Spirit and Wine Vinegar

السلام عليكم,

Hope all of you in the best of imaan. Just would like to share about a fatwa i founnd about spirit/wine vinegar that we can come across in restaurants in Uk especial in our sauces sachets.

got them from the web site: http://www.ummah.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-82176.html

may Allah reward us all for our effort.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research Resolution 7/4
The ruling of Vinegar manufactured from alcohol



http://www.e-cfr.org/PDF/eng/Fatwa/Fatwa_e02.pdf (http://www.ummah.com/forum/)
pg 54


[council members = http://www.e-cfr.org/eng/article.php?sid=48 (http://www.ummah.com/forum/)]

Fatwa (30)


The ruling of Vinegar manufactured from alcohol

The Council ruled that if alcohol naturally becomes vinegar then it is Halal and pure(Tahir), by virtue of the consensus of scholars. However, scholars differed regardingif it became vinegar as a result of deliberate processing and treatment, such as adding salt, bread or a particular chemical. Some said that it is pure and may be used as it has completely transformed from the original state of being alcohol. Others said that it does not become pure and may not be used, because we are commanded to stay away from alcohol. Having considered both opinions, the European Council for Fatwa and concluded that the first opinion which states that vinegar made deliberately from alcohol is pure and may be used, is correct.


This is because acetification, i.e.making something into a vinegar, removes the element which makes alcohol principally haram, namely; intoxication, and thus becomes permissible, particularly that there are many benefits to be gained from vinegar such as medicine, food and others. It is important to note that any ruling is entirely bound by the reason and wisdom and in the case of vinegar, we realise that the element of intoxication has been completely eliminated.


This is affirmed by the hadith of the Prophet Mohammed (ppbuh): "What a good seasoning vinegar is"47, without specifying the kind or type of vinegar. We also note that the Prophet (ppbuh) did not order us to seek the origin of the vinegar nor to make any enquiries in that respect. As for the statements whichstate the prohibition of acetification, these are to demonstrate the firm position ofIslam in regards with alcohol itself, so that no one becomes complacent in this regard.

[Resolution 7/4]
47 Narrated by Muslim (No.2051), Al-Tirmizi (No.1840) and Ibn Maja (No.3316) from the hadith of Aisha. Muslim also narrated the hadith (No.2052) as did Abu Dawood (No.3821), Al-Tirmizi (No.1842), Al-Nasa’i (No.3796) and Ibn Maja (No.3317) from the hadith of Jaber ibn Abdullah.