Is alcohol najis?
It depends on the school and the kind of alcohol. Most classical scholars said wine and intoxicating drinks are najis, so a spill on your clothes should be washed off before prayer. A minority of scholars say they are haram to drink but not physically impure. Many today also say the alcohol in perfumes and cleaners is not the same as wine.
What the Quran says
The Quran forbids intoxicants and calls them "rijs", a word that can mean filth or impurity:
The verse puts intoxicants next to gambling and drawing lots, which are not physical impurities at all. This is why scholars disagree over whether "rijs" here means a physical impurity that you wash off, or a moral and spiritual one.
The two views
- The majority view: wine and other intoxicating drinks are najis. They treat "rijs" as including physical impurity, so a spill on your body or clothes is washed off before prayer.
- The minority view: alcohol is strictly forbidden to drink, but its substance is not najis, since the Quran forbids drinking it and there is no clear text saying it must be washed off. Scholars such as ash-Shawkani took this view.
Both views agree that drinking alcohol is haram, whichever view you follow. The ruling on drinking itself is explained separately. See Where does the Quran forbid alcohol?
What about alcohol in perfume and cleaners?
Many contemporary scholars say that the alcohol used in perfumes, sprays, medicine and cleaning products is different from wine. It is not made or sold as a drink, and it is toxic. So they treat it as not najis, and you can wear it and pray in it. Those who follow the stricter view avoid it on their clothes at prayer time. See Is perfume with alcohol haram? and Is alcohol-based hand sanitizer najis?
What should I do with a spill?
- If a drink spills on your clothes or skin, the safest practice is to rinse it off with water. That satisfies every view.
- If you cannot wash it straight away and the time for prayer is running out, the minority view gives you room, so you do not have to miss the prayer.
- If a drink spills on a table or floor at a gathering, wipe it up and rinse the area.
A glass that held alcohol can be washed and reused. See Can I drink from a glass that held alcohol?
- Most classical scholars said wine is najis; a minority said it is not (Quran 5:90).
- Drinking alcohol is forbidden under every view.
- Many scholars today treat alcohol in perfumes and cleaners as not najis.
- Washing off a spill is the safest practice.
People also ask
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Many contemporary scholars say alcohol-based hand sanitizer is not najis, so you can use it and pray. The stricter view is to wash with water.
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Read the full answer →How long does wudu last?
Wudu lasts until something breaks it. There is no time limit, so you can pray several prayers with one wudu. Here is what ends it.
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