What it is and where it comes from
"Alcohol-free" does not always mean zero, and the limit differs by country. In the UK it means up to 0.05 percent, in Germany and much of Europe alcohol-free beer can have up to 0.5 percent, and some countries allow more. Most alcohol-free beer is brewed as normal beer, then the alcohol is removed. Some malt drinks are made without fermenting, so no alcohol forms at all; others are brewed and have the alcohol removed.
What scholars say
- Many contemporary scholars: a 0.0 drink that has no alcohol and cannot intoxicate is not khamr, so it is allowed, though some call it disliked.
- Other scholars: alcohol-free beer is not allowed, because it starts as khamr, because traces of alcohol remain, and because it imitates beer drinking.
- For drinks with up to 0.5 percent, some fatwa bodies set a limit below which a fermented drink is accepted, while others accept no added or remaining alcohol at all.
Where you find it
Alcohol-free beer, shandy and radler, and malt drinks.
What to look for on the label
Read the exact alcohol percentage (ABV) on the can, whatever the word on the front says. "0.0%" is the lowest. A halal logo on a malt drink means a certifier checked it.
This is a guide, not a fatwa. Recipes change, so check the label, look for halal certification, and ask your local imam where scholars differ.