Is boza haram?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Boza (thick, slightly fermented millet drink) is not haram. It is not possible to liken beer to boza. There is a definite difference between the two.

There is no alcohol in boza. There is alcohol in beer. However, since the rate of alcohol in beer is low, it does not make a person drunk. However, this does not make beer legitimate. For, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of it is also prohibited (haram).” (Nasai, Ashriba, 25)

Therefore, since a large amount of beer causes intoxication, a small amount of it is also haram. It is not permissible to drink it. However, there is no alcohol in boza.

If the essence of boza is acidified too much and it becomes intoxicant like beer, it is definitely regarded like beer. As a matter of fact, Hasanayn Mahluf, the mufti of Egypt, states these decrees about boza and beer in his book called “İslâmî Araştırmalar ve Şer’î Fetvalar (Fatawa Shar’iyya wa Buhuthun Islamiyya)”.

As for boza produced from corn and water, if it becomes intoxicant, it becomes haram. Boza becomes intoxicant when its aciditiy increases and rises a lot. Then, boza also becomes haram. When it is haram, a little or a large amount if it is haram too.

If boza is not intoxicant, it is regarded a halal drink like grape juice, fig juice, and date juice. These drinks are unanimously halal.

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