Dear brother, Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
This is the answer to the question regarding perfume (cologne... etc.):
The Messenger of Allah (saw) says:
كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ خَمْرٌ وَكُلُّ خَمْرٍ حَرَامٌ
"Every intoxicant is khamr and every khamr is forbidden." (Muslim)
And he (saw) says:
مَا أَسْكَرَ كَثِيرُهُ فَقَلِيلُهُ حَرَامٌ
"Whatever intoxicates in large quantities, a small amount of it is forbidden." (Narrated by Ibn Majah and al-Daraqutni, and authenticated by Ibn Hajar)
He (saw) has clarified what kind of liquid is called khamr; indeed, every intoxicant—whether in small or large amounts—is khamr. Here, the role of Tahqiq al-Manat (verifying the reality) comes into play to determine whether this perfume, cologne, or similar substances would intoxicate if drunk, whether in small or large amounts. If it intoxicates, then it is khamr, and the rulings of khamr apply to it, being prohibited in ten aspects according to the hadith:
لُعنتِ الخمرُ على عشرة أوجه: بعيتها وعاصرها ومعتصرها وبائعها ومبتاعها وحاملها والمحمولة إليه وآكل ثمنها وشاربها وساقيها
"Khamr is cursed on ten accounts: its essence, the one who presses it, the one for whom it is pressed, its seller, its buyer, its carrier, the one to whom it is carried, the consumer of its price, its drinker, and its server." (Ibn Majah)
We have learned that perfumes such as cologne and the like are drunk in some regions, particularly in the Gulf, and that they intoxicate due to the presence of a percentage of alcohol in them.
Accordingly, if the liquid—whether it is a perfume or otherwise—intoxicates in large quantities, then a small amount of it is forbidden. It is khamr, and the rulings of khamr apply to it regarding its ten prohibited aspects.
As for alcohol being of two types, Ethyl and Methyl, this is correct. We have learned the following from specialists:
("Alcohol is of two types: one is Ethyl, which is the active substance in various types of intoxicants depending on the concentration. The second is Methyl, which is alcohol extracted from wood or fibrous materials. They are two similar substances in terms of their effect on the body, especially the nervous system, but they differ completely in terms of chemical analysis and oxidation in the body, which causes different results. As for the effect, each causes a decline in the functioning of all vital centers in the brain. However, Ethyl alcohol intoxicates but does not kill; consuming massive amounts of it by drinking causes a coma, then a very deep sleep, after which the drinker wakes up. As for Methyl, it intoxicates, but it causes a harmful toxic effect that may reach the point of destroying retinal cells and killing the optic nerve, leading to blindness, or killing and destroying the cells of the vital centers in the brain, leading to death, depending on the proportions used. All types of khamr contain Ethyl alcohol and very small amounts of Methyl alcohol, whereas cologne consists mostly of Methyl alcohol.")
This means that Ethyl alcohol and small amounts of Methyl intoxicate, while large amounts of Methyl kill. Therefore, cologne—whether made from Ethyl or Methyl in a suitable proportion—intoxicates (as has been reported in cases of intoxication from cologne in the Gulf). If it intoxicates and causes poisoning without killing, it is forbidden for being khamr, and also forbidden for being a poison (even if it does not kill). However, if Methyl alcohol is used in a proportion that kills in the liquid or cologne, the liquid becomes forbidden because it is a poison, according to the rule of harm: (Al-aslu fil madar at-tahrim - The origin in harms is prohibition).
Thus, liquids containing alcohol are subject to Tahqiq al-Manat:
If the percentage of alcohol in them makes them intoxicate—whether in small or large amounts—then they are khamr and are prohibited in the ten aspects.
If they do not intoxicate but are poisonous, then they are forbidden because they are poison. In this case, they are prohibited in what the text has mentioned, namely drinking or eating the poison, as well as selling it or giving it as a gift, according to the hadith:
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا حَرَّمَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَكْلَ شَيْءٍ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَمَنَهُ
"Indeed, when Allah forbids a people from consuming something, He forbids its price for them." (Abu Dawood and Ahmad)
قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّحُومَ جَمَلُوهَا ثُمَّ بَاعُوهَا وَأَكَلُوا أَثْمَانَهَا
"May Allah fight the Jews; when Allah forbade them the fats (of animals), they melted them down, then sold them and consumed their price." (Ahmad). "Melted them down" means they liquefied them. As for the remaining ten aspects, the texts regarding them were revealed concerning khamr.
This covers the first part of the question regarding perfumes or cologne.
As for the second part: why do we adopt a position on this matter while we do not adopt in Ibadat (acts of worship)? The answer to this is from two perspectives: First, khamr is not part of Ibadat. Second, we are not "adopting" here regarding the prohibition of khamr, as it is forbidden by consensus; rather, the issue is the Tahqiq al-Manat of this liquid—does it intoxicate or not? Whoever verifies the reality (Tahqiq al-Manat) and finds that the liquid does not intoxicate in small or large amounts, then in that case, the liquid is not khamr.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
08/08/2004 CE
Your Brother