Is Coffee Halal?
Coffee is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran and Hadith. Muslim scholars have given rulings on coffee based on science and history, stating that coffee is halal.
There might be some Muslim scholars who might argue as coffee alters a little with our minds. I did complete research on coffee so you have a guide on it now. In 2 mins this video will help you understand why is coffee halal.
Why Is Coffee Halal?
God has mentioned in the Quran that you can eat or drink anything lawful. When we look up coffee we don’t find anything in the Holy Book or the sayings of the Prophet of Allah.
The question regarding coffee arises as coffee is an intoxicant. Muslims globally know that an intoxicant is haram.
Then why is coffee not haram? You might ask!
The intoxication which is haram Islamically is which can alter your state of mind to a state that you can’t think straight. Alcohol will intoxicate you into this state but coffee doesn’t.
Coffee only alters the mind to a limit. On the contrary, coffee makes you more alert if anything. It is widely used in times when people want to stay awake for work or meditation.
If a drink like coffee doesn’t cause dizziness and is only used to stay focused it is considered halal.
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Fatwa On Coffee
When I say coffee makes you more alert I mean it will make you more productive. Just imagine you are studying at night for an exam the next day and you not only need coffee to stay awake but also for being productive. Coffee will be considered the best drink in these times.
Here is another example. You are a doctor and it’s your night shift at a hospital. Most of the time you will be sleepy at night as naturally, it’s sleeping hour. Coffee can help you immensely in this situation.
We have a fatwa on coffee being a productive drink:
“Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
There is no harm in drinking tea or coffee regardless of the substances they contain. Imam Shihab al-Din said: ‘it is lawful to drink because originally all the things are lawful except that which Allah has made unlawful. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {Say (O Muhammad SAW): “I find not in that which has been inspired to me anything forbidden …} [6: 145].
So, since coffee does not contain anything that causes drunkenness or any drugs and since it does not harm the body, so it is lawful and cannot be compared to Haram things that cause drunkenness or dizziness.
In fact, coffee makes the body more active. So, the person – after drinking coffee – becomes more able to do some kinds of work. If these works are lawful or if they are forms of worship, then coffee is in this case good as it helps the person do that which is good.
What is said about coffee and tea is true for soft drinks.
On the other hand, you should bear in mind that many of the lawful things can be harmful to the body if over-used.
Allah knows best.”
[source]
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Coffee And Islamic History
The term “coffee” is derived from the Arabic “qahwah”. Qahwah is a drink that comes from coffee beans. The word “qahwah” spread from Yemen to the rest of Arabia until it went to the Ottoman Empire.
Arabs were the first ones to drink coffee. Arabs and Turks love coffee. They could not survive without it. They were so used to it that the Ottoman scholars advised husbands to supply certain amounts of coffee to their wives or else the wives can file for a divorce.
When the Ottoman empire fought and lost the war against Austria and Poland, the Ottoman soldiers left behind a lot of coffee which was in their bags. Austrians and the Polish people were first introduced to this new drink who used to call it kava.
The word then transformed from kava to cafe. So coffee is a Muslim drink meaning it was spread by Muslims.
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Is Coffee Mentioned in the Quran?
Neither the Quran nor any Hadith mentions coffee.
The scholars must issue a fatwa before deciding whether or not something is halal because it is not mentioned in Islamic texts.
Coffee is halal, according to all scholars. Despite being an intoxicant, coffee doesn’t make you feel dizzy like alcohol does. Instead, it promotes alertness and staying productive.
Today, caffeine is used in numerous medications to treat diseases and is neither dangerous nor forbidden by Islam.
Are All Coffee Halal?
Coffees are all regarded as Halal. The coffee beans are gathered from a civet’s excrement and then carefully cleaned before being processed to make coffee.
Make sure to study the ingredients if a coffee brand makes you nervous. I discovered that all the big coffee brands were halal including Nescafe.
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Is Coffee A Drug?
No, coffee is not a drug. However, caffeine, which is a major component of coffee and is used in many medicines, is classified as a drug.
It alters your mind and provides an energy boost that improves overall productivity and endurance. It is also widely used in meditation.
At night Muslims use coffee to stay awake and pray as it is considered the best time.
Why is Caffeine Not Haram?
Caffeine is a drug and it intoxicates you as well. So why is caffeine not haram?
People can ask such questions but they don’t know the rulings on intoxication completely. Anything that creates dizziness or drunkness like alcohol is haram and caffeine doesn’t do all this.
Caffeine is considered an intoxicant but it’s halal and it is widely used in medicines as well.
Shaykh Faraz A. Khan states:
“I pray this finds you in the best of health and faith.
What is prohibited is khamr (wine) or anything with its effects of inebriation (taskir).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Every intoxicant is unlawful.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
He (peace and blessings be upon him) also once explained the basis of why khamr is unlawful when he said, “Khamr is that which covers [or clouds] the intellect.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
So what is meant by intoxicant in this context is that which “covers the intellect,” i.e., causes inebriation or drunkenness like beer, or euphoria such as cocaine or amphetamines. These are all unlawful.
Caffeine is not an intoxicant in that sense, but rather only a mild stimulant and hence permissible.”
[source]
As a result, practically all scholars believe that coffee is halal.
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Final Thoughts
All major scholars have unanimously declared coffee halal. Despite being considered an intoxicant, it does not cause dizziness like alcohol. It is a Muslim drink with a rich Muslim history that alerts the mind.
Meditation and praying long nights can both be accomplished with coffee. It is permissible for Muslims to consume all major brands of coffee.
And Allah Knows Better.
