The scholars—among them al-Athram and Ibn al-Mundhir—have declared those reports defective and weak.
The proofs advanced by the overwhelming majority of the Ummah that every intoxicant is khamr and that both its small and large amounts are forbidden are drawn from three sources: the Noble Qur’an, the sound Sunnah, and classical Arabic usage.
- The Qur’an: Its verses contain a blanket prohibition of khamr and a command to shun it altogether.
Khamr is everything that overpowers and veils the intellect, whatever its origin may be.
- The Sunnah: It is authentically reported that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is forbidden.” He also said, “Whatever intoxicates in large quantity, its small quantity is likewise forbidden” (narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Athram).
ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab—may Allah be pleased with him—stated, “The prohibition of khamr was revealed with regard to wine made from grapes, dates, honey, wheat, and barley. Khamr is whatever obscures the mind” (agreed upon).
- The language: The author of al-Qāmūs defines khamr as “that which intoxicates when produced from the juice of grapes,” adding that the word may also be understood in a general sense—and this broader sense is the sounder, for the prohibition was enacted when no grape-wine existed in Madinah and the people’s drink was made from fresh and dried dates.
Al-Khattabi remarked, “Some have claimed that the Arabs recognise the term khamr only for wine derived from grapes. Let them note that the Companions who called beverages not produced from grapes khamr were eloquent Arabs; had the usage been linguistically invalid, they would never have employed it.”
One of the finest statements on this question is that of al-Qurtubi:
“The numerous authentic reports from Anas and others decisively invalidate the view of the Kufan scholars who contend that khamr exists only in grape-wine and that beverages made from other substances are not called khamr and do not fall under its ruling. Such a view contradicts the Arabic language, the sound Sunnah, and the understanding of the Companions, for when the prohibition of khamr was revealed they understood it to mandate avoidance of everything that intoxicates.”