Khamar is prohibited because it contains alcohol from the khamar industry and can be intoxicating. Likewise, Japanese sake made from sweet potatoes is also forbidden. Then the biologists say, tapai sticky rice and tapai cassava which is a favorite food of the general public turned out to also contain alcohol. Even many people who intentionally ‘sipped’ the tapai water. So, how does the law actually consume the tapai? (HalalMUI)
First of all it needs to be understood, according to the ulama in the MUI Fatwa Commission, alcohol is prohibited and some are not illegal. Furthermore, khamar which is made and processed from grapes, as asholah, or from anything other than grapes, such as tuak, traditional drinks in Sumatra, or sake in Japan, is explicitly and explicitly forbidden in Islam. In the manufacturing process, from the beginning of processing, fermentation to finished products, it is intentionally intended to produce intoxicating drinks, or khamar. Concise and strictly speaking, it is an effort or industry to make khamar. According to the rules of fiqhiyyah, both consumed in large quantities and in small quantities, khamar remains declared haram. There is no doubt, there is no bargaining.
Some ulama, such as Imam Shafi’i, think that khamar is haram and unclean, based on the verse of the verse which calls it “Rijsun”, meaning materially unclean. This is the opinion of the ulama in the MUI Fatwa Commission, for ease in its implementation for the community and control, so that it can be totally avoided.
There are also those who argue that khamar is haram but not unclean. This is the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah. The reason for that verse is also: “Rijsun min” amalish-syaithon “. The meaning is unclean in the sense that it is an act of Satan, meaning a vile act. His opinion is also based on a history which states that when the verse of Al-Qur’an came down which forbids khamar absolutely (meaning QS. 5: 90-91), the Prophet ordered the companions who had khamar to throw away the khamar he had, but did not order washing the container or vessel where the khamar was originally stored. (HalalMUI)
Next, Imam Abu Hanifah also believes that the khamar must contain alcohol and haram; but alcohol is not necessarily khamar. For example, ripe durian fruit contains alcohol, so there are people who are not strong and then become drunk by eating it. Similarly, fruits that are ripe and made juice, contain alcohol. But there are no ulama who forbid durian or fruit juice. Included in this category are tapai. It contains alcohol, but not khamar. In fact too, no one is drunk or intentionally drunk by eating tapai. Imam Abu Hanifah called this alcoholic food/drink is Nabidz, not khamar.
Regarding Nabidz, Imam Abu Hanifah also argued, if Nabidz can cause drunkenness, then it will be haram. However, if it does not cause motion sickness, then it remains halal.
(HalalMUI)
