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Vinegar and Prawns

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Albalagh.net

Vinegar and Prawns

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai


Q.) My question relates to two topics.

Firstly what is the status of spirit vinegar in Islam? Is it haram. I have heard that if the alcohol changes form naturally then it is Ok but if it is changed deliberately (chemical laboratory) to benefit from the alcohol then it is haram.

Also I am confused about prawns; biologically they are not fishes. So can we eat them? Generally what is the ruling on sea creatures. [Mahmoon Siddiq]


A.) 1. All types of vinegar, natural as well as chemical, are permissible.

2. According to the three Madhaahib, viz. Shaaf’ee, Maaliki and Hanbali, the prawn is permissible, irrespective of it being a fish or not. However, according to the Hanafi Madhab, prawn is not permissible as it is not a fish.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

This answer was collected from Albalagh.net, which is an Islamic site with Q&A and articles authored by many world renowned scholars from the Muslim world. Many of Mufti Taqi Uthmani’s fatawa in English are found exclusively on this site.

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