Question 127: Are drinks like Delster, non-alcoholic beer (ma' al-sha'ir), Coca-Cola, etc., which are available on the market, permissible to drink?
Answer
✅Answer: Although a drink made by a company cannot be called forbidden until it is proven with certainty that it has a problem, in the case of manufactured drinks, such as Delster, non-alcoholic beer, Coca-Cola, etc., one must pay close attention to the following hadiths to understand the criteria for consuming manufactured drinks with a special process, without knowing their ingredients and production method:
عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ فِی قُرْبِ الْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِیهِ مُوسَی بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْعَارِفِ یَدْخُلُ بَیْتَ أَخِیهِ فَیَسْقِیهِ النَّبِیذَ أَوِ الشَّرَابَ لَا یَعْرِفُهُ هَلْ یَصْلُحُ لَهُ شُرْبُهُ مِنْ غَیْرِ أَنْ یَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ إِذَا کَانَ مُسْلِماً عَارِفاً فَاشْرَبْ مَا أَتَاکَ بِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْکِرَهُ
📚 Qurb al-Isnad, p. 412
Translation: Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him): 'A Muslim who is a person of knowledge enters his brother's house, and he offers him Nabidh or an unknown drink. Is it appropriate for him to drink it without asking his brother about the drink?' The Imam said: 'If that person is a knowledgeable Muslim, then drink whatever he brings you (without asking), unless you do not know him.'
عَنِ الْحُسَیْنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ بَکْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِی یَعْفُورٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِذَا شَرِبَ الرَّجُلُ النَّبِیذَ الْمَخْمُورَ فَلَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ فِی شَیْ ءٍ مِنَ الْأَشْرِبَةِ وَ إِنْ کَانَ یَصِفُ مَا تَصِفُونَ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 421
Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When a man drinks intoxicating and inebriating Nabidh, his testimony about any drink is no longer permissible or acceptable, even if he believes in what you describe (is a Twelver Shi'a).'
بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ یَحْیَی عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِیدٍ عَنْ مُصَدِّقٍ عَنْ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِی حَدِیثٍ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ یَأْتِی بِالشَّرَابِ فَیَقُولُ هَذَا مَطْبُوخٌ عَلَی الثُّلُثِ قَالَ إِنْ کَانَ مُسْلِماً وَرِعاً مُؤْمِناً فَلَا بَأْسَ أَنْ یُشْرَبَ
📚 Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 116
Translation: Ammar said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a person who brings a drink and says that this drink has been cooked down to one-third (thulthan). The Imam said: 'If that person is a Muslim of piety, a believer, and God-fearing, there is no problem in drinking it.'
وَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِیهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ یُصَلِّی إِلَی الْقِبْلَةِ لَا یُوثَقُ بِهِ أَتَی بِشَرَابٍ یَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ عَلَی الثُّلُثِ فَیَحِلُّ شُرْبُهُ قَالَ لَا یُصَدَّقُ إِلَّا أَنْ یَکُونَ مُسْلِماً عَارِفاً
📚 Tahdhib, vol. 9, p. 123
Translation: Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked my brother Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him): 'A man from the people of the qibla (a Muslim) who is not trustworthy brings a drink and claims it has been cooked down to one-third. Is it permissible to drink it?' The Imam said: 'He should not be believed unless he is a Muslim of knowledge.'
Based on the above hadiths, a drink produced in a factory can be consumed only if its managers are Muslims who are believers, pious, and knowledgeable, or if one is certain that it has been prepared with lawful ingredients and methods. Having an international 'Halal' logo is not sufficient for its permissibility. Rather, there must be either certainty about its ingredients and production method, or it must be received from Muslims who are believers, pious, and knowledgeable.
We remind you again that our avoidance of a drink of unknown origin, due to a lack of trust in its producer or a lack of knowledge about its ingredients and production method, does not mean we are calling it forbidden. Rather, according to the command of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), we do not drink unknown beverages until we are certain of their permissibility through lawful means.