Use of alcohol (Ethanol)
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 2:23 pm
Dear Dr Rizvi
We can of course use water, but there is a major problem that although
ethanol does not go bad, water in time goes off.
Based on my understanding of Islamic rules, my (I emphasis MY) view is as
follows:
Alcohol ethanol (Spirit of Wine) has been used in MEDICINE for many many
years as a solvent and preservative of the medicinal compounds.
1- Anything intoxicating material is forbidden in Islam. Fully accepted.
For Ethanol to be intoxicating then it level in the blood must raise above a
certain degree.
But Alcohol (Ethanol) although an intoxicating substance in quantity is not
'Najes' (or Dirty or not to be touched) per se and is found naturally in
many substances eg fruit and fruit skins and plays a very important role to
counter the naturally occurring methanol which is a poison even in small
quantities. Ethanol in very small quantities is not intoxicating because the
liver has ample opportunity to deal with it and as such does not affect the
brain to bring about intoxication.
In Islam, the use of things which may originally contain ethanol are
carefully stated - for example one can convert wine to vinegar and what was
as wine Najes and Haram (forbidden) become clean and Halal (permitted) when
certain loss of volume (c. 1/3) by evaporation is witnessed. Because the
ethanol has a lower boiling point (c. 76 deg C) compared to water (100 deg
C), it is assumed that the alcohol content of wine has either converted to
acetic acid/vinegar or has evaporated. However, it would take an analytical
chemist to advise us the percentage of ethanol remaining in the vinegar in
real terms. Please compare to figures below. So we have established that
if the alcohol/liquid evaporates, then what dry substance that remains is
alcohol free.
2- In Homoeopathy, we use alcohol as a carrier in a number of ways:
A- For making/Holding the standard potencies eg mother tinctures, 3, 6, 12,
18, 30, 200 etc potencies
B- For Making LM potencies
In the case of A + B, the alcohol added to the sugar globulees soon
evaporates and therefore is no longer present. So here we have no case to
answer.
C- As a preservative in Made-up LM stock bottles.
In the case of LMs, I usually put about 5 ml in about 200 ml of the LM stock
bottle = 2.5%
The patient then takes one tea spoonful (say 2 ml) of this and adds it to
about 40 ml of water = 1/20 = 0.0625% in the whole mixture in the glass.
The patient takes one teaspoonful of this per dose.
Now if we consider the intoxicating factor of this mixture, the patient
would have to drink many litres of this solution and will probably feel the
intoxicating effects of too much water before the alcohol has any effect.
If after explaining all this the patient is still adamant that they want
something completely alcohol-free, then I would consider using rubric such
as Mind, fear of salvation and also Mind, anxiety trifles about!
I would be interested in your comments.
Rgds
Soroush
We can of course use water, but there is a major problem that although
ethanol does not go bad, water in time goes off.
Based on my understanding of Islamic rules, my (I emphasis MY) view is as
follows:
Alcohol ethanol (Spirit of Wine) has been used in MEDICINE for many many
years as a solvent and preservative of the medicinal compounds.
1- Anything intoxicating material is forbidden in Islam. Fully accepted.
For Ethanol to be intoxicating then it level in the blood must raise above a
certain degree.
But Alcohol (Ethanol) although an intoxicating substance in quantity is not
'Najes' (or Dirty or not to be touched) per se and is found naturally in
many substances eg fruit and fruit skins and plays a very important role to
counter the naturally occurring methanol which is a poison even in small
quantities. Ethanol in very small quantities is not intoxicating because the
liver has ample opportunity to deal with it and as such does not affect the
brain to bring about intoxication.
In Islam, the use of things which may originally contain ethanol are
carefully stated - for example one can convert wine to vinegar and what was
as wine Najes and Haram (forbidden) become clean and Halal (permitted) when
certain loss of volume (c. 1/3) by evaporation is witnessed. Because the
ethanol has a lower boiling point (c. 76 deg C) compared to water (100 deg
C), it is assumed that the alcohol content of wine has either converted to
acetic acid/vinegar or has evaporated. However, it would take an analytical
chemist to advise us the percentage of ethanol remaining in the vinegar in
real terms. Please compare to figures below. So we have established that
if the alcohol/liquid evaporates, then what dry substance that remains is
alcohol free.
2- In Homoeopathy, we use alcohol as a carrier in a number of ways:
A- For making/Holding the standard potencies eg mother tinctures, 3, 6, 12,
18, 30, 200 etc potencies
B- For Making LM potencies
In the case of A + B, the alcohol added to the sugar globulees soon
evaporates and therefore is no longer present. So here we have no case to
answer.
C- As a preservative in Made-up LM stock bottles.
In the case of LMs, I usually put about 5 ml in about 200 ml of the LM stock
bottle = 2.5%
The patient then takes one tea spoonful (say 2 ml) of this and adds it to
about 40 ml of water = 1/20 = 0.0625% in the whole mixture in the glass.
The patient takes one teaspoonful of this per dose.
Now if we consider the intoxicating factor of this mixture, the patient
would have to drink many litres of this solution and will probably feel the
intoxicating effects of too much water before the alcohol has any effect.
If after explaining all this the patient is still adamant that they want
something completely alcohol-free, then I would consider using rubric such
as Mind, fear of salvation and also Mind, anxiety trifles about!
I would be interested in your comments.
Rgds
Soroush