I recently found out a make up product I use derives a fatty acid ETHYLHEXYL from an ethanol compound called 2-ethylhexanol, would that make my product haram?

Even if it was ethanol it would be permitted. Alcohol is only forbidden to use when it is consumed for its own sake and it has a chance of causing intoxication, so, for example, the alcohol in vanilla extract is halal because the point in using it is not to get the alcohol but the vanilla, and there is no chance of intoxication. Please see: Is alcohol in tinctures and drugs halal?

Salam, I read somewhere it says that white wine vinegar is consumable for us Muslims because it is considered a vinegar more than a wine. Is it true ?

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

There is no issue with drinking wine vinegars. The traditional way of making vinegar uses a double fermentation process where first the vinegar stock (such as grape juice) is fermented into a wine-like alcoholic liquid, then in the second fermentation the alcohol is turned into vinegar. So any traditional or homemade vinegar will have passed through a wine-like stage at some point even if it is not called a wine vinegar. There will be very small amounts of alcohol left in the vinegar, but since it is impossible to get drunk on vinegar, this is not an issue.

Assalamualaikum Is there any objection to using lotions that some of them have alcohol in them. Would that break ones wudu if you used them. thank you

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

As discussed in this previous answer, alcohol is only forbidden when there is a chance of getting drunk from using the alcohol-containing material. Since there is no chance of getting drunk by using alcohol-containing lotions, there is no issue with using such lotions and it has no effect on your wudu.

References

• A somewhat related fatwa from the Egyptian Fatwa Authority on the permissibility of using alcohol-containing perfume according to some scholars’ opinions (Arabic PDF)

What is your opinion on cooking with alcohol, like wine etc. I know most Muslim ruling is NO on the subject. I am personally liberal in general in life and on this subject also. You simply can't get drunk on the food cooked with alcohol.

As discussed in this previous answer, vanilla extract that comes in alcohol is halal since it is not possible to get drunk on it. As for using alcohol in cooking, I believe this is closer to the forbidden side because when used in cooking, the point is to consume the alcohol itself, unlike vanilla extract where the alcohol is merely a carrier for the vanilla, and the Prophet PBUH says that anything that causes intoxication in large amounts is forbidden in small amounts.

The alcohol in the house may also act as an encouragement for your family members to try it, especially teenagers.

I was wondering if grain free alcohol in tincture supplements is halal? Thank you

The general rule regarding alcohol is that any alcohol-containing liquid that can cause intoxication is forbidden to drink. So beer is forbidden despite containing a small amount of alcohol. However, vanilla extracts that are dissolved in alcohol are permitted (according to some scholars) since it is nearly impossible to get intoxicated by it since the amount of vanilla extract used in foods is so small. The same principle applies to types of vinegar (such as Balsamic) that contain trace amounts of alcohol that has no possibility of causing intoxication since it is humanly impossible to drink sufficient vinegar to cause intoxication.

Regarding a tincture or drug, if the amount used is so small that there is no chance of intoxication from it, then it would be closer to the permitted side. It depends on the specific tincture or drug. If the alcohol amount is high and the drug is dilute so that a person can easily abuse it and get intoxicated, then that is closer to the forbidden side. But if it is similar to vanilla extract where the chance of intoxication is almost non-existent, then the presence of alcohol would not be an issue.

Sources:

• Qatari fatwa (Arabic PDF)
• IslamOnline fatwa (Arabic PDF)
• Qatari fatwa 2 (Arabic PDF)
• Qatari fatwa 3 (Arabic PDF)