Shaikh Jamaal ad-Din al-Qaasimi (1332 H.), may Allah have mercy upon him, wrote an entire Treatise entitled “Treatise on Tea, Coffee, and Smoking” in which he discusses the properties, preparation, and ruling regarding tea, coffee, and smoking.
The treatise was written by the Shaikh at the turn of the twentieth century, a time when the coffee culture was just flourishing. After reading the section about coffee, I found it very intriguing and beneficial. The Shaikh gives an overall positive review of coffee and its benefits, despite the fact that he was not an avid coffee drinker himself. He wrote in the introduction of the book:
“Tea and coffee, I do not have an inclination towards them” (pg. 2).
And so, I thought I would share an excerpt from the book for the benefit of all the Muslims who love coffee [like myself].
He wrote [may Allah have mercy upon him]:
“… It [coffee] is the drink of the writers, teachers, readers of books, educators in the subjects of literature and manufacturing, poets, and the people of literature. If coffee is used after heavy food, then it strengthens digestion and it is appropriate for most residents of damp, foggy, and temperate lands and other than that. Brewed coffee has been witnessed to harm some people and excites others by preventing them from sleeping after [consuming] light food. For those who are not accustomed to it, coffee is a precious medicine in this situation because it brings forth the imagination, produces a brilliance of intelligence, and creates a comfort specifically in the easing of work. The witnesses [for that] are from the Scholars and people of literature who use this drink a number of times in a day. Their purpose for that is to consistently have strength in their memory. With that said, nothing of the symptoms, which some people claim [occur due to coffee] actually appear, such as sluggishness.
Coffee is suitable for those who have a cold temperament and people who have slow movements. Also, for those who are overweight, slow in thinking, lazy, and those whose digestion is difficult. It is most suitable for the Shuyookh and the youth from them, and the men and women from them. Most people in Europe, male and female, eat breakfast in the morning having coffee mixed with milk and they prefer this breakfast over other than it. They also have coffee with pieces of bread. It is acceptable to both the taste and scent. Coffee is easy to continuously drink and easy to decrease [in consumption]. It causes a subtle feeling of warmth/mellowness. Do not pay attention to what Shaikh Dawood al-Antaaki mentioned in his Tadhkirah of what opposes this when he said: “that people drink it, that is coffee and milk, and it is a mistake. It is feared that leprosy will be caused due to it”. The Europeans drink coffee and you do not find any leprosy among them. More so, there are affairs which the Europeans do which are necessary to avoid due to its harm. [An example] is that the Europeans put a piece of copper in the coffee when it is boiling in order to purify it [end of speech from al-Umdah]. In the health magazine, [it mentions] that from the benefits of coffee is that it stimulates the actions of the mind and helps in staying awake for long. So like that, you see that most of those who are busy with mental/intellectual work drink coffee so that they are unable to sleep and instead be active. By drinking it, such a person will not be accompanied by disturbance, nor tiredness, and he will remain with a clear, guided mind. If a person is excessive in drinking coffee, then he will feel some tiredness and problems at the esophagus [i.e. pain/discomfort]. Consistency in excessive coffee consumption sometimes leads to pressure in the reproductive organs, except that these symptoms go away by abstaining from coffee
[Risalah Fi ash-Shaayi wal-Qahwah wad-Dukhaan (pg. 17-18)]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
If one drinks coffee with the intention of it helping one in the obligation of seeking knowledge and giving one energy to do good deeds, then one will be rewarded.
Hafidh Ibn Rajab rahimahullah said:
“Whoever provides himself with his share of permissible things with the intention of strengthening himself for the actions of obedience, then he is rewarded for that.
Muadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
إني أحتسب نومتي كما أحتسب قومتي
I sleep and hope for Allah’s Reward for my sleep as I seek His Reward for my night prayer
[Bukhari no. 4344]
[Laatif al-Ma’aarif pg. 241]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“Whoever eats adhering to the command of Allah, intending to maintain himself, and in order to be self-sufficient from the people, then this is worship”
[Sharh Arba’een pg. 13]
And Allah Knows Best
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
It was reported that Imam Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad Aal Su’ood (d. 1179 H.), the scholar and leader of the second Saudi state, used to send coffee to the Imams, the callers to prayer, and those standing in the night prayer in Ramadan in order for it to assist them in their night prayers [‘Unwaan ul-Majd fi Tareekh Najd (1/157) of Ibn Bishr]
This benefit was shared with me by our brother Abu Ja’far (may Allah preserve him).
It is also mentioned in the biography of Imam Abdurrahman bin Naasir as-Sa’di (d. 1376 H.), may Allah have mercy upon him, that he used to prepare a kettle of coffee before his night prayer and drink coffee between the Tasleems in order to give him energy for the prayer [See: Mawaaqif Ijtimaa’iyyah min Hayaat ash-Shaikh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abdurrahmaan bin Naasir as-Sa’di (pg. 34) written by his son]
Mentioned by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
