Full Lecture Transcript (Cleaned)
Question and Context — 0:00
What is the verdict on attending gatherings or meetings or office parties where there is alcohol communicate learn each other alert eternal Northey name but Sir no and let the girl - mutt in the consumption of alcohol is something that we all know is completely forbidden in our religion our prophet sallallaahu I the centum has called it the mother of all evil or the source of all evil and it is a tool of Shaitaan we all know that in this country one of the leading causes of liver cancer heart disease even.
Other types of cancer in fact almost a hundred thousand deaths in North America alone is because directly of alcohol and it is one of the leading causes of preventable death in this country by the way one of the leading causes of preventable death is the consumption of alcohol its harms are well known and it is because of this that the Sharia has not just forbidden drinking alcohol the Shetty has also forbidden anything related to it such as transporting buying selling witnessing the transaction these are all called preventative measures said the.
Vidya when something is Haram allah azza wajal makes the things leading to it Haram as well obviously the level of Haruma of the things leading to it is not the same as the level of itself you understand this point and that's what we're gonna come to now when something is Haram the avenues that lead to it also become Haram but those avenues are not as sinful as the Haram itself obviously and this is called in the Sharia said dude there are cutting off the doors to this to this Avenue and.
One of those prohibitions when it comes to alcohol is to sit at a table where alcohol is served hadith isn't Muslim a Muhammad it is Hassan which is acceptable it's not so hey it's not that if it is a hasn't hadith that the Prophet sallallaahu said him said whoever believes in Allah and the last day should not sit at a table where alcohol is passed around you'd rona hell camera ok so one should not sit at a table where alcohol is being passed around this is a hadith in mustard Imam.
Muhammad and this is the default position that a person should avoid sitting at a table where alcohol is served and once you try to get out of this as much as now this is the default the problem is that this default becomes very difficult or at times logistically impossible in the world that we live in and I have asked over a dozen mentors and teachers of mine and peers of mine this particular issue these are one of the questions that are on my mind and I asked many people and I'll.
Just mention some names here but the opinion I will give you ascribe it to me but I'm telling you just because understandably I never claimed to be a scholar I'm a student of knowledge I am NOT a scholar I'm a student of knowledge so understandably people say who are you to say things and that's a valid concern but I try to quote positions that have basis and that have precedents I never ever try to bring an opinion that is unprecedented I don't feel myself qualified to do that but I tried.
To find precedents and when it comes to this issue I have asked over a dozen people whom I look up to including people like Shailaja sowwy dr. Hattie mahadji of UCL Judaica others I have asked all of these specific questions specifically I've asked them about this hadith in light of modern times and in light of corporate America and by the way fYI I have worked in corporate America for a period of my life and for 15 years I was in academia which is a different type of corporate America I had.
To meet many people politicians business interviews presidents of universities presenting papers at at Harvard and Princeton have been in that environment so I understand what it is like to be the only Muslim in a room full of people that are coming together for another cause they're not coming together to get drunk you're not going to a pub to socialize you're going for a conference you're going for a job issue you're going because your boss's boss or the company's president has thrown a big party and you're a member of that audience.
And once again with my utmost respect many of our scholars and teachers have never been in that situation and so they give Futaba that they are there and hardly anybody can follow them because those Futaba cannot be applied by the average person working in a corp environment and that's why the one who knows knows the one who is there understands and that's why I myself have been very eager to ask many of my mentors and teachers pretty much all of them who live in these lands or at least are well.
Aware of the situation of our lands because again what you need to realize when you ask a person or a chef that has never been in these lands there to sow wood is very different of reality they can give a fatwa and they don't understand that fat was impossible to apply always go to people who live in your lands for your scholarship especially for these minutiae issues and as I said I've asked over a dozen to be brutally honest I think it might be two dozen because I've been talking about.
This for these are some of the issues are always discussed with my peers and my mentors and every single one of them without exception has given caveats and exceptions to this hadith none of them unconditionally said it has always held on and you have to stand up and leave every time there's alcohol within five feet of you none of them have said this because they understand that you cannot be that strict this hadith.
Core Ruling and Evidence — 5:48
Is not meant to be used as an elastic band and applied to every scenario the hadith is a general ruling let's keep that as the default let's not become comfortable but they're always going to be difficult scenarios and by the way this isn't without precedence again there are minor precedence of them is the issue of the Muslim man married to the Christian lady and we find a number of explicit narrations even from the very strict rule Emma like Imam Mohamed Mohamud somebody came to him and said that a man is.
Married to a Christian lady can he force her to not drink alcohol now remember it's her right as a Christian and it may be even some in her Sharia it's allowed and maybe even in her rituals is what she does if she's a Catholic she's even gonna drink it right and Imam Muhammad said he does not have the right to forbid her from drinking her alcohol he doesn't have that right so this is someone Hakeem at Mohammed and the context is in a Muslim land and it's in the person's house.
On the by the way thing about the technicalities whose money is she typically gonna use to go buy the alcohol think about technicalities where will that alcohol be stored in whose house think about these technicalities right before you make these blanket statements of Haram Haram Haram think things through and that's why fear cos very different than just quoting hadith and extrapolating my dear brothers and sisters extremism typically occurs with people who don't understand Fela they just take a verse or a hadith and they become Foca overnight actual fokaha are always.
Much more understanding much more reasonable as I said more than a dozen scholars I asked personally this question more than a dozen every one of them they gave slightly different but every one of them is giving caveats if this if that so the position I'm gonna present is coming from me don't ascribe it to them but I will tell you all of them have given caveats and exceptions to this hadith so based on this I form and educated HT HOD if I am right it is from Allah find it if.
It is wrong then it is from myself and I ask Allah's refuge what I say is as follows this is my advice the Muslim working in corporate America should never make it the norm to feel comfortable around alcohol this Muslim should make it known to his or her close colleagues that they don't like alcohol and the presence of alcohol it should be something that is known that they feel uncomfortable around the presence of alcohol it should not just become overlooked not a green light anytime there's alcohol let it be occasionally.
Such a Muslim might find himself or herself in a situation where it's just the battle is not worth fighting for example the annual meeting for example the CEO comes in and the whole staff is there for example the ceremony there's gonna take place around this time when the raises are given and announcements are made right before Christmas and your presence and your your point is a part of being with the community of your corporation you need to be there because that's what everybody is doing so on those exceptional scenarios try.
Your best to avoid being in the direct vicinity so if the alcohol table is there you go on another side and you intermingle with the people over there and if you are forced to sit down try your best to get a few people that you know will not be drinking and sit one of my teachers actually said this I'm not going to mention it but I respect to Emma Slee one of my teachers actually said if there's a large table get three four or five people sitting next to them and.
In your mind draw an imaginary line this is my table there's no alcohol on it point is you have to work here what are you gonna do if there's 50 people at a corporate meeting and you're all sitting at a table and they're drinking alcohol over there what are you gonna do I mean if you really thought it's necessary to stand up and leave that's your business and I'm not saying don't do that but I'm saying la yukallifu la enough Sun illa wus aha' how unreasonable is it for you to.
Stand up and leave because somebody else is drinking your boss's boss is drinking alcohol though you will not be able to function in corporate America this way you cannot function in a regular your going to a job interview for example right that stage you're gonna tell other people hey you got you can't drink by the way huh you're gonna get that job or not is the law requiring you to be that unreasonable I don't think so well I I do not think so at all and is the position that many.
Of my teachers have as well you're going to a job interview you're going to the annual corporate event or what not now is not the time to enforce Shetty on other people their drinking is there but you obviously are not going to drink you will say I don't drink okay you order your alka-seltzer water or whatever you want to do you know it's like well you you do whatever you want but you do not obviously obviously drink yourself and if they're drinking that why not fine then when you get in.
And your colleagues input you should then say you know what you guys are going there if it's just a regular chilling event just evening out you should not compromise on that type of thing why you know you guys go ahead and enjoy and you don't have to say even alcohol use that you guys go ahead I'm a bit tired make an excuse of I'd rather I'd make a few phone calls whatever but if.
Practical Guidance and Caveats — 11:23
Your presence is important not balloon a life and death because this is not a matter of life in that it's a matter of reasonable your job is at line here your presence is required for the promotions your ambience is there you you being there is going to show the company that you're a part and parcel to the company in these types of scenarios be reasonable and participate what needs to be done and then as you all know as the evening winds down the party revellers stay and then people who want.
To leave can leave right you be of those who leave as fast as you reasonably can Fatah Cola huh mr. Tatem fear allah subhana wa ta'ala as much as you can and even as you are there in your heart do not like it because our prophet sallallaahu i said them said whoever can change monka with his hands good if not them with this tongue if not then what don't like it in your heart hate it in your heart I'm being very explicit don't make it the norm that I'm surrounded by.
Alcohol no it should never be the norm don't make it lackadaisical no big deal it is a big deal and you should not just be observing people getting drunk but once in a while you cannot enforce hundred-percent when you need to be as minimal as you need be as discreet as you need to be do what you need to do and then make your excuse and then be away from there and then ask Allah as or just forgiveness but I do not think it is a sin when as we said.
When you're pressured into this type of scenario that you're in the presence where alcohol is nonetheless if it is not something that is required and it is simply a pure socialization a pure merriment in this case no need for you to compromise and you can give an X I give you a classic example your going to a meeting or a conference somewhere else then your office is going to go out for a dinner and you know there's gonna be shut up and laughter and merriment and there's no need for the.
Business has been done right the meeting has been done now we're not talking about a business meeting with the client where you have to be again um be sensible you all know the difference when your office colleagues are just going to chill because the company tab is paying for it right no need for you when you know there's gonna be alcohol you're not gonna lose your job if you don't show up to that thing no big deal I and give an exclusive human you don't have to say because I'm a.
Muslim I'm laka if you want to its case-by-case if you don't have that authority make an excuse I'm feeling tired I have to make a few phone calls I'll see you guys tomorrow simple as that and then be away from there but if you do need to go for reasons that you know best for your job sake in my humble opinion it is not Haram and the hadith will not apply to you final point one of my teachers made a very good point one of my mentors he's at a very.
Good point he said one needs to look at the context of this hadith what is the context of this hadith a group of Muslims sitting and drinking alcohol to for the point of getting drunk you delay he'll humble means Hamid is being passed around why would you be in such a gathering of Muslims what excuse is there one of my teacher said this hadith needs to be understood as silent approval of other Muslims getting drunk you shouldn't be there you cannot just copy and paste and apply it to a corporate.
Setting where your non-muslim colleagues are drinking a cup or two with their meals they're not even getting drunk causes they're not supposed to technic as you know you know they're not even doing that it's just what they're doing on this side so allah azza wajal knows best the fatwa that I have given based on years of research and asking many of my colleagues and mentors avoid it as much as possible don't make this the norm your colleagues should know that you feel uncomfortable around alcohol but when push comes to shove.
And you're in a situation where you kind of sort of for the greater good of your job and career you have to be in there do the bare minimum do what needs to do try your best to take reasonable precautions try your best that alcohol is not immediately around you if you're able to do that and if you're not for example a job interview with your boss that's gonna hire you it's you and that boss and you're on one table what are you gonna do you go to the job interview.
Tell your bosses your future boss I'm sorry you cannot drink let's be real here you're not gonna get that job and that we fully understand why because you're not somebody the company can work with if you're enforce your policy on other people that's not gonna work right so the wise person uses the right time in place and in my humble opinion that's not the right time place in the job interview to to demand that your boss doesn't drink or what not and so if that is the case and that is.
Happening ask allah's forgiveness try your best to be as minimal as possible do what needs to be done and then remove yourself from that and insha'Allah either there will not be a sin on you if you hate it in your heart and with that inshallah we conclude for today