Coffee is one of the world’s favorite beverages and its seeds are highly sought-after commodities. Not only is coffee consumed as an enjoyable beverage but its ingredients are often used in other products like chocolate bars, cookies and instant coffee to further expand its marketability. Coffee has become an integral part of everyday life for millions around the world, ranking second only to water as a beverage consumed worldwide. Yet there remains much debate as to whether drinking coffee is permissible under Islamic law. Muslims sometimes question coffee’s halal status due to its caffeine content, a stimulant. Although caffeine is natural and does not cause adverse health effects when taken responsibly. Regardless, most experts agree that coffee consumption is acceptable under Islamic law and may even provide benefits when taken in moderation.

Coffee beans are the roasted and ground seeds produced from a tropical evergreen shrub known as the coffee plant, of which there are approximately 25 species; two, Arabica and Robusta, account for most global production of this natural stimulant known for its invigorating effects and ability to enhance concentration. From these plants bear fruit containing seeds that are dried, roasted and ground into coffee to make our beverage of choice. Coffee contains large amounts of the natural stimulant caffeine which is known for enhancing alertness while increasing concentration.

Coffee’s history can be traced back to 15th-century Arabia, when it first gained widespread acceptance among Muslim communities. By the 17th century, its popularity spread further afield and it rapidly became part of European everyday life – including France where its introduction by Antoine Galland (1646-1715), translator of the French Bible, was seen as an act of peace between Muslim and non-Muslim nations.

At first, coffee consumption was met with disapproval by Muslim scholars during the 16th and early 17th centuries. Some worried it might lead to immoral behavior while others compared its effects to alcohol and questioned its permissibility. This was particularly evident within Ottoman Empire where coffee was banned in Mecca and several other cities until late 16th century; during that time coffee shops opened around the world and served as gathering places for discussing ideas that rulers considered radical.

Mufti Mehmet Ebussuud el-Imadi, the grand scholar during Sultan Selim I’s reign in the Ottoman Empire, issued a fatwa in 1524 to declare coffee permissible and enjoy it worldwide ever since. Wine coffee however contains alcohol which must be removed prior to production for it to remain halal; alternatively milk could be substituted in its place and still make the drink non-halal; this prompted several brands to produce certified halal wine coffee products using only certified dairy sources such as cheese.