Hadith Text & Reference

Malik ibn AbuMaryam said: AbdurRahman ibn Ghanam entered upon us and we discussed tila' and he said: AbuMalik al-Ash'ari told me that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Some of my people will assuredly drink wine calling it by another name.

Book: Drinks (Kitab Al-Ashribah)

Author: Sunan Abi Dawud

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3688

Commentary on the Prohibition

This profound hadith establishes the principle that changing the name of something unlawful does not alter its prohibited nature. The Prophet (ﷺ) foretold that some Muslims would consume intoxicants while avoiding the term "wine" (khamr) to deceive themselves and others.

The discussion of "tila'" mentioned in the narration refers to a specific type of alcoholic beverage, demonstrating that all intoxicating drinks fall under the prohibition regardless of their names or ingredients.

Scholarly Interpretation

Classical scholars like Imam Nawawi explained that this hadith applies the legal maxim: "The ruling follows the reality, not the name." If a substance causes intoxication, it is haram regardless of what people call it.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani noted that this prophecy has been fulfilled throughout Islamic history, with people inventing new names for intoxicants to circumvent the clear prohibition.

Legal Implications

This hadith establishes that any drink that causes intoxication is unlawful, whether derived from grapes, dates, wheat, barley, or any other substance.

The prohibition extends beyond mere consumption to include selling, buying, producing, or facilitating the consumption of intoxicants under any name.

Scholars unanimously agree that this hadith reinforces the comprehensive prohibition of all intoxicants in Islam, closing potential loopholes that might arise through semantic manipulation.