solid or liquid, in a small or large quantity, the mouse and whatever is near it should be discarded, and the rest may be eaten. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about a mouse that had fallen into clarified butter, and he said:

‘Discard it and whatever surrounds it, and eat your clarified butter.’”

Thus al-Zuhrī, the central transmitter of this hadith, ruled that, whether the clarified butter is liquid or solid, the mouse and whatever is near it should be discarded, and the rest may be eaten. He cited this hadith as evidence, in the form transmitted from him by the majority of his students. It is therefore clear that whoever attributed to him a distinction between the two kinds was mistaken.

Moreover, the distinction between solidity and liquidity cannot be precisely delimited. With many foods, it is unclear whether they should be classified as solid or liquid. The Lawgiver distinguishes between the lawful and the unlawful only by a clear distinction that leaves no ambiguity. As Allah Most High says:

“Allah would not let a people go astray after He has guided them until He has made clear to them what they must avoid.”

Forbidden things are among what they must avoid, so He must explain these things to them in a way that clearly distinguishes them from what is lawful. Allah Most High also says:

“He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you.”

Furthermore, if wine—which is the mother of all evils—becomes lawful by the agreement of the Muslims when it turns into vinegar of its own accord, then other impure substances have even greater reason to become pure through transformation. If a drop of wine were to fall into a Muslim’s vinegar without his choosing, and then undergo transformation, there would be even greater reason to regard it as pure.

If it is said:

“Wine became impure through transformation, so it becomes pure through transformation, unlike other substances. Moreover, when wine is deliberately turned into vinegar, it does not become pure.”