Is Nutmeg intoxicant ?

[ardianto]

I read in some websites, nutmeg is haram because nutmeg is intoxicant that gives effect like hasish. Even I found a scholar says nutmeg is narcotic.

I know, intoxicant is haram, but I am so confused with statement nutmeg is intoxicant or narcotic. Sometime I ate nutmeg but I never intoxicated or felt any effect like narcotic. Also, in my place, I never heard someone 'fly' causes by eating nutmeg.

So, how can the say nutmeg is intoxicant ?.

 

[AlHoda]

If you don't mind asking, what is Nutmeg? Is it a product they sell in the west?

 

[Insaanah]

See this link;

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/39408/nutmeg

 

[noorseeker]

I thought its the thing a lot bangladeshis chew on , they cut it down to small pieces and have it with paan.

 

[Italianguy]

I read in some websites, nutmeg is haram because nutmeg is intoxicant that gives effect like hasish. Even I found a scholar says nutmeg is narcotic.

I know, intoxicant is haram, but I am so confused with statement nutmeg is intoxicant or narcotic. Sometime I ate nutmeg but I never intoxicated or felt any effect like narcotic. Also, in my place, I never heard someone 'fly' causes by eating nutmeg.

So, how can the say nutmeg is intoxicant ?.

I think they have it confused with "Khat" pronounced "cot" . "Khat is a plant tat people chew the leaves or branches when it is fresh. It's illegal in the US, but i think it is popular in Africa and some Arab countries. Some put Khat in tea and drink it.

i don't think nutmeg is an intoxicant?

It's in food.

 

[ardianto]

See this link;

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/39408/nutmeg

That is one of some websites that I mean.

 

[جوري]

I use nutmeg or cinnamon all the time on top of my cappuccino..I am more partial to cinnamon but what news this is.. I have never heard of this:

 

[ardianto]

This is information about nutmeg from wikipedia.

http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg

I find in this wikipedia, a prisoner drank nutmeg powder that diluted by water as intoxicant. I think I begin to understand this misunderstanding, they talked about drink nutmeg powder as intoxicant, and I ask about eat nutmeg as fruit.

In my place people eat nutmeg as fruit. Not so fresh, actually, because we dip it into sugar water, eat it in syrup, or eat dried nutmeg with sugar, etc. No one intoxicated by nutmeg fruit. Also I never heard stupid people eat nutmeg when they want to 'flying high'.

 

[Italianguy]

I use nutmeg or cinnamon all the time on top of my cappuccino..I am more partial to cinnamon but what news this is.. I have never heard of this:

oooooooooooooh a cappuccino double shot for me thanks!

 

[Ramadhan]

This is simple misunderstanding.

Nutmeg is different from betel nut.
What people in the old days chewed is betel nut,
Which was mixed with other herbs to give
"high" feelings.

 

[ardianto]

This is simple misunderstanding.

Nutmeg is different from betel nut.
What people in the old days chewed is betel nut,
Which was mixed with other herbs to give
"high" feelings.

Of course different. In Indonesian language nutmeg is "pala" and betel nut is "pinang".

People in old days chewed betel nut that mixed with "sirih", chalk, etc. Then finished with cleaning teeth use "bako susur" (tobacco that shaped like hairs).

The last time I saw someone "Nyirih" (chewed mixed betel nut) was in 80's, that was my friend's grandma.

 

[Snowflake]

Assalamu alaykum,

I too heard nutmeg is haram. Its known to be used by those who experiment with narcotics to induce hallucinatory effects. I'm aware of the hadith stating what intoxicates in large quantities is also forbidden in small. But a spice? Allahu alam.

 

[ardianto]

Here is Myristicin, an intoxicate stuff from nutmeg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myristicin

But I think need a processing if we want to make 'narcotic' from nutmeg.

So, I have a question. We know brandy that processed from cherry is haram, because brandy is alcoholic drink. But is it means cherry as fruit is haram ?.

 

[Insaanah]

Here is Myristicin, an intoxicate stuff from nutmeg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myristicin

But I think need a processing if we want to make 'narcotic' from nutmeg.

So, I have a question. We know brandy that processed from cherry is haram, because brandy is alcoholic drink. But is it means cherry as fruit is haram ?.

Jazaakallah brother for that info and the link.

The difference is that this intoxicant, myristicin, is already present in the nutmeg. Although it intoxicates in large quantities, the hadeeth says, “Whatever intoxicates in large quantities, a little of it is haraam.” (al-Tirmidhi, 1865).

In cherries, there is no intoxicant present. It has to be processed to make alcohol from it.

Allah knows best.

 

[ardianto]

Jazaakallah brother for that info and the link.

The difference is that this intoxicant, myristicin, is already present in the nutmeg. Although it intoxicates in large quantities, the hadeeth says, “Whatever intoxicates in large quantities, a little of it is haraam.” (al-Tirmidhi, 1865).

In cherries, there is no intoxicant present. It has to be processed to make alcohol from it.

Allah knows best.

You right sister, I cannot compare nutmeg (that contains myristicin) with fruits that processed into alcoholic drink.

Jazak Allahu Khairan.

 

[Insaanah]

You right sister, I cannot compare nutmeg (that contains myristicin) with fruits that processed into alcoholic drink.

Jazak Allahu Khairan.

Baarakallahu feek.

I have to say I was unaware of this until a few months ago too, and I was really surprised. I mean the whole world uses it as a spice, quite innocently, and it feels strange that it is haraam. However, as we now know what it contains, then I won't use it any more, inshaAllah.

Also, there are two spices derived from nutmeg, one is the nutmeg itself, and the other is the outer covering immediately on the nutmeg, called mace. Both are spices. Both contain myristicin:

"Both nutmeg and mace contain the active ingredient myristicin which is a narcotic; it is the major constituent in mace." From: http://www.fao.org/docrep/v4084e/v4084e0d.htm

That means even mixed spice packets, you have to read the ingredients and make sure it has no nutmeg or mace....

 

[Rabi'ya]

It has always worried me that we have a lot of intoxicants within our daily life. To me, caffeine is a major intoxicant which has infiltrated every part of the world (just about). However people are so used to it that they don't seem bothered about it. People are addicted to this, yet it seems to be permissible.

How addictive does a product need to be to be considered an intoxicant?

 

[★мαячαн★]

hm... i've never ever heard off this either...but don't have it either, well amm not aware of itt

 

[ardianto]

It has always worried me that we have a lot of intoxicants within our daily life. To me, caffeine is a major intoxicant which has infiltrated every part of the world (just about). However people are so used to it that they don't seem bothered about it. People are addicted to this, yet it seems to be permissible.

How addictive does a product need to be to be considered an intoxicant?

Caffeine is not intoxicant. Product that considered as intoxicant is something that make us 'trance'. Like alcohol or narcotic.

 

[Rabi'ya]

how about this?

http://seekersguidance.org/ans-blog/2010/01/06/using-nutmeg-in-food-or-medicine/

i thought an intoxicant was something that changed the state of ur mind. as someone who has drunk alcohol in the past I get a similar feeling when i drink soft drinks that have certain E numbers in them. I cannot drink coffee or tea, unless in VERY small amounts, else i get "high". Levels of intoxicants are different for each person. at what point do we draw the line?