I have a question about one of the products you said was haram: https://askhalal.ca/review/bounce-outdoor-fresh-fabric-softener-dryer-sheets/ It says that its haram because it uses beef or pork fat, and that its based off an answer from customer care.
I’m assuming its from this link: https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx1IME10BRBSSDE/ If so, wouldn’t it actually be halal because they claimed that “The fat is chemically altered during manufacturing and no longer resembles the original matter when it is added to the product. It’s our policy not to use any animal by-products in our perfumes, and our experts check any perfumes from suppliers to make sure they don’t contain any animal by-products.”
Isn’t this the process of istihalah, making an impure substance pure? Please don’t ignore and respond asap, I use this product for all my clothes and now i feel like my entire house is najis. Can I follow the opinion that says istihalah makes a substance pure?
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah,
Jazak Allahu Khayran for seeking the clarification.
The presence of tallow in Bounce dryer sheets does not necessarily result from saponification.
In fact, the fatty acids used in such products (soaps and dryer sheets) are typically derived through either hydrolysis or saponification , and then undergo further processing through esterification.
Assuming that we approach the query from this angle of saponification, then we note the following:
1. Istihalah and Saponification in Fiqh
Our fiqh books refer to saponification when discussing istihalah (chemical transformation) in the context of soap manufacturing. The ruling is applied to the purity of soap derived from impure animal fat.
2. Byproducts Like Glycerol – A Grey Area
However, I have not come across any clear and explicit text (sarahah) that applies the same ruling of istihalah to glycerol, a byproduct of saponification. Intellectually (‘aqlan), one might argue it should follow the same ruling, but the absence of clear textual support leaves room for doubt.
As such, it is quite possible that a chemical reaction only renders one of the byproducts ṭahir, while maintaining the other byproduct as najis. In a simplistic example of distillation, najis water can be evaporated and then condensed to acquire distilled water which would no longer be najis. However, the other byproduct will be the impurity.
The purpose here is not to provide a direct comparison to the process of saponification, wherein there is internal metamorphosis involved, yet it does establish that without explicitness we may not simply assume all byproducts to have achieved shar’i istihalah which changes the ruling.
3. Contemporary Opinions on Byproducts
I acknowledge that some contemporary scholars, including some of my colleagues, have treated byproducts of saponification—such as magnesium stearate—as falling under istihalah. Nonetheless, due to the lack of both textual clarity and sufficient scientific research to establish a concrete comparison, I do not have sharh sadr (inner contentment) on this matter.
4. Consultation with Scholars
I have discussed this matter with Mashayekh and Muftis as well, but I have yet to receive a satisfactory or conclusive answer. As a result, I personally limit the application of istihalah to the soap itself, not its byproducts, as a precautionary measure.
Another angle to address this issue is through ṭaharah of carcass. We note:
5. Bovine Tallow and Bleeding Leading to Ruling of Tuhr
The above discussion lays a caution of not accepting the saponification of tallow for istihalah of byproducts. But we also know that when cattle is bled, even in non-shar’i slaughter, the hide and fat become tahir, although still haram for consumption. This would mean that regardless of saponification, its usage for external purposes would be acceptable. Thus it would entail that such dryer sheets would be halal-suitable to use.
6. Consideration of ‘Umum al-Balwa
The consideration of #5 allows us to draw a scope for general dryer sheets. Moreover, when we connect it with another angle of ‘umum al-balwa (widespread hardship), it becomes easier to allow the use of bovine-derived tallow in dryer sheets—even (or other consumer products for external usages) even if the animal was not slaughtered shar’an.
However, this argument would still not extend to porcine tallow , which remains categorically impure (najis al-‘ayn).
Finally, let us review the Bounce ingredients themselves.
7. Process-Specific Concerns with Bounce
Bounce Dryer Sheets contain two softeners: Cationic Softener (Dialkylester Dimethyl Ammonium Methosulfate) and Softening Agent (Fatty Acids, C16-18 and C18-Unsatd.).
In my limited research, I found that the tallow undergoes esterification and quaternization to produce quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), rather than traditional saponification.
This raises another concern: since istihalah is classically discussed in relation to saponification, we must evaluate whether these alternative chemical processes (esterification and quaternization) fulfill the criteria for istihalah . That determination is not immediately clear.
As one could gather, quite a few of these matters are beyond the scope of a novice in the field of science. I can address Islamic angles along with some basic matters of chemistry, but detailed exposition of chemical processes along with substantial interrogation is required for formulating a final stance. I continue to broaden these horizons with many of my students from different fields. But with the limited information and knowledge, I still feel caution must be exercised with Bounce Dryer Sheets, specifically, since we know from the manufacturer that they may be using porcine tallow.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi