AI-Fuqa’ (Beer)

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about al-Fuqa‘ (beer). He (the Imam) said, ‘It is unknown wine. Do not drink it, O Sulayman. If the house and command were in my hand I would execute its seller and whip its drinker.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Fuqa ’. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is wine.’”

“Once I asked abu al-Hassan, al-Madiy (a.s.), in writing and asked about al-Fuqa ’ (beer). He (the Imam) wrote to me saying, ‘Do not go close to it; it is wine.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about al-Fuqa’ . He (the Imam) said, ‘It is wine exactly.’”

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), asking about al-Fuqa ’ and he (the Imam) prohibited me to use it.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If I had control over the market places of the Muslims I would ban this wine, that is, al-Fuqa ’ (beer).”’

“Once Yunus and I were in Baghdad, as we were walking, an al-Fuqa’ seller opened his shop and the cloth of Yunus came in contact with al-Fuqa’. I saw him depressed until the sun declined to the west and I asked, ‘Do you not want to perform Salat (prayer), O abu Muhammad?’ He replied, ‘I do not want to perform Salat (prayer) until I return home so I can wash this wine from my clothes.’ I then asked, ‘Is it your own opinion or something that you narrate?’ He said, ‘Hisham ibn al-Hakam informed me that he asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Fuqa’ and he (the Imam) said, ‘Do not drink it; it is unknown wine and if your clothes come in contact with it wash them clean.’”

“We asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about al-Fuqa’. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is unlawful, it is an unknown wine and its penalty is the same as that which is for wine.”’

“I once wrote to al-Rida’ (a.s.), and asked about al-Fuqa’. He (the Imam) wrote back, ‘It is unlawful and it is wine. If one drinks it he is like a wine drinker.’ He (the narrator) has said that abu al-Hassan, al-Akhir (a.s.), has said, ‘Had the house been my house I would execute its seller and whip its drinker.’ He (the Imam) has also said, ‘The penalty for drinking al-Fuqa ’ is the same as for drinking wine.’ He (the Imam) has said, ‘It is intoxicating liquor which people have taken lightly.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about al-Fuqa ’. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is an unknown wine, O Sulayman and do not drink it. Had the command been in my hand and the house was my house, I would whip its drinker and execute its seller.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about drinking al-Fuqa ’ and he (the Imam) disliked it very intensely.” Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from ibn Faddal from Muhammad ibn Tsma‘il a similar Hadith.”

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), asked about al-Fuqa ’ and described it for him (the Imam) how it is made. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not drink it and do not come back to me about it again.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Fuqa’. He (the Imam) said to me, ‘It is wine.’”

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘All intoxicating substances are unlawful, everything fermented is unlawful, and al-Fuqa’ (beer) is unlawful.’”

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan and asked about al-Fuqa’. He (the Imam) said in writing, ‘It is wine and the penalty for drinking it is like that for drinking wine.’”