Can we drink Non-Alcoholic Beer?

Question: Can I drink non-alcoholic beer with the intention of not thinking of it as beer?

Answer:

The basic ruling on food and drink is that things are halal except for those which are specifically described in Shari`ah as being haram, such as alcoholic drinks. It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every intoxicating substance is haram.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari) And it was narrated that `A’ishah said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Every intoxicating substance is haram, and whatever intoxicates in large amounts, a handful of it is haram.’” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi).

Focusing more on the question in point, we’d like to cite the following relevant fatwa:

“Non-alcoholic beer is haram because although it is claimed that it is alcohol free, it does have some alcohol in it. We checked with beer manufacturers and confirmed that non-alcoholic beers do have a minimum amount of alcohol in them because during the manufacturing process, a small amount of alcohol is unavoidable. Also, we checked the matter from the legal perspective and found that U.S. law (and probably European law, too), allows beer manufacturers to claim that it is alcohol free if it contains less than one percent alcohol. We wish all Muslims were aware of this fact and if they are not, then we should make this known through the proper educational and media channels.”

Source: www.islamicity.com

Thus, non-alcoholic beers are haram and all Muslims should be aware of this. So, you can approach your husband kindly and tell him of the Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the above mentioned fatwa so that he knows what is halal and what is haram and the right attitude regarding this issue.

Taken from www.islamonline.net

http://www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=101292