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Using medicine that contains alcohol

Question

Assalamualaikum. I have a 5 year old son who likes to bite his nails until they bleed. I recently bought a Nail Bite Deterrent but realised it has alcohol content. The application is pretty much like applying nail polish. Is this ok for me to use on my young son - it being like a nail polish and having alcohol content? Please advise. JazakAllah

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Alcohol is the substance of intoxication in wine and liquor, so if it has not been transformed from its original state before adding it to the medicine, then it is not permissible to use it.

Abdur-Razzaaq  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him reported in his book, Al-Musannaf, that Jaabir ibn Zayd was asked about the sediment (dregs) of alcohol whether or not it is permissible to massage one’s body with it in the public bath or be treated with it in surgery or the like, and he said: “It is impure and Allaah ordered us to avoid it.”

For more benefit, kindly refer to Fataawa 87607 and 92279.

Allaah Knows best.

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