Prescribed Punishments

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of it is prohibited.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a <i>faraq</i> of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden.”* Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. * To drink as much as a <i>faraq</i> (see p. 577) would be almost impossible, so the point of the tradition is to forbid anything which might in any conceivable circumstances cause intoxication.

An-Nu‘man b. Bashir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “From wheat wine is made, from barley wine is made, from dried dates wine is made, from raisins wine is made, and from honey wine is made.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said he had wine belonging to an orphan, and when <i>al-Ma'idah</i> (Al-Qur’an, 5) came down he asked God’s Messenger about it, telling him it belonged to an orphan, but he said, “Pour it out.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas quoted Abu Talha as saying he told God’s Prophet (ﷺ) he had bought wine for orphans who were in his charge, and he replied, “Pour out the wine and break the wine-jars.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, but declared it weak. In Abu Dawud’s version it says he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about orphans who had inherited wine and he said, “Pour it out.” He asked if he might not make vinegar of it and he told him he must not. Abu Dawud

Umm Salama told that God’s Messenger forbade every intoxicant and everything which produces languidness. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Dailam al-Himyari told that he said, “Messenger of God, we live in a cold land in which we do heavy work and we make a liquor from wheat to get strength from it for our work and, to stand the cold of our country.” He asked whether it was intoxicating, and when he replied that it was, he said they must avoid it. When he replied that the people would not abandon it, he said, “If they do not abandon it fight with them.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade wine, <i>maisir</i>, the <i>kuba</i> and <i>ghubaira</i>,* saying, “Every intoxicant is prohibited.” Abd Dawud transmitted it. *This is a comprehensive tradition not exclusively dealing with intoxicants, although the Prophet’s words might suggest that it does. <i>Maisir</i> was a game of chance and the <i>kuba</i> was a kind of drum wide at the ends and narrow in the middle which was looked on with disapproval. The parts which refer to intoxicants are the wine (<i>khamr</i>) and the <i>ghubaira'</i> which was an intoxicant made by Abyssinians from millet.

He reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “An undutiful son, a gambler, one who casts up what lie has given, and one who is addicted to wine will not enter paradise.” Darimi transmitted it. A version of his has a bastard instead of a gambler.

Abu Umama reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “God has sent me as a mercy to the universe and as a guidance to the universe, and my Lord who is great and glorious has commanded me to annihilate stringed instruments, wind instruments, idols, crosses and pre-Islamic customs, and my Lord who is great and glorious has sworn, ‘By my might, none of my servants will drink a mouthful of wine without my giving him a similar amount of pus to drink, but he will not abandon it through fear of me without my giving him drink from the holy tanks'.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God's Messenger as saying, “There are three to whom God has forbidden paradise:

one who is addicted to wine, an undutiful son, and a cuckold who agrees to his women-folk’s adultery." Ahmad and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “There are three who will not enter paradise:

one who is addicted to wine, one who breaks ties of relationship, and one who believes in magic.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If one who is addicted to wine dies he will meet God most high in the same condition as an idolater.” Ahmad transmitted it, Ibn Majah transmitted on Abu Huraira’s authority, and Baihaqi, in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>, gave it on the authority of Muhammad b. ‘Ubaidallah who quoted his father’s authority. He said that Bukhari in his <i>Ta’rikh</i> mentioned it on the authority of Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah who quoted his father's authority.

Abu Musa used to say:

It is all the same to me whether I drink wine or worship this pillar instead of God.* Nasa’i transmitted it. *He says that the one sin is as serious as the other.