What is the ruling on drinking alcohol if a doctor prescribes it?

Drinking alcohol is only permissible for one who is in a state of emergency, meaning that his life is contingent on drinking alcohol, such as one who is thirsty while he is in a desert or a salty sea and finds nothing but alcohol, in which case it is permissible for him to drink it to the extent that he sustains his last spark of life; because Allah Almighty has said: ﴿فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَلَا إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[1]; “Whoever is forced by necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin is upon him. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful,” and said: ﴿فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِإِثْمٍ ۙ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[2]; “Whoever is driven by necessity to what is forbidden, without inclining to sin, then indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” Malik, al-Shafi‘i, and Ahmad have said: “It is not permissible for him to drink alcohol; because that does not benefit him, but rather increases his thirst.”[3] This view has also been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt[4]. Therefore, one to whom this matter has become clear is not permitted to drink alcohol, even if his thirst peaks. As for one who is not in a state of emergency and seeks treatment for a disease or relief from pain, it is not permissible for him to drink alcohol, even if a doctor prescribes it; because Allah Almighty has only permitted the one who is in a state of emergency to consume what is unlawful, and this apparently refers to one whose life is contingent on consuming what is unlawful, not someone whose treatment of a disease or relief of pain is contingent on drinking alcohol if his disease or pain is not something that would kill the human being. It is far-fetched that the treatment of a disease or the relief of pain would be contingent on drinking alcohol, especially in these days when medical treatment has advanced and there is a variety of medicines. Rather, there are many narrations from the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt that indicate alcohol and other unlawful things are not a cure at all; such as the narration of Wa’il ibn Hujr who said: «إِنَّ رَجُلًا يُقَالُ لَهُ سُوَيْدُ بْنُ طَارِقٍ[5] سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ، فَنَهَاهُ عَنْهَا، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا نَصِفُهَا لِلدَّوَاءِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّهَا دَاءٌ، وَ‌لَيْسَتْ بِدَوَاءٍ»[6]; “A man called Suwayd ibn Tariq asked the Prophet about alcohol, and He forbade him from it. So Suwayd said: ‘We only use it as medicine.’ Then the Prophet said: ‘It is a disease, not medicine,’” and the narration of Umm Salamah who said: «نَبَذْتُ نَبِيذًا فِي كُوزٍ، فَدَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَغْلِي، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذَا؟ قُلْتُ: اشْتَكَتِ ابْنَةٌ لِي، فَنَبَذْتُ لَهَا هَذَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ شِفَاءَكُمْ فِيمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ»[7]; “I made some wine in a mug. Then the Messenger of Allah entered while it was boiling. He said: ‘What is this?’ I said ‘My daughter complained (of pain), so I made it for her.’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Indeed, Allah has not placed your cure in what He has made unlawful for you,’” and the narration of Umar ibn Udhaynah who said: «كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُبْعَثُ لَهُ الدَّوَاءُ مِنْ رِيحِ الْبَوَاسِيرِ، فَيَشْرَبُهُ بِقَدْرِ أُسْكُرُّجَةٍ مِنْ نَبِيذٍ صُلْبٍ، لَيْسَ يُرِيدُ بِهِ اللَّذَّةَ، وَإِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ بِهِ الدَّوَاءَ، فَقَالَ: لَا، وَلَا جُرْعَةً، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ فِي شَيْءٍ مِمَّا حَرَّمَ شِفَاءً وَلَا دَوَاءً»[8]; “I wrote to Abu Abdullah -meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq- asking about a man who receives medicine for gases of hemorrhoids; then he drinks it in the amount of a small cup of strong wine, not intending to enjoy it, but only intending to use it as medicine. So he said: ‘No, not even a sip of it (is lawful).’ Then he said: ‘Indeed, Allah the Exalted, the Majestic has not placed any cure or medicine in what He has made unlawful,’” and the narration of Qa’id ibn Talhah «أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَنِ النَّبِيذِ يُجْعَلُ فِي الدَّوَاءِ، فَقَالَ: لَا، لَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَسْتَشْفِيَ بِالْحَرَامِ»[9]; “who asked Abu Abdullah about wine being used in medicine. So he said: ‘No, no one should seek a cure through what is unlawful,’” and the narration of Ali ibn Asbat who said: «أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: إِنَّ بِي -جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ- أَرْيَاحَ الْبَوَاسِيرِ، وَلَيْسَ يُوَافِقُنِي إِلَّا شُرْبُ النَّبِيذِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا لَكَ وَلِمَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَرَسُولُهُ؟! يَقُولُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثًا، عَلَيْكَ بِهَذَا الْمَرِيسِ الَّذِي تَمْرُسُهُ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَتَشْرَبُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ، وَتَمْرُسُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَتَشْرَبُهُ بِالْعَشِيِّ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: هَذَا يَنْفُخُ الْبَطْنَ، قَالَ لَهُ: فَأَدُلُّكَ عَلَى مَا هُوَ أَنْفَعُ لَكَ مِنْ هَذَا، عَلَيْكَ بِالدُّعَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا لَهُ: فَقَلِيلُهُ وَكَثِيرُهُ حَرَامٌ؟ فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، قَلِيلُهُ وَكَثِيرُهُ حَرَامٌ»[10]; “My father informed me, he said: I was in the presence of Abu Abdullah . Then a man said to him: “May I be sacrificed for you, I suffer from gases of hemorrhoids, and nothing suits me but drinking wine.’ So he said to him: ‘What do you have to do with that which Allah the Exalted, the Majestic and His Messenger have made unlawful?!’ He said that to him three times. Then he continued: ‘You should use these immersed dates, which are immersed in water in the evening to drink in the morning and immersed in the morning to drink in the evening.’ The man said to him: ‘This causes bloating.’ So he said to him: ‘Then I guide you to what is more beneficial to you than this. You should make du‘a, for it is a cure for every disease.’ We said to him: ‘So are both a small amount and a large amount of wine unlawful?’ He said: ‘Yes, both a small amount and a large amount of it are unlawful,’” and the narration of al-Halabi who said: «سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَنْ دَوَاءٍ عُجِنَ بِالْخَمْرِ، فَقَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ، فَكَيْفَ أَتَدَاوَى بِهِ؟!»[11]; “I asked Abu Abdullah about a medicine made in dough with wine. So he said: ‘No, by Allah, I do not like to even look at it, so how can I use it as medicine?!” and other narrations with this meaning. Undoubtedly, goodness and blessing are in what is lawful and pure, not in what is unlawful and impure.