Hadith Text & Classification

"Indeed Khamr comes from wheat, Khamr comes from barely, Khamr comes from dates, Khamr comes from rasins, and Khamr comes from honey."

He said: There are narrations on this topic from Abu Hurairah.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Gharib.

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith from The Book on Drinks in Jami' at-Tirmidhi (reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1872) establishes the comprehensive prohibition of intoxicants regardless of their source material. The Prophet (ﷺ) enumerates various substances - wheat, barley, dates, raisins, and honey - to emphasize that the ruling applies universally, not merely to grape wine.

The term "Khamr" linguistically means "that which covers" - referring to anything that clouds the intellect. Legally, it encompasses all intoxicating beverages, irrespective of their base ingredient. This comprehensive definition prevents legal loopholes where people might claim certain intoxicants are permissible because they don't derive from grapes.

The mention of honey is particularly significant, as it demonstrates that even naturally sweet substances become prohibited when fermented into intoxicating drinks. This establishes the principle that the intoxicating effect (iskar) itself is the determining factor for prohibition, not merely the substance's origin.

Legal Implications

This narration forms the foundation for the consensus among classical scholars that all intoxicants are haram (forbidden), regardless of quantity. The Hanafi school's distinction between small and large quantities of non-grape intoxicants is not supported by this clear textual evidence.

The hadith also establishes the principle of preventive legislation (sadd al-dhara'i) in Islamic law - by prohibiting the sources, it prevents the ends. This comprehensive approach ensures complete protection of the mind, which Allah has made a sacred trust (amanah) for every Muslim.

Technical Assessment

Imam Tirmidhi's note that this hadith is "Gharib" indicates it has a singular chain of transmission at some point, though its meaning is supported by numerous other authentic narrations. The substance of the prohibition is established through mutawatir (mass-transmitted) evidence, making the ruling certain despite this particular chain's classification.

The reference to similar narrations from Abu Hurairah shows that this teaching was consistently conveyed by the Prophet (ﷺ) through multiple companions, strengthening the authenticity of the ruling despite the technical classification of this specific chain.