Soda drinks and cough medicine that contain small amount of alcohol

04 May 2009 - We have been exposed by the fact that soda drinks contain an amount of alcohol. Some say 0.5% and some say it is less than that. Likewise happened to cough medicine liquid taht does contain tiny amount of alcohol. How do we go about it?

This amount of alcohol, if proven to be accurate and does indeed form an ingredient of these drinks, does not effect the permissibility thereof, and does not transform any drinks or medicine or food from being halal into becoming haram.

This can be deduced from the hadith of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ' If a drink causes intoxication when consumed in large quantities, then consuming small quantities thereof is deemed haram'. The clear implication of the hadith is that, should a drink not cause intoxication if consumed in large quantities then it is deemed halal. Indeed, these soda drinks or cough medicine do not cause one to become intoxicated whatever quantities wwere consumed, or how regular it is prescribed and taken. Thus, it is not important to disclose these ingredients as they do not affect the concerned food, drinks or medicine's permissibility.

Allah Knows best