from the interests of his religion and his worldly life (1); it plants enmity and hatred among those who practice it, a little of it calls to much, and it strikes the mind and reason just as an intoxicant does—indeed, even more. For that reason its devotee becomes glued to it as the wine-drinker clings to his wine, or more intensely still, for he feels neither shame nor fear (2) as the wine-drinker might. Yet each of the two has been likened to one who sits in adoration before idols!
As for the chess-player, it is authentically reported (3) from ‘Ali, Commander of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with him), that he compared him to someone who keeps vigil before statues.
As for the wine-drinker, the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (4) records that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The wine-drinker is like an idol-worshipper.”
(1) From MS Z.
(2) MS Z reads: “fa-kana kama yastahi wa-yakhafu sharibu al-khamr ʿala khamrihi” (so he became as bashful and apprehensive as a wine-drinker who fears for his wine), whereas MS H has only “wa-yakhafu” (“and he is apprehensive”).
(3) As noted earlier, the report is not authentic; see p. 249.
(4) Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf (1/272, no. 2453), by ʿAbd b. Humayd in his Musnad al-Muntakhab (4/597, no. 707), and by others, through the route of Muhammad b. al-Munkadir, who said: “I was told that Ibn ʿAbbas transmitted it as a prophetic report: ‘The habitual wine-drinker—if he dies—will meet Allah like an idol-worshipper.’” The chain is weak because the intermediary between Ibn al-Munkadir and Ibn ʿAbbas is unknown, and all the other routes from Ibn ʿAbbas are likewise unsound. It has also been ascribed to Abu Hurayrah, but that is a mistake; the correct attribution is that it is a saying of ʿAbd Allah b. ʿAmr, related from him by Abu Salih and al-Musayyab b. Rafiʿ. See Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (5/95, no. 2453) and Daraqutni’s ʿIlal (10/114–115).