573. Is Nutmeg Haraam?

By Asma Bint Shameem

The majority of the scholars say that we shouldn’t use nutmeg because it is something that intoxicates. 

And anything that intoxicates is not allowed in Islaam. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Every intoxicant is khamr, and every intoxicant is haram.” (Muslim)

However some of the ulama say that it’s allowed to use nutmeg in a very small quantity as flavoring in food. 

Shaikh Hatem al-Hajj explains the hadeeth of “intoxicants” quoted above. 

He said:

“The statement of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam above calls any substance that will result in “sukr” khamr. 

Sukr is translated as intoxication, and that may lead to the inclusion of many substances under the name of “khamr”. 

It is rather more accurate to consider sukr to be the state or condition that follows the ingestion of khamr, which includes the classical symptoms of euphoria, excitement, confusion and stupor and come, ending in death in the case of overdosing.

Sukr (as explained above), not simply intoxication, is the effective cause (illah) that needs to be present in a substance to be given all of the rulings of khamr.

I now believe there are differences between the effects of khamr (as in alcoholic beverages) and other CNS depressants “intoxicants”.

Thus, the right position is the permissibility of its use in small amounts when mixed with other spices. 

Of note here, is that in KSA, It is permitted to import if it constitutes 20% or less of the final food product, which goes in agreement of the position chosen here above.

That is the fiqhi position. 

However, the sincere believers are invited to practice pious caution in all affairs.”

 Dr. Wahbat al-Zuhayli said: 

“There is no reason why a small amount of nutmeg should not be used to improve the flavor of food, cakes and the like, but a large amount is haraam, because it is a narcotic. 

But to be on the safe side we should say that it is not allowed even if it is mixed with other things and there is only a small amount of it, because “that which intoxicates in large amounts, a small amount of it is haraam.” 

Shaikh Moosaa Richardson said:

“Nutmeg, like any other intoxicant, is impermissible to buy, sell, transport, store, etc. 

If it -or any other intoxicant- is found as a tiny amount in a much larger food or drink that has *already been prepared*, and the food or drink simply does not intoxicate, no matter how much is consumed, then we cannot categorize such a food or drink as an intoxicant.”

So, in other words, the Shaikh is saying that we can buy food products ALREADY containing nutmeg. 

But, to be on the safe side, it would be better to avoid using nutmeg *on our own* and cook or bake with it. 

I myself used to cook with nutmeg but once I found out that it’s not allowed to be used, I stopped using it and there’s no difference in the taste of the food at all. 

Everyone still loves my cooking and thinks it’s delicious Alhamdulillaah!

And Allaah knows best