Tirmidhi

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
According to this hadith, the majority of jurists—Imam Shafi’i, Ahmad, Malik, and others—hold that it is not permissible to make vinegar from wine. However, if it becomes vinegar on its own, then by unanimous agreement it is permissible. But according to Imam Abu Hanifah and Awza’i, it is permissible to make vinegar from wine, and they use this hadith as evidence, the meaning of which has two possible interpretations. For example, “khayru khallikum khallu khamrikum” (“the best of your vinegar is the vinegar of your wine”): its correct meaning is that when it becomes vinegar on its own, so that there is no contradiction between the two hadiths. (Although Ibn al-Jawzi and San’ani have declared this hadith to be fabricated.)

Lexical Explanation:
«عَنِ الْخَمْرِ» means that after the prohibition of wine, a question was asked regarding making vinegar from wine.
«خَلّ» is pronounced with a fatha on the “kha” and a shaddah on the “lam,” and it means vinegar prepared from wine or the juice of grapes, etc.—that is, whether it is permissible or not to change the form of wine and make it into vinegar. «قَالَ : ”لَا“» In response to this, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that doing so is not permissible. In this, the prohibition is for the purpose of making it unlawful (tahrim).

Benefits and Issues:
➊ This contains evidence that making vinegar from wine is unlawful. However, if wine turns into vinegar by itself, there is a difference of opinion among the jurists regarding its permissibility or prohibition. The correct view is that in such a case, there is no clear evidence for its prohibition. And it is a known fact that when the state of a thing changes, its ruling also changes. And the default ruling regarding things is permissibility. And this is the preferred view.
➋ The background of this hadith is that Sayyiduna Abu Talhah radi Allahu anhu had wine belonging to orphans. After the ruling of the prohibition of wine was revealed, he feared that the orphans would suffer a great loss. To avoid this loss, he sought permission from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to convert the wine into vinegar, to which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam clearly forbade him from doing so. [سنن أبى داود، الأشربة، باب ما جاء فى الخمر تخلل، حديث : 3675] Despite this clear and explicit prohibition, whoever issued a fatwa permitting the making of vinegar from wine has opposed an explicit text.
➌ From this hadith (and other Shari’ah evidences), it is understood that every kind of use of wine is impermissible, and making vinegar from it is also prohibited.