"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] sent Mu'adh and me to Yemen. Mu'adh said: 'You are sending us to a land where the people have many kinds of drinks. What should I drink?' He said: 'Drink, but do not drink any intoxicant.'"
The Book of Drinks - Sunan an-Nasa'i 5596
"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] sent Mu'adh and me to Yemen. Mu'adh said: 'You are sending us to a land where the people have many kinds of drinks. What should I drink?' He said: 'Drink, but do not drink any intoxicant.'"
Contextual Analysis
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i illustrates the Prophet's wisdom in dealing with new cultural contexts. Yemen was known for various fermented beverages, and Mu'adh sought guidance on permissible drinks.
The Prophet's response demonstrates the fundamental Islamic principle: all things are permissible unless explicitly prohibited. He gave a general permission to drink, then specified the prohibition of intoxicants.
Legal Ruling (Fiqh)
The hadith establishes that the primary criterion for drink prohibition is intoxication. Any beverage that causes loss of intellect, regardless of its base ingredient, is forbidden.
Scholars derive from this that even small amounts of intoxicants are prohibited, as the Prophet said "any intoxicant" without qualification. This includes both fermented and distilled beverages.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam Nawawi comments that this hadith shows the comprehensive nature of Islamic prohibition - covering all intoxicants by whatever name they are called.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes that the Prophet's instruction emphasizes prevention rather than cure - avoiding intoxicants entirely rather than regulating consumption.
Classical scholars unanimously agree this hadith forms the basis for prohibiting all alcoholic beverages, regardless of their source or method of production.