The second proof is His words, “from Satan’s handiwork”;
The third: His words, “so avoid it”;
The fourth: His words, “so that you may succeed” (5:90);
The fifth: His words, “Indeed, Satan only seeks to sow between you enmity and hatred” (5:91);
The sixth: His words, “and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer”;
The seventh: His words, “Will you, then, desist?” (5:91).
This is among the most forceful forms of deterrence: it is as though, after enumerating all these factors that repel and forbid, He were saying, “With all of this before you, will you still refrain, or will you remain upon what you were doing, as though no admonition had ever reached you?!”
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For this reason the overwhelming majority of scholars, early and late, hold that whatever intoxicates in large quantities is unlawful in even small amounts, regardless of the source—whether grape, date, honey, wheat, barley, or anything else. All of it is khamr and therefore forbidden; both its large and its small quantities are prohibited, even if the small amount does not in itself cause intoxication.
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The jurists of Kūfa, however, maintain that intoxicating drinks made from anything other than grape juice are not forbidden and that the drinker is not subject to punishment unless he actually becomes intoxicated. Yet they agree with the rest of the scholars that once intoxication occurs, the prescribed penalty must be applied.
Al-Qurṭubī said: “These ḥadiths invalidate the view held by the Kūfans who claim that khamr is confined to that which is made from grapes and that anything produced from other substances is not called khamr and does not fall under its ruling. This stance contradicts the Arabic language, the sound Sunnah, and the practice of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.” The disagreement has already been outlined earlier.
- As for nabīdh—water into which dates, raisins, or the like are placed so that the water becomes sweet—