Haram, Permanence, and Change

Abstract

The principle of istihalah in shariah is concerned with substance transformation, either naturally or through chemical and other forms of intervention. When a forbidden substance is transformed such that it is no longer the same, then so are the rules of shariah concerning it. Thus, when alcohol turns into vinegar through exposure to open air or other chemical processes, istihalah will apply. Istihalah may be characterized as a nonreversible change of a substance to a different substance with differences in taste, color, and odor. The changes that so occur include a change of salient properties and the transformation of impure materials into pure ones. Istihalah can thus be understood as a complete physical and chemical transformation of one substance into another substance.