Errrrr...HALAL beer? Is it?

Assalamualaykum all..

Sunday again, alhamdulillah. We're still alive to work for akhirat! Cheers for that, use the opportunity wisely. Look at those in the grave, they don't have whats we've given today, so be grateful and use our day productively, inshaallah. Well what do you think when you read the title? It sounds fishy and doubtful, isn't it? Sigh, I just don't agree with the term actually, HALAL beer? Err..and it have now been used widely  in my country, duh! Ok before anything I would like to give you whats the definition of beer actually, I took it from the net. There's several definitions, I would just highlight 4 definitions which are commonly use:

Definition 1: A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some othersubstance to impart a bitter flavor. 

Definition 2: A fermented extract of the roots and other parts of various plants, as spruce, ginger, sassafras, etc.

Defenition 3: A general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops 

Definition 4: A fermented beverage brewed by traditional methods that is then dealcoholized so that the finished product contains no more than 0.5 percent alcohol.

 Now lets see the definition of Halal:

Halal (Arabic:حلال, alāl, Halaal; means lawful or legal) is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam.

Don't you think its were really contradicted each other? Beer is alcoholic baverage (Which is haram) and Halal is the opposite of Haraam..er, so how they could be combined as one term for one product that they claimed as  Halal? Arghhh..Its confusing me.

When I searched the definition of wine, it gives almost same as those for beer. But I'm not sure if it was a same thing or not, as my language refers wine as "Arak" and beer as "Bir" and some also said the beer is different with alcohol, otherwise some referred beer as alcohol, some referred alcohol, wine and beer as same.. Aaah! can I leave all those language stuff for a while? This is whats I understand and from my point of view. As in Malaysia we always referred the beer as alcoholic drink or intoxicant that would make you drunken once you take it, so it mostly comply with the third and forth definition above and thats where's the issue arise. I've read some articles about this. Yes they claimed it was a non-alcoholic drink with  0% of alcohol, but then why you put it as HALAL beer? is that anything about this that I missed? as I concern  alcohol or intoxicant would never HALAL, its HARAM for muslims.  Lets refer to the Quran and hadith about this.

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (Al-Maidaah:90)

The Prophet Muhammad also instructed his followers, to avoid intoxicating substances : "If it intoxicates in a large amount it is forbidden even in a small amount"

OK, I'm not gonna comment or promote on the product they named as ISTAK (click to see the product), I just wanna make it clear about how the terms 'HALAL beer' would make some confusion. This is totally not about the status of the product whether it halal or not, this is about the term they're using now in Malaysia to refer this product. Maybe their intention on introducing the terms just to shift the alcoholic attention from beer to this product which is actually halal (As they claimed), its a malt beverage with 10 favors imported from Iran. For me, this term maybe a good strategy but at same time would make a misunderstanding among the public, they might think, oh beer it not absolutely HARAM, it could be HALAL as well, the fact is intoxicant is always HARAM and never could be HALAL in anyway. Noted, when I mention about beer, I referred to intoxicant drink.  This scenario just apply with third and forth definition of beer as Malaysian always referred to, well I don't know if it different for others country. But as for Malaysian, beer is always the third and forth definition. So the term 'HALAL beer' thus not suitable to be commercialized here. Thats my point. You get me?


Maybe I'll consider if they put the name as non-alcoholic beer or in my language, 'Bir tanpa alkohol' just like it mark on the product rather than 'HALAL beer'. Its fine, If  you're not agree with me as maybe for you it just a matter of terms but for me, terms always carry an impact especially when its related to the religion. I think we can't take it for granted. Oh! this just remind me again about the Islamic Fashion Festival(IIF) that actually not ISLAMIC at all in any aspect of it except it was sponsored by Muslim, and it makes me sick to think how we always used Islam for our own benefits without considering at all  whats the impact would be in future, I mean in akhirah. May Allah guides us all to always practice Islam, inshaallah. Allahualam 

P/s: Er OK..its almost Zhuhur, time to pray! See you latter inshaallah! Have a nice day. Am I late to wish this? Ah, better late then never :)