Here, I wish to glance at the capabilities of the Caliph and the sciences and
moral character to which he was inclined, so that we may know whether it opens
a way for his excellence? Or that it brings him near to open a way for his
excellence through these reports? Or specifies limits for him so that shortcoming
from that, injustice to him and regarding his right as worthless and reducing his
rank or that exaggeration should be recognized about him?
‘Precedence’ in accepting Islam
ions of man. From this aspect no attention is paid to the following statement of
Akrama:
“Abu Bakr or Ubayy bin Khalaf and other polytheists used to gamble and
this was before the prohibition of gambling.”1
And Imam Abu Bakr Jassas Raazi Hanafi (d. 370 A.H.) has written in
Ahkamul Quran:2
Among scholars, there is no disagreement regarding prohibition of gambling
and laying bets. Ibne Abbas said: “Laying bets is gambling.” And during the
period of Jahiliyya, they used to bet their money and even wives. This continued,
till it was prohibited, when the verse:
الٓمٓ (١) غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ (٢)
“Alif Lam Mim, the Romans are vanquished,”3
…revealed Abu Bakr Siddiq laid bets with the polytheists (and Abu Bakr
was among the gamblers of that time).
And attention will also not be paid to the traditional report, which Fakihi has
narrated in his book of Makka, through his authorities from Abu Qamus, when he
says:
“During the period of Jahiliyya,4 Abu Bakr drank liquor and intoned:
“O mother of Bakr, peace be on you. Do you think that after (the killing of)
your relatives there is peace for me?
…till the end of the verses.”“
“At that time the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) was informed of this and
while his robe dragged on the ground, he went to Abu Bakr and found him with
Umar. When Abu Bakr looked at the furious countenance of Prophet, he said: I
seek the refuge of Allah from the fury of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.); and
Almighty Allah has definitely not make our head spin (and we did not become
intoxicated). And he was the first to make liquor unlawful on himself.”
Tabari has mentioned this tradition of Abul Qamus in his Tafseer.5
In the printed version (211) he has narrated from Ibne Bashar6 from Abdul Wahab7
from Auf8 from Abul Qamus Zaid bin Ali9 that Almighty Allah revealed
verses three times regarding liquor; in the first verse, He said:
ۗيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْخَمْرِ وَٱلْمَيْسِرِ ۖ قُلْ فِيهِمَآ إِثْمٌۭ كَبِيرٌۭ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا۞
“They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In
both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men,
and their sin is greater than their profit.”10
In spite of this, Muslims imbibed liquor. Two men had liquor and started
praying and began to talk nonsense, such that Auf did not understand the
meaning, thus Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ
“O you who believe! Do not go near prayer when you are intoxicated until you know (well) what you say.”11
Some people drank, but refrained from it at the time of prayers, so much so
that according to Abul Qamus, a person drank and began to bewail about those
killed in Badr, and said:
“1. O mother of Amr, peace be on you. Do you think there is peace for you
after the killing of your relatives? 2. Give me respite, so that I may live the
mornings with ‘Bakr’ as I saw death in pursuit of Hisham (and snatched him
from clutches of the mother) 3. Sons of Mughira (and his relatives) wished to
purchase the life of Mughira by giving thousands of men or quadrupeds. 4. (But
alas) how many I see (nobles who have) vessels full of delicious meat (of camels)
and these (their bodies) fallen into the well of Badr. 5. How often I see youths,
who with their luxurious dresses confused in the well of Badr.”