I was serving Abu 'Ubaida, Abu Talha and Ubai bin Ka`b with a drink prepared from ripe and unripe dates. Then somebody came to them and said, "Alcoholic drinks have been prohibited." (On hearing that) Abu Talha said, "Get up. O Anas, and pour (throw) it out! So I poured (threw) it out.
Hadith Commentary: The Immediate Abandonment of Prohibited Matters
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 5582 in the Book of Drinks demonstrates the paramount importance of immediate compliance with divine commandments. When the companions heard of the prohibition of intoxicants, they did not delay, question, or seek loopholes. Abu Talha's command to pour out the drink—even though it was in their possession and potentially not yet fully fermented—shows the proper attitude of a believer upon receiving revelation.
Scholarly Analysis of the Drink's Nature
The beverage described was "made from ripe and unripe dates," known as nabidh. Classical scholars explain that such drinks were permissible in early Islam until they became intoxicating. The prohibition came gradually, and this incident reflects the final stage where all intoxicants were forbidden regardless of their source or stage of fermentation.
Imam al-Nawawi comments that the companions' immediate action teaches us that when something is prohibited, one must distance oneself from it completely and without hesitation, even if it involves financial loss or personal desire.
Legal Principles Derived
This hadith establishes several key Islamic legal principles: the obligation to immediately abandon prohibited matters upon knowledge of their prohibition; that intoxicants are impure and must be disposed of; and that the companions' practice serves as exemplary conduct for the Muslim community.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes in Fath al-Bari that the pouring out of the drink signifies both physical and spiritual purification, demonstrating that the prohibition encompasses not only consumption but also possession, trade, and any facilitation of intoxicants.