Using an intoxicant after the transformation of its essence

Question

Every part of palm wine is intoxicating — the dregs as well as what is not dregs. So what is the ruling on using these dregs in making biscuits, bread and the like? Many people say that when this substance goes into the tandoor, not even a trace of the dregs remains: it burns completely to ash and its form (hay’a) also changes — just as vinegar becomes entirely permissible through a change of form. Kindly inform us in detail with proofs: what is the ruling on eating such biscuits, bread and the like?

Answer

An intoxicating substance should not be used at all — neither the dregs nor anything else, neither in biscuits and bread nor in anything else. Wine, as long as it is wine, may not be used; and when it becomes vinegar, using it is proper: after the transformation of essence (qalb mahiyya) the ruling changes, as is established by hadith and fiqh.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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