Is Root Beer Halal? [Revealed]

Root beer is a popular carbonated drink made from the root bark of the sassafras tree. In general, but not always, root beer is sweet, carbonated, caffeine-free, and non-alcoholic. The question arises whether root beer is halal or haram for Muslims.

If root beer is entirely alcohol-free, all Islamic scholars agree that it is halal. Some Islamic scholars believe it is haram if it contains even a tiny amount of alcohol, while others think it is still permissible.

Despite its name, root beer is not an alcoholic beverage; instead, it is one of the non-alcoholic varieties that are regarded as Halal.

Does Root Beer Have Alcohol?

In the old days, root beer used to have high amounts of alcohol in it. Nowadays mostly root beers are non-alcoholic carbonated drinks and even if they include it’s in so tiny amounts that they can’t get you intoxicated.

Is Root Beer Soda Or Alcohol?

Root beer is made from the root bark of the sassafras tree. It’s safe to call it a soda as the alcohol in it won’t be enough to get you drunk. Root beer is also called a non-alcoholic drink.

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Can Muslims Drink Root Beer?

Root beer is acceptable for Muslims. Since it doesn’t contain any other haram ingredients and isn’t alcoholic, Muslims are allowed to consume it.

Root beers rarely contain small amounts of alcohol, which some academics believe is against Shariah.

Most “non-alcoholic” drinks contain 0.5 percent or less alcohol, according to Shaykh Asif’s fatwa, and Muslims should not consume them.

Is Root Beer Fermented?

Generally, fermented root beers are homemade and fermented for a couple of days.
With less than 0.05 percent alcohol by volume as a result of this process, root beer won’t be classified as an alcoholic beverage.

However, it is common for commercial root beer to be made by creating syrup from water and molasses, then adding artificial flavorings.

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Fatwa About Root Beer

Selling, purchasing, or consuming alcoholic beverages is not permitted in Islam.

Due to the complete lack of alcohol or its small alcohol content in root beers, scholars have determined that non-intoxicating root beer is halal.

Read Scholarly View: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/33763/drinking-beer-in-islam-halal-or-haram

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah said:

“Every intoxicant is unlawful and whatever causes intoxication in large amounts, a small amount of it is (also) unlawful.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 3392

FAQ

Is beer halal in Islam?

It totally depends if the drink has alcohol present or not. If any beer has alcohol then it is most likely haram. On the contrary, if the beer has no alcohol then it will be halal. Check the ingredients to know for sure.

Is root beer actually beer?

Root beer is a subcategory of beer that isn’t typically made with traditional cereal grains like wheat and barley but rather with actual plant roots.

Why is root beer not alcoholic?

Because root beer does not go through the typical fermentation process that transforms a beverage into an alcoholic beverage, it does not contain alcohol.

Is 0.5 percent alcohol halal?

Consuming alcohol with a percentage of more than 5% is prohibited.

Does root beer taste like alcohol?

No, a non-alcoholic root beer won’t taste like alcohol.

Is root beer unhealthy?

Root beer is not considered a healthy drink as it includes high amounts of sugar.

Final Thoughts

I love to drink root beers but I always need to check the ingredients first. If you are a Muslim and want to have a good cold root beer you should first check the ingredients for sure.

Mostly all root beers out there are alcohol-free which means that root beer is halal but sometimes ingredients may include some amounts of alcohol in which case you need to leave it.

And Allah Knows Best.