Is vinegar made from wine permissible? Are all vinegars halal?

The Details of the Question

Is vinegar made from wine permissible? Are all vinegars halal? In the pickles and mayonnaise here, they use vinegar of white wine, red wine, etc. Some people think they are haram while others think that they are halal. The list of doubtful food and drinks for the Muslims living in non-Muslim countries is longer. In the pickles and mayonnaise here, they use vinegar of white wine, red wine, etc. Some people think they are haram while others think that they are halal. Besides, they are used with salt. Can vinegar be haram? In addition, I do not take fizzy drinks (produced by non-Muslims) thinking that they may use alcohol in them since it is cheap. What should I do? Will you inform me?

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

Apples, dates and other fruits that include natural alcohol are used in order to produce vinegar.

Is vinegar halal?

All fiqh scholars agree unanimously that vinegar produced in an environment with oxygen through vinegar bacteria is halal.

As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following: "Vinegar is such a nice condiment." (Muslim, Sahih, Ashriba 164-169)

Is vinegar produced from wine halal?

Fiqh scholars agree unanimously that when wine, which is haram, transforms into vinegar by waiting, it becomes halal. (Wahba Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami wa Adillatuhu, III, 541)

Is vinegar produced from wine by the intervention of man halal?

There are different views about the decree on transforming wine into vinegarby the intervention of man and whether this vinegar is permissible to use or not:

According to Hanafi madhhab, it is permissible to produce vinegar from wine and to consume it. This vinegar is halal and clean.

The evidence on which they base their view is as follows: "Your best vinegar is the one you produce from wine." (Bayhaqi, as-Sunanul-Kubra, VI, 38, no: 11534)

According to Shafiis, Hanbalis and some Malikis, it is not permissible to transform wine into vinegar through conscious intervention because it loses its cleanliness.

The evidences on which they base their view are as follows:

According to what is reported from Hz. Anas b. Malik, when Abu Talha asked what he should do with the wine that was left to orphans as inheritance, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Pour it out." Abu Talha asked, "Shall I not make vinegar out of it?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "No!" (Tirmidhi, Buyu 58)

According to what is reported from Hz. Anas b. Malik, when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked whether it was permissible to make vinegar from wine, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said "No!" (Muslim, Ashriba 11)

Hz. Umar stated the following "Vinegar made from wine through human intervention is not halal. However, if Allah Almighty transforms wine into vinegar (that is, if wine is transformed into vinegar spontaneously), it becomes halal." (Bayhaqi, es-Sunanul-Kubra, VI, 37, no: 11532)

According to those scholars, if wine is transformed into vinegar by putting, bread, onion, yeast or something else in it, that wine does not become clean. Its impurity continues. What is put into it also becomes dirty. This vinegar never becomes clean.  

However, according to Abu Hanifa, Awzai and Lays, wine becomes clean when somebody transforms it into vinegar.

There are three narrations from Imam Malik. According to the soundest one, it is haram to make vinegar from wine. He who makes the vinegar disobeys Allah. However, the vinegar that is made is clean. According to the second view, it is haram. Wine does not become clean when somebody transforms it into vinegar. According to the third view, it is halal and clean.

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