Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Question:I am planning to set up an Indian restaurant in the UK. I will not be selling alcohol as it is haram to do so.

But as many non-muslims like to have alcohol with their food can I:

1)Allow my customers to bring their own alcohol to have with their food, commonly known as BYOB ("Bring Your Own bottle") ? OR

2) Can I sell & serve non-alcoholic wine and beer?

Non-alcoholic is defined as less than 0.5% alcohol content. To get intoxicated on this would take about 100 bottles.

3)If there are non-alcoholic wine and beer products that have 0% alcohol is this permitted?

Some people say that as you are living in an Islamic state then these things are permissable.

Thankyou for your time and attention regarding this matter.

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Answer:

Can one allow alcohol in his restaurant?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Allow my customers to bring their own alcohol to have with their food, commonly known as BYOB ("Bring Your Own bottle") ?

Although your earnings from your restaurant will be considered halaal; it would not behove a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to facilitate or encourage a thing which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared haraam to be consumed on their premises. If you permit your customers to bring their own alcohol and consume it on your premises, you will have a share in their sin.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 2 (part):Help ye one another in righteousness and piety; but help ye not one another in sin and rancor. Fear Allah!; for Allah is strict in punishment.

Q-2: Can I sell & serve non-alcoholic wine and beer?

Non-alcoholic is defined as less than 0.5% alcohol content. To get intoxicated on this would take about 100 bottles.

If the drink has even 0.1% alcohol content, it would not be permissible for a believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, to drink it or earn from selling or serving it. That is because it is the ‘usool’ or accepted condition in Shariah, that if something is declared haraam in a large quantity, it will be deemed haraam even in a small quantity.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3679 Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: “Every intoxicant is forbidden; if a faraq of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is (also) forbidden.”

Q-3: If there are non-alcoholic wine and beer products that have 0% alcohol is this permitted?

If the drink is non-alcoholic, then there is absolutely no harm or sin in consuming it, serving it, selling it, etc.

Q-4: Some people say that as you are living in an Islamic state then these things are permissable.

Allah Subhanah is the Sole Sovereign Lord of the whole Universe; and whatever law of Allah Subhanah applies on the people living in an Islamic State will apply to the believers living in a non-Islamic state! It does not matter where the believer lives, the laws of Allah Subhanah will always remain the same.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan