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Q&A · Society & Ethics

Can a Muslim attend a gathering where alcohol is served or open sin is taking place?

Allah commands that when you hear His verses being denied or mocked, you must not sit with such people until they turn to another topic, "for then you would be like them" (Quran 4:140; see also 6:68), and scholars extend this to gatherings of open disobedience generally. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever sees an evil should change it with his hand, or with his tongue, or hate it in his heart, which is the weakest of faith (Sahih Muslim 49) — so if one cannot change it, the response is to withdraw, not to sit comfortably among it. Scholars distinguish between sitting at the table where alcohol is being drunk, which is not allowed, and a work or family event where drinking happens elsewhere in the room; for the latter, some contemporary scholars permit brief attendance where there is a real need and no participation or approval, while others advise excusing oneself outright. The safer course, and the one nearer to the Sunnah, is to attend only for a genuine need, show clear disapproval of the sin, and leave once it begins.

Evidence — the daleel
Quran 4:140Quran 6:68Sahih Muslim 49 Ṣaḥīḥ
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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