I say, and with God's help: Alcohol is divided into natural and synthetic. The first: natural, which has three forms: a. It can be extracted from wine, which is impure by consensus, and it is forbidden to drink and sell it except in cases of necessity. Our Sheikh Al-Othmani said in the jurisprudence of sales (1: 282): "As for its use for healing, the fatwa of the later scholars of the Hanafi school is in accordance with the opinion of Abu Yusuf: that healing with the forbidden is permissible if it is known to provide a cure, and no other medicine is known. This ruling applies to all prohibitions, including wine." b. It can be extracted from the three drinks, which are juice — that is, grape juice cooked until less than two-thirds evaporates, then boiled and thickened, producing foam — and the soaking of dates and raisins — that is, if soaked in water, boiled, thickened, and foamed — thus drinking a little or a lot of it is forbidden, and punishment is prescribed for the large quantity, unlike wine, which is forbidden and punished for both little and much. These drinks are permissible to sell. Al-Sarakhsi said in Al-Mabsut (24: 15): "This is because the prohibition of consumption does not necessitate the prohibition of sale; for impure oil is not permissible to consume, yet it is permissible to sell, and likewise the sale of silk is permissible, even though its consumption is forbidden. Silk is prohibited in itself, yet its sale is permissible, so too is the case with the other drinks, and similar items. The invalidity of selling wine is known from the text that has been revealed concerning it, and what is known from the text cannot be equated with anything else except what is similar to it in every aspect. These drinks are not similar to wine in every aspect, as evidenced by the ruling of punishment and the ruling of impurity, thus their sale is permissible based on the original ruling." Al-Merghinani said in Al-Hidaya (4: 395): "It is permissible to sell them, and the one who damages them is liable according to Abu Hanifa, contrary to the other two in this regard; because it is a valuable asset, and there is no definitive evidence indicating its loss of value, unlike wine." As for their impurity, there are differing opinions on three narrations. Ibn Najim said in Al-Bahr (1: 242): "There are three narrations regarding it: one that is strict, another that is lenient, and another that is pure, as mentioned in Al-Badai, unlike wine, which is strictly prohibited by consensus of the narrations; because its prohibition is definitive, while the prohibition of other than wine is not definitive." Al-Merghinani said in Al-Hidaya (4: 395): "Its impurity is light in one narration, and severe in another, while the impurity of wine is severe in one narration." In Al-Quhistani: "As for other than wine among the prohibited drinks, it is severe in the apparent narration, and light according to the analogy of the other two," as stated in Radd al-Muhtar (1: 320). If its use is widespread, it is permissible, and the narration of purity is preferred; because widespread use has an effect in alleviation and preference. Al-Haskafi said in Al-Durr al-Mukhtar (1: 213): "And in the remaining intoxicating drinks other than wine, there are three narrations: strictness, leniency, and purity. The strictness is preferred in Al-Bahr, while leniency is preferred in Al-Nahr." Sheikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah noted in the margin of Fath Bab al-Inayah (1: 258): "According to the lenient narration, what is less than a quarter of the afflicted garment or body is excused. The scholar Ahmad Al-Zarqa, our esteemed teacher in Aleppo, relied on the narration of purity and issued fatwas based on it. Our esteemed scholar, the researcher Al-Kawthari, used to say: intoxicants other than wine, like ethanol, are permissible to use, but drinking them is forbidden, and he mentioned that this is the opinion of Abu Hanifa. It is clear that the fatwa of these two esteemed scholars is lenient and accommodating for people, due to the widespread use of this important substance — ethanol — in many aspects of life today. There is no doubt that abstaining from its use, for those who can, is preferable due to the disagreement among scholars regarding its purity, and God knows best." More detailed information regarding synthetic alcohol will follow in the next lines, so pay attention to it. c. It can be extracted from sources other than wine and the three drinks, and it is permissible to drink it according to Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf, as long as it does not intoxicate. Drinking a little is permissible, while drinking a lot is forbidden, and there is no punishment for it. According to Muhammad, drinking both little and much is forbidden, and punishment is prescribed for it. The fatwa has settled in the Hanafi school according to Muhammad on the prohibition and punishment regarding all intoxicating drinks if they are gathered upon by the wicked; thus, neither a little nor a lot of it is permissible, and punishment is prescribed if one becomes intoxicated from it. However, if it is not gathered upon by the wicked, it remains on the original fatwa according to the two sheikhs, permitting its consumption as long as it does not intoxicate. Therefore, the consideration is for the presence of alcohol in it, and the prohibition of drinking is only based on the gathering of the wicked for amusement. Al-Halabi said in Al-Tahbiyyin (6: 47): "All is forbidden according to Muhammad, and this is what is fatwaed. The disagreement is only when intending to strengthen oneself; however, when intending to amuse oneself, it is forbidden by consensus." Al-Zailai said in Multaqa Al-Abhar (2: 573): "The fatwa in our time is according to Muhammad, even if one becomes intoxicated from drinks made from grains, honey, milk, and figs; because the wicked gather upon these drinks in our time, intending to intoxicate and amuse themselves by drinking them." As for selling them, it is permissible all the more so since selling the three drinks is allowed despite the consensus on the prohibition of drinking them; for the reasons mentioned. As for their impurity, according to Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf, they are pure, and the prohibition for them is only if they intoxicate; otherwise, it would not be permissible for them to drink it if it were impure. According to Muhammad, the previous disagreement regarding impurity and purity applies to them. I have issued a fatwa according to Muhammad regarding drinking if the wicked gather upon it; because intoxication and amusement have become the purpose in it, and this reason for prohibition is not present in the ruling of its purity, thus it remains pure according to the opinion of the two sheikhs. The second: synthetic alcohol: If what has been previously detailed regarding natural alcohol is established, allowing its sale except for necessity in the case of wine, then synthetic alcohol does not contain all the previous prohibitions, thus its sale, use, and drinking are permissible unless drinking it causes harm or it is a gathering place for the wicked. Therefore, it is permissible to use it in various medicines, perfumes, and others, and God knows best.