(F 149) What is the authenticity of the hadith: “When the cups are struck, whatever is in them becomes prohibited”? Often, we find ourselves in situations like business lunches or similar occasions with non-Muslims, and they may engage in such actions. What is the ruling on participating in them?


There is no hadith -as far as I know- with this specific wording. Nevertheless, this action has become a practice among drinkers and non-Muslim communities in toasting their drinks. Most of the time, the content of the cups is prohibited and forbidden. This action is prohibited to avoid imitating the practices of non-Muslims. The prohibition is directed towards the action itself, and it does not render the content of the cup prohibited unless it’ is religiously prohibited. The prohibition is due to the concern of resemblance, not the inherent prohibition of the drink. Imam al-Ghazali in his book “Ihya Ulum al-Din” stated: “If a group gathers, decorates a gathering, brings drinking vessels and cups, pours in them sakanjabin, and sets up a server to circulate and serve them, and they take from the server and drink, reviving each other with their usual words among themselves, then this is prohibited for them, even if the drink itself is permissible. This is because in this action, there is a resemblance to the people of corruption.” “Sakanjabin” refers to a drink made by mixing vinegar and honey, and sometimes mint is added to it. All of these ingredients are permissible in themselves and in their combination.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr