# If a lot of anything can intoxicate, does that make tiny amounts of alcohol haram?

*'What intoxicates in large amounts': bananas, trace alcohol and normal consumption*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/12/
- Date: 2021-01-26 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #199 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (46:28–50:21)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=2788s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/

**Topics:** Intoxicants and substances; Individual hadith explained

**Question as asked:** Is the hadith in which the Prophet said that anything which intoxicates in a large amount is haram in a small amount authentic, since bananas and water intoxicate in large amounts?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The hadith refers to drinks that intoxicate in the amount normally drunk, so a little of such a drink is haram; foods with trace alcohol that cannot intoxicate are not covered.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the hadith refers to drinks that intoxicate in the amounts normally drunk, so even a small amount of such a drink is haram, while foods with trace alcohol that cannot intoxicate in normal consumption are not covered.

**Evidence, his words at 47:30:** “that drink which much of intoxicates a small amount of it is equally haram but here when it says much of what does that mean that means what it much of in terms of what is casually drunk” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoKcNwGGIBA&t=2850s)

## Longer summary

A questioner asks whether the hadith that whatever intoxicates in a large amount is haram in a small amount is authentic, since bananas and water would intoxicate in large amounts. After joking about the question, Mufti Abu Layth says this is not what the Prophet was talking about: the debate is over what 'much' means, and it means the amount of a drink that is normally consumed, such as a pint or two, not an ocean or a hundred barrels. So a drink that intoxicates in its normal quantity is haram even in a small amount, while things such as orange peel that contain a tiny percentage of alcohol would not intoxicate anyone. He says many ulama, even among the Salafis, allow up to about three percent alcohol, citing a clip he has played before of a scholar whose name is unclear in the transcript [?].

## Sources and names cited

- report: what intoxicates in large amounts a small amount of it is haram (unresolved; collection not stated)
- Salafi

## Transcript (machine tier, 46:28–50:21)

[46:14] similarities the overlap and distinction between the character of jethro in the bible with moses and tribe both face value they seem to be the same person that is being spoken of um but i can try and look into that i've not really looked into it nothing's really intrigued me about it previously jeredy ah jerry d people what this one the jar with a small d [Laughter] right so is the hadith says the prophet said anything that intoxicates in small amount is haram authentic because

[46:53] bananas and water intoxicate in large amounts [Laughter] you scientist you you that's what the prophet was talking about bananas and oranges and their ability at 0.05 or whatever is percent alcohol or 0.5 alcohol to intoxicate right that's um not what the prophet was talking about at all

[47:30] okay look alcohol where it says the question the debate here is what is kathir as not as in what is kathir means so the hadith means what that drink which much of intoxicates a small amount of it is equally haram but here when it says much of what does that mean that means what it much of in terms of what is casually drunk as much of

[48:08] so for example if somebody drinks you know let's say on average one or two mugs of this that's all they drink that's like the casual the general drink that people have like it let's say it's like people go they have a pint and then they might have two pints okay now this is what the cathedral is referring to the cathedral is referring to that which much of in terms of the what is understood as normal consumption of that drink it doesn't mean much of as in if you

[48:47] drank an entire lake or you know if you drank an an ocean worth of or if you drank even if you know if you drank 100 barrels of something it doesn't mean it like that nobody drinks like that in one girl so it's talking about that okay that which in one context a lot of it would intoxicate a lot of it as in what casually people drink as a normal lot of that drink

[49:25] so whether it's two pints three pints like that okay but not um so these things they wouldn't even you know even if you got uh orange peels and these kind of things and they do have that a small amount 0.5 percent um alcohol in the skin and things like this but even that kind of we wouldn't intoxicate a person that's why many of the ulama say even the salafia that like or they mean has a clip i've played it in the past saying up to three percent alcohol is not people's three percent three is it three

[50:05] so uh yeah hope that explains mufti can a woman become an imam ifrah mo if you're doing it you're doing it look at these people and imama in the making right there mufti can a woman become an imam if not why can women and men pray next to each other if not why and why they can pray next to each other in kaaba why

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment eoKcNwGGIBA/s/12. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/12/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.