Surah Maidah, some of whose verses were revealed in Farewell Hajj,1 is the
last Surah to be revealed.2 And due to addiction to liquor for a long time before
revelation of verses of Surah Maidah in Farewell Hajj, after revelation of verse
and promise of chastisement and after his statement: ‘I give up! I give up!’ again
he drank Nabidh (a kind of wine), saying: I drink this wine in order to digest
camel meat in my stomach, so that it may not cause discomfort to me. And if
wine makes one senseless, one should mix it with water.3
And says: “I am a man with stomach full of fire;4 I drink this wine to soften
my stomach.”5
And he says: “The flesh of these camels does not digest in my stomach
unless I drink this thick and strong Nabidh wine.”6
He continued to drink this thick Nabidh wine till his last moments. Amr bin
Maimoon says: “When Umar was in his last moments and lying on his deathbed,
I was present there. Nabidh was brought for him and he drank it.”7
His wine was so sharp and strong that if someone else took a sip from it, he
would become intoxicated and penalty of drinking wine would be awarded to
him. But since the Caliph was so much habituated to it or it had been diluted so
much and then drank it, it did not have any effect.
Shobi says: An Arab drank from the vessel of wine that belonged to Umar
and the latter applied the legal penalty to him; then he said: “This penalty is for
becoming intoxicated and not for drinking it.”8
In the words of Jassas in Ahkamul Quran,9 it is mentioned that: “An Arab
drank some wine belonging to Umar and the latter decreed punishment for him.
The Arab said: ‘I drank from your wine.’ Umar called for water and diluted his
wine. Then he drank it and said: ‘One, who get intoxicated by wine, should dilute
it and then drink it.’”
It is narrated from Abu Rafe that Umar bin Khattab said:
“Whenever you fear the sharpness and strength of liquor, you should dilute it with water.”
Nasai has narrated this statement in his Sunan,10 and remarks: “Those, who
regard as lawful drinking of wine have argued through this traditional report.”
More amazing is the fact that: Penalty is awarded to one, who drinks Umar’s
wine and becomes intoxicated, because he was either unaware of the fact that the
liquid in the vessel was liquor and he drank it; thus in that case, penalty should
not be imposed on him as Abu Umar, in Jami Bayanul Ilm, has narrated from the
Caliph:
“Penalty is not applicable on one, who drinks wine inadvertently.”11
Or that he was aware: in that case, the penalty should not be applicable to
him, since he has followed the Caliph in this act. The only difference between
him and the Caliph is that it intoxicated him, but it did not intoxicate the Caliph,
since he was used to it. As if the criterion of lawful and unlawful and application
of penalties and its absence in view of Caliph, was getting intoxicated and
depends on the person. This is supported by his own statement when he says:
“Wine is that which makes one lose the senses.”12
While the fact is that there is absolute prohibition for drinking wine (being
intoxicated is sufficient for prohibition and penalty), even though it may be
mixed with something else or diluted. From this aspect. the criterion of wine is
not whether one becomes intoxicated by it, or not. Thus, everything that
intoxicates in large quantity, its miniscule quantity is also unlawful.
Numerous authentic traditional reports prove this rule; like this statement of
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.):
“I prohibit to you even lesser amounts of what intoxicates you in large quantities.”13
Also, the statement of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) narrated through Jabir, Ibne Umar and Ibne Amr that:
“Everything, which intoxicates in large quantities, its little quantity is also unlawful.”