while those who treat it as masculine do so in accordance with the grammatical form of the word.

Al-Kisa'i said: He referred it to the implied ma (that which), meaning, “in the bellies of that which We have mentioned.”

Al-Mu'arrij said: The pronoun refers to a part or portion, as though He had said, “We give you milk to drink from what is in its belly,” since not all of them have milk. The word “milk” is implied in the expression.

“Between excretion”—that is, the matter contained in the rumen; once it leaves it, it is no longer called excretion—“and blood, pure milk,” free from both blood and excretion: it bears neither the color of blood nor the smell of excretion.

“Pleasant for those who drink it”: wholesome and easy to swallow.

It is also said that no one has ever choked on milk.

Ibn Abbas said: When an animal eats fodder, it settles in its rumen, which grinds it; its lower part becomes excretion, its middle part milk, and its upper part blood. The liver is set over them and apportions them by Allah Most High's decree: the blood flows through the veins, the milk into the udder, and the excretion remains as it is. (1)

“And from the fruits of date palms and grapevines you derive an intoxicant and wholesome provision. Surely in this is a sign for people who understand. (67)”

“And from the fruits of date palms and grapevines”: that is, you likewise have a lesson in what We give you to drink and provide for you from the fruits of date palms and grapevines. “You derive from it”: the pronoun in “from it” refers back to an omitted ma (that which), meaning, “that which you derive from it”: “an intoxicant and wholesome provision.”

Some said: sakar means wine, while “wholesome provision” means vinegar, raisins, dates, and rubb (thick date syrup). They said that this was before wine was prohibited. This was the view of Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Umar, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Al-Hasan, and Mujahid.

Al-Sha'bi said: sakar is what you drink, while “wholesome provision” is what you eat. (2)

Al-Awfi narrated from Ibn Abbas that sakar means vinegar in the Ethiopian language. (3)

Some said that sakar is intoxicating nabidh—an infusion of dates or raisins once it becomes potent—as well as cooked juice. This was the view of Al-Dahhak and Al-Nakha'i. (4)

Both those who permit drinking nabidh and those who prohibit it say that the verse is merely informative, not a declaration of permissibility.