urine to cure certain illnesses, as long as it is used to hasten the healing process, and a trustworthy Muslim doctor should be informed about it or has knowledge of it.”
This is because the percentage of alcohol, even if it is intoxicating, is small and consumed in the rest of the composition. Moreover, the prohibition of consuming intoxicants is limited to drinking them.
Therefore, it is permissible to use medicines that contain alcohol in small amounts that are necessary for the pharmaceutical industry, as long as they are prescribed by a trustworthy doctor. It is also permissible to use alcohol as an external antiseptic for wounds, as a germicide, and in creams and external ointments.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr