Medical treatment is something that is prescribed in sharee’ah, but it must be by using things that have been prescribed by Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because this is what may contain the cure. As for that which Allaah has forbidden, there is no healing in it. One of the things which indicate that it is forbidden to treat disease with haraam things in general and with alcohol in particular, is the mu’allaq report narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), which says, “Allaah did not put your healing in that which He has forbidden to you.” Al-Tabaraani said that it was mawsool and gave an isnaad the men of which are the men of al-saheeh. It was also narrated by Ahmad and by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, and by al-Bazaar, Abu Ya’la and al-Tabaraani; the men of Abu Ya’laa are thiqaat. It was narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her). 

Abu Dawood narrated in his Sunan that Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has sent down the disease and the cure, and He has made for every disease a cure. So treat sickness, but do not treat it with anything haraam.”  

In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from Taariq ibn Suwayd al-Ju’fi that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about alcohol and he forbade him or told him not to make it. He said: “But I make it as a remedy.” He said: “It is not a remedy, it is a disease.” 

It is worth pointing out that when Allaah enjoins something, it is either because it is purely good or its goodness outweighs its evil. And when He forbids something it is either because it is purely bad or because its evil outweighs its goodness. Allaah is All Wise and All Knowing. If the sick person imagines that his sickness can only be cured by drinking alcohol, this is an illusion. There are many kinds of medicine and remedies, both spiritual and natural. Moreover the medicine does not heal the disease, rather healing comes from Allaah when the medicine is used. So use of the means prescribed in sharee’ah may be accompanied by total reliance upon them or it may be accompanied by regarding them as no more than a means, whilst relying upon Allaah and believing that they may or may not be of benefit. If they prove to be of benefit, this is what was wanted, but relying on them completely is shirk. End quote.