{"_id":"6839d930576d9f8d2ec93e22","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"How should I deal with handling ethanol at work?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"I work in a BSL2 (Biosafety Level 2) research laboratory, which requires us to spray everything with 70% ethanol for disinfection. This leads to some getting on my skin and clothes, even while wearing PPE. Does this situation create sufficient hardship to permit its use, according to Shafi'i scholars?\\n\\nAdditionally, when it comes to matters of fiqh like this, is it a communal obligation to work toward finding solutions so we are taking fewer dispensations? I ask because there might be a genuine need for Muslim scientists to find alternative solutions for daily sanitization in research, healthcare, and foodservice. Alternatively, should we simply take the dispensation and move on to other issues that might be more pressing?\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Yes, according to the Shāfiʿī school, this would be excused. The school considers ethanol to share the ruling of khamr, since it is a liquid intoxicant, but also acknowledges numerous situations where its use becomes difficult to avoid. In such cases, necessity or hardship allows for leniency, and your situation falls into that category. You do not need to worry.\\n\\nAs for alternatives: absolutely, it would be a noble contribution for Muslims to pursue research and innovation in this area. There is value in developing solutions that align more closely with our religious ethics, especially in fields like healthcare, food safety, and laboratory science. However, at this point, we are not at the forefront of such efforts.\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://www.carolinaqa.com/search/ethanol\"},\"insert\":\"https://www.carolinaqa.com/search/ethanol\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9ff00b76658b4c2329a9","tag":"Contemporary Life: Jobs and Career","count":120},{"_id":"66eee29e1f48e0edb8c47f9e","tag":"Food: Alcohol","count":34}],"createdOn":"2025-05-30T16:13:36.289Z"}