Book 17: Prescribed Punishments

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Wine comes from these two trees, the date-palm and the grapevine.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn 'Umar told that ‘Umar gave an address on God’s Messenger’s pulpit, saying, “The prohibition of wine has come down (Al-Qur’an, 5:90) and it comes from five things: grapes, dates, wheat, barley and honey. Wine (khamr) is what infects (khamara) the mind.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said: Wine was forbidden when it was forbidden (i.e. by the Qur’an), but we get only a little of the wine from grapes, most of our wine being from unripe dates and dry dates. Bukhari transmitted it.

'A’isha said that when God’s Messenger was asked about bit’, which is the nabidh* from honey, he replied, “Every liquor which intoxicates is forbidden.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Nabidh is a drink made from dates, raisins, honey, wheat, barley, etc. The ingredients were steeped in water in a vessel, and provided the drink was used before fermentation took place it was lawful.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every intoxicant is khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies when he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not drink it in the next.” Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir told of a man who came from the Yemen and asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about a liquor made from millet called mizr which they drank in their country. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked whether it was intoxicating and when he replied that it was, he said, “Every intoxicant is prohibited. God has made a covenant regarding those who drink intoxicants to give them some tinat al-khabal to drink.” He was asked what that was and replied that it was the sweat of the inhabitants of hell, or the discharge of the inhabitants of hell. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Qatada told that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade mixing dried dates and unripe dates, mixing raisins and dried dates, and mixing dates beginning to take on colour and fresh dates, and told them to make nabidh from each separately. Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about wine which was turned into vinegar* and forbade it. Muslim transmitted it. * This is said to have been done by putting onions or salt in it, or by placing it in the sun.

Wa’il al-Hadrami said that Tariq b. Suwaid asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about wine and he forbade him. When he told him that he made it only as a medicine he replied, “It is not a medicine, but is a disease.” Muslim transmitted it.