The Book of Drinks

It was narrated from 'Uyainah bin 'Abdur-Rahman that his father said: "A man said to Ibn 'Abbas: 'I am a man from Khurasan, and our land is a cold land. We have a drink that is made from raisins and grapes and other things, and I am confused about it.' He mentioned different kinds of drinks to him and mentioned many, until I thought that he had not understood him. Ibn 'Abbas said to him: 'You have told me too many. Avoid whatever intoxicates, whether it is made of dates, raisins or anything else.'"

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "Nabidh made from Al-Busr is forbidden and is not permissible."

It was narrated that Abu Hamzah said: "I used to interpret between Ibn 'Abbas and the people. A woman came to him and asked him about Nabidh made in earthenware jars, and he forbade it. I said: 'O Abu 'Abbas, I make a sweet Nabidh in a green earthenware jar; when I drink it, my stomach makes noises.' He said: 'Do not drink it even if it is sweeter than honey.'"

Abu Hamzah Nasr said: "I said to Ibn 'Abbas that my grandmother makes Nabidh in an earthenware jar and it is sweet. If I drink a lot of it and sit with people, I am worried that they will find out. He said: 'The delegation of 'Abdul-Qais came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and he said: Welcome to a delegation that is not disgraced or filled with regret. They said: O Messenger of Allah, the idolators are between us and you, and we can only reach you during the sacred months. Tell us of something which, if we do it, we will enter Paradise, and we can tell it to those whom we left behind. He said: I will enjoin three things upon you, and forbid four things to you. I order you to have faith in Allah, and do you know what faith in Allah is? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: (It means) testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, establishing Salah, paying Zakah and giving one-fifth (the Khums) of the spoils of war. And I forbid four things to you: That which is soaked in Ad-Dubba', An-Naqir, Al-Hantam, and Al-Muzaffat.'"

It was narrated that Qais bin Wahban said: "I asked Ibn 'Abbas: 'I have a small jar in which I make Nabidh and when it has bubbled and settled down again, I drink it.' He said: 'For how long you have been drinking that?' He said: 'For twenty years'" - or he said: 'for forty years.' He said: 'For a long time you have been quenching your thirst with something forbidden.'"

Ibn 'Umar said: "While he was at the Rukn, I saw a man bring a cup to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] in which there was Nabidh. He gave the cup to him and he raised it to his mouth, but he found it to be strong, so he gave it back to him and a man among the people said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is it unlawful?' He said: 'Bring the man to me.' So he was brought to him. He took the cup from him and called for water. He poured it into the cup, which he raised to his mouth and frowned. Then he called for more water and poured it into it. Then he said: 'When these vessels become strong in taste, pour water on them to weaken them.'"

Narrated from 'Abdul-Malik bin Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar: A similar report was narrated from 'Abdul-Malik bin Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, from the Prophet [SAW].

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that: A man asked about drinks and he said: "Avoid everything that intoxicates."

It was narrated that Zaid bin Jubair said: "I asked Ibn 'Umar about drinks and he said: 'Avoid everything that intoxicates.'"

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "Intoxicants are unlawful in small or large amounts."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "Every intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is unlawful."

It was narrated from Salim bin 'Abdullah, from his father, that: The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Allah has forbidden Khamr, and every intoxicant is unlawful."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Every intoxicant is unlawful and every intoxicant is Khamr.'"

Ruqaiyah bint 'Amr bin Sa'd said: "I was under the care of Ibn 'Umar, and raisins would be soaked for him and he would drink them in the morning, then the raisins would be left to dry, and other raisins would be added to them, and water would be poured on top of them, and he would drink that in the morning. Then the day after he would throw them away."

It was narrated that Abu Mas'ud said: "The Prophet [SAW] became thirsty around the Ka'bah so he called for a drink. Some Nabidh was brought in a water skin and he smelled it and frowned. He said: 'Bring me a bucket of Zamzam (water).' He poured it over it and drank some. A man said: 'Is it unlawful, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'No.'"

Abu Hurairah said: "I knew that the Messenger of Allah [SAW] was fasting on certain days, so I prepared some Nabidh for him to break his fast, and made it in a gourd. When evening came I brought it to him, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I knew that you were fasting today, so I prepared this Nabidh for you to break your fast.' He said: 'Bring it to me, O Abu Hurairah.' I brought it to him, and it turned out to be something bubbling. He said: 'Take this and throw it against the wall (throw it away), for this is the drink of one who does not believe in Allah or the Last Day.'"

It was narrated from Abu Rafi' that : 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "If you fear that Nabidh may be too strong, then weaken it with water." 'Abdullah (one of the narrators) said: "Before it gets strong."

It was narrated from Yahya bin Sa'eed who heard Sa'eed bin Al-Musayyab say: "Thaqif welcomed 'Umar with a drink. He called for it, but when he brought it close to his mouth, he did not like it. He called for water to weaken it, and said: 'Do like this.'"

It was narrated that 'Utbah bin Farqad said: "The Nabidh that 'Umar bin Al-Khattab used to drink had turned to vinegar."

It was narrated from As-Sa'ib that : 'Umar bin Al-Khattab went out t them and said: "I noticed the smell of drink on so-and-so, and he said that he had drunk At-Tila' (thickened juice of grapes). I am asking about what he drank. If it was an intoxicant I will flog him." So 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, flogged him, carrying out the Hadd punishment in full.

It was narrated from Jabir that: A man from (the tribe of) Jaishan, who are from Yemen, came and asked the Messenger of Allah [SAW] about a drink that they drank in his homeland that was made of corn and called Al-Mizr (beer). The Prophet [SAW] said to him: "Is it an intoxicant?" He said: "Yes." The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Every intoxicant is unlawful. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has promised the one who drinks intoxicants that He will give him to drink from the mud of Khibal." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the mud of Khibal?" He said: "The sweat of the people of Hell," or he said: "The juice of the people of Hell."

It was narrated that An-Nu'man bin Bashir said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAW] say: 'That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, but between them there are matters which are doubtful.'" And sometimes he said: "But between them are matters that are not as clear. I will describe the likeness of that for you. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has a sanctuary and the sanctuary of Allah is that which He has forbidden. Whoever grazes around the sanctuary will soon transgress into the sanctuary. And whoever approaches a matter that is unclear, he will soon wind up in the sanctuary." And sometimes he said: "He will soon transgress, and indeed whoever mixes in doubt, he will soon cross into it."

It was narrated that Abu Al-Hawra' As-Sa'di said: "I said to Al-Hasan bin 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: 'What did you memorize from the Messenger of Allah [SAW]?' He said: I memorized from him: 'Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.'"

It was narrated from Ibn Tawus, from his father, that: He disliked to sell raisins to one who would use them to make Nabidh.

It was narrated that Mus'ab bin Sa'd said: "Sa'd had many grapevines and he had someone looking after them for him. (The vines) bore many grapes, and that man wrote to him (saying): 'I am afraid that the grapes will be wasted; what do you think if I squeeze them to make juice? Sa'd wrote to him (saying): 'When this letter of mine reaches you, leave my land, for by Allah I cannot trust you with anything ever agin.' So he made him leave his land."

It was narrated that Ibn Sirin said: "Sell it as juice to one who will make At-Tila' (thickened grape juice) with it, and not Khamr (wine) with it."

It was narrated that Suwiad bin Ghafalah said: "Umar bin Al-Khattab wrote to some of his workers saying: 'Give to the Muslims thickened grape juice when two thirds of it have gone and one-third is left.'"

It was narrated that 'Amir bin 'Abdullah said: "I saw the letter of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab to Abu Musa (in which he said): 'A caravan came to me from Ash-Sham carrying a thick black paint like the pitch that is daubed on camels. I asked them how long they cooked it, and they told me that they cooked it until it was reduced by two-third. So the bad two-third had gone, one-third to take away evil and one-third to take away the bad smell. So let those who are with you drink it."

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Khatmi said: "Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to us (saying): 'Cook your drinks until the share of the Shaitan is gone, for he has two (shares) and you have one.'"

It was narrated that Ash-Sha'bi said: "Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, used to give the people thickened grape juice into which flies would fall and not be able to get out again."