Al-Nabidh (A kind of Wine)

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Nabidh. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful.’ I said, ‘We soak it, then place the residue in it and other things.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Shashsh! That is putrid wine.’ I then asked, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what kind of al- Nabidh is what you mention?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘People of al-Madinah once complained before the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, about the change in their water and the ruined condition of their health. He commanded them to make al-Nabidh. A man commanded his servant to make al-Nabidh for him. He would take a handful of dates and throw it in al-Shin (water container) and from this they would drink and cleanse themselves.’ I then asked, ‘How many dates they would use?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Whatever a handful picks or perhaps two handfuls.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Perhaps it was one handful or two handfuls.’ I then asked, ‘What was the size of al-Shin (water container)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Between forty to eighty or more.’ I then asked, ‘Is it in rzt/?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is in ritl of Iraqi measurement.’”

“Once a people from Yemen came to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, to ask him (the Messenger of Allah) for the guidance of their religion and he (the Messenger of Allah) answered them. All of the people then left. When they went a certain distance certain ones among them said, ‘We forgot to ask the Messenger of Allah about what is important to us.’ The people disembarked and sent a delegate to the Messenger of Allah who said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, people have sent us to you to ask about al- Nabidh.’ The Messenger of Allah asked. ‘What is al-Nabidh? Describe it for me.’ They said it is taken from dates which is placed in a pot, then water is pour on it until it is full, then fire is lit beneath. It is cooked, then it is taken to be placed it in another pot, then water is poured on it to soak, then it is filtered with a cloth, then it is placed in another pot and the residue from before is poured in it. It then rises and boils, then it sits down on the residue.’ The Messenger of Allah then said, £ 0 you, you have said a great deal. Is it intoxicating?’ He replied, ‘Yes, it is intoxicating.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘All intoxicating substances are unlawful.’ The delegate left and informed their people of what the Messenger of Allah had said. The people said, ‘We must go back to the Messenger of Allah so we can hear what he (the Messenger of Allah) has said without anyone in between.’ So all of the people came back and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, our land is vast and we farm. We cannot work without al- Nabidh.’ The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, asked them to describe it for him (the Messenger of Allah). They described it for him (the Messenger of Allah) as their delegate had done. The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘Does it intoxicate?’ They replied, ‘Yes, it does.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) then said, ‘All intoxicating substances are unlawful. It is a right on Allah to make the drinker of intoxicating liquor to drink of Tinah of Khabal. Do you know what Tinah of Khabal is?’ They replied, ‘No, we do not know.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘It is the puss from the people of hellfire.’”