Question Summary:
Does istihaalah take place in emulsifies made from Haraam Animals?

Question Detail:

Assalamulaikum,
My question is regarding the permisibility of emulsifiers in food products accodrding to Hanafi fiqh. I am from Sydney, Australia and I have recently done a "food fiqh" course where I was taught that the production of emulsifiers undergoes the process of istihala (due to a changes in the chemical composition, nature and characteristic of the original ingredients) and as such emulsifiers that are made from non-halal slaughtered animal fats and porcine fat is considered to be halal. I find this ruling regarding emulsifiers doubtful to accept so I would like to know what the fatwa regarding this issue truly is. I understand the chemistry behind the manufacturing of emulsifiers because I have studied chemistry in university and it is very similar to soapmaking. From a chemistry perspective, it is true that a chemical change at the molecular level is happening, however, does this "istihala" make the final product halal and tahir, especially when the original ingredient is of porcine origin? I would greatly appreciate an explanation to alleviate my doubts. 
Jazakallahukhairan.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
According to Shari’ah, washing, burning, drying, rubbing, scratching are all forms of removing and cleansing impurity.[1]
Shariah has also regarded istihaalah – complete and absolute change – as a method of cleansing.[2]
There are a few examples mentioned in the books of the Fuqaha;
1)    The permissibility of consuming salt originally produced from a donkey or pig falling in a salt mine.
2)    The permissibility of consuming vinegar transformed from wine.
The great Hanafi jurist, Allamah ibn Abideen (رحمه الله) states in his famous commentary of Radd Al-Muhtar on Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar,
(قوله والحرق كالغسل) لأن النار تأكل ما فيه من النجاسة حتى لا يبقى فيه شيء، أو تحيله فيصير الدم رمادا فيطهر بالاستحالة، ولهذا لو أحرقت العذرة وصارت رمادا طهرت للاستحالة، كالخمر إذا تخللت، وكالخنزير إذا وقع في المملحة وصار ملحا.
Commentary on the statement of Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar “Burning is like washing (in terms of cleansing)”
This is due to the fact that the fire consumes the impurities until no impurity remains or completely transforms the item for instance blood will be turned to ashes therefore it will become pure with a complete transformation (metamorphosis).
Therefore, if the droppings of an animal are burned and they turn into ash, they will be considered pure because of the transformation.
Other examples (of transformations making something pure) are wine when in turns into vinegar or when a pig falls into a salt pit and turn into salt.[3]
In general, and without reference to any product, if there is a complete change as explained above, then only will it be halal. [4]
We also wish to inform that the change should not be mere rearrangement of the structure. The structure must change from one form to another.[5]
For example, refer to the two diagrams below.[6]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Saad Haque
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.