So, why there is a total ban on alcoholic drinks in Islam? The answer lies in hadis. You see, all ahadith were compiled long after Muhammad’s death—at least 200 years later. In fact, very soon you will learn that many of those devout Islamic Caliphs were habitual drinkers of wine before the dubious (and often questionable) ahadith were used as legal codes to run the lives of Muslims.  

There is very little doubt that all these so-called Sahih ahadith do proclaim a total ban on wine and any other alcoholic drink. Such haram drinks cannot even be used in a medicine.  

As told before, in the holy Qur’an, wine (or any alcoholic drink) is largely treated as harmful, although there might be minor benefits in it. Certainly, the Qur’an did not proclaim a total ban on the consumption of wine, if we understood the meaning of verse 5:90. It simply exhorted the believers to avoid this harmful drink.  

This means: if we are to believe the hadis, then Qur’an is wrong or, alternatively, if we take the Qur’an as the infallible words of Allah then all those ahadith dealing in alcoholic drinks are absolutely fabricated, if not outright lies.  

Did the companions of the apostle of Allah drink wine? What a outrageous question is this!—you may say. Here is the answer—though most Muslims will simply deny the truth.  

You see, most of Muhammad’s companions (except, perhaps Umar and Abu Bakr) were habitual drinkers. Don’t you believe this? Here is a hadis from Sahih Bukhari that tells us Hamzah, the ‘Lion of Islam’ was a real drunkard and womanizer of the first order. In fact, while he (Hamzah) was drunk Muhammad was so scared of him that he (Muhammad) dared not approach him. The arrant, violent and unruly behavior of Hamzah, while drunken was one of the prime reasons to motivate Muhammad to proclaim the avoidance of wine. Let us read this hadis from Sahih Bukhari  

Hamzah, in drunken state killed the she-camel of Ali…4.53.324

Volume 4, Book 53, Number 324:

Narrated Ali:

I got a she-camel in my share of the war booty on the day (of the battle) of Badr, and the Prophet had given me a she-camel from the Khumus. When I intended to marry Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle, I had an appointment with a goldsmith from the tribe of Bani Qainuqa' to go with me to bring Idhkhir (i.e. grass of pleasant smell) and sell it to the goldsmiths and spend its price on my wedding party. I was collecting for my she-camels equipment of saddles, sacks and ropes while my two she-camels were kneeling down beside the room of an Ansari man. I returned after collecting whatever I collected, to see the humps of my two she-camels cut off and their flanks cut open and some portion of their livers was taken out. When I saw that state of my two she-camels, I could not help weeping. I asked, "Who has done this?" The people replied, "Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib who is staying with some Ansari drunks in this house." I went away till I reached the Prophet and Zaid bin Haritha was with him. The Prophet noticed on my face the effect of what I had suffered, so the Prophet asked. "What is wrong with you." I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! I have never seen such a day as today. Hamza attacked my two she-camels, cut off their humps, and ripped open their flanks, and he is sitting there in a house in the company of some drunks." The Prophet then asked for his covering sheet, put it on, and set out walking followed by me and Zaid bin Haritha till he came to the house where Hamza was. He asked permission to enter, and they allowed him, and they were drunk. Allah's Apostle started rebuking Hamza for what he had done, but Hamza was drunk and his eyes were red. Hamza looked at Allah's Apostle and then he raised his eyes, looking at his knees, then he raised up his eyes looking at his umbilicus, and again he raised up his eyes look in at his face. Hamza then said, "Aren't you but the slaves of my father?" Allah's Apostle realized that he was drunk, so Allah's Apostle retreated, and we went out with him.

Even Muhammad’s lifelong companion/servant, Anas b. Malik was a butler or a bar tender—serving wine to his customers. His main business was probably running a pub.  

Read this hadis from Sahih Muslim.  

Anas b. Malik was serving wine to a group of ansars when the announcement on the ban on alcoholic drink was pronounced…Sahih Muslim: 23.4884, 4886  

Book 023, Number 4884:

Anas b. Malik reported: I was standing amongst the uncles of my tribe serving them Fadikh while I was the youngest of them, when a person came and said: Verily the use of liqour has been prohibited. They said: Anas, spill it away. So I spilt it. He (one of the narrators. Sulaiman Taimi) said that he asked Anas what that was (the Fadikh). He said: It had been prepared from unripe and ripe dates. Abu Bakr b. Anas said: It was their liquor in those days. Sulaiman said: A person narrated it to me from Anas b. Malik that he had said so.

Book 023, Number 4886:

Anas b. Malik reported I was serving wine to Abu Talha, and Abu Dujana. and Mu'adh b. Jabal admidst a group of Ansar when a visitor came to us and said There is a fresh news; the (verses) concerning the prohibition of liquor have been revealed. So we spilt it on that day; and it was a mixture of dry dates and fresh dates. Anas b. Malik said: While Khamr was declared unlawful, the common liquor of theirs was then a mixture of dry dates and fresh dates.

Hadis number 4886 clearly mentions the names of some of Muhammad’s dearest minions who were habitual drinkers of wine. Therefore, how was it possible for Muhammad to raise the ire of his most trusted companions by taking away their regular pleasure?—one may surely wonder.  

Even the ordinary Jihadists were drinkers of wine. Some of them drank alcoholic drink during the battle of Uhud!  

Some Jihadists drank alcohol on the day of Uhud…Sahih Bukhari: 4.52.70  

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 70:

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:

"Some people drank alcohol in the morning of the day (of the battle) of Uhud and were martyred (on the same day)." Sufyan was asked, "(Were they martyred) in the last part of the day?)" He replied, "Such information does not occur in the narration."

How about Muhammad? Did he ever drink wine? Unbelievable though it may seem, Muhammad did actually consume wine! Here is the proof.  

Back  < 1   2   3   > Next