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And at other times the difficulty lies in the wording itself: it may be polysemous, ambiguous, or capable of both a literal and a figurative sense. The hearer therefore assigns it the meaning that seems closest to him, even though the intended meaning is the other.
Thus, at the outset a group of Companions interpreted the phrase al-khayṭ al-abyaḍ wa-l-khayṭ al-aswad (“the white thread and the black thread”) as an actual cord (1).
Similarly, others took His words, “then wipe your faces and your hands” (2), to require wiping the hand up to the armpit.
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him: “I used to serve Abu Ubayda, Abu Talha and Ubayy ibn Kab a drink made from zihu and dates. Someone came and said, ‘Khamr has been declared unlawful.’ Abu Talha said, ‘Anas, get up and pour it out,’ so I poured it away.” Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
From Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is unlawful.” Related by Muslim.
From Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet said, “Khamr is produced from these two plants: the date-palm and the grapevine.” Related by Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan.
Khamr (an intoxicant) is therefore anything that clouds the mind, whatever the beverage. What intoxicates in large quantity is forbidden even in small quantity, even if it is given another name, such as the modern drinks of our time. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Some people of my community will certainly drink khamr and call it by another name.” Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.
(1) Adi ibn Hatim, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When the verse, “Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread,” was revealed, I took two cords, one black and one white, placed them under my pillow and kept looking at them. When I could distinguish the white from the black I stopped eating. The next morning I went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and told him what I had done. He said, “Your pillow is quite wide indeed; what is meant is the whiteness of day as opposed to the darkness of night.” Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.
(2) Surah al-Nisa, verse 43.
وَتَارَةً لِكَوْنِ اللَّفْظِ مُشْتَرِكًا, أَوْ مُجْمَلًا؛ أَوْ مُتَرَدِّدًا بَيْنَ حَقِيقَةٍ وَمَجَازٍ؛ فَيَحْمِلُهُ عَلَى الْأَقْرَبِ عِنْدَهُ, وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمُرَادُ هُوَ الْآخَرَ.
كَمَا حَمَلَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ فِي أَوَّلِ الْأَمْرِ "الْخَيْطَ الْأَبْيَضَ وَالْخَيْطَ الْأَسْوَدَ" عَلَى الْحَبْلِ (١) .
وَكَمَا حَمَلَ آخَرُونَ قَوْلَهُ: ﴿فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ﴾ عَلَى الْيَدِ إلَى الْإِبِطِ (٢) .
= وعن أنس ﵁ قال: كنت أسقي أبا عبيدة وأبا طلحة وأبي بن كعب من فضيخ زهو وتمر، فجاءهم آت، فقال: إن الخمر قد حرمت. فقال أبو طلحة: قم يا أنس فأهرقها، فأهرقتها. متفق عليه. وعن ابن عمر ﵄ أن النبي ﷺ قال: (كل مسكر خمر، وكل خمر حرام) رواه مسلم.
وعن أبي هريرة ﵁ عن النبي قال: (الخمر من هاتين الشجرتين: النخلة والعنبة) رواه مسلم وأصحاب "السنن".
فالخمر ما خامر العقل من أي شراب كان، وما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرام، ولو سمي بغير اسم الخمر، كالأشربة المستحدثة في زماننا، وقد قال رسول الله ﷺ: (ليشربن ناس من أمتي الخمر يسمونها بغير اسمها) رواه أحمد وأبو داود.
(١) عن عدي بن حاتم ﵁ قال: لما نزلت هذه الآية: (وكلوا واشربوا حتى يتبين لكم الخيط الأبيض من الخيط الأسود) عمدت إلى عقالين أحدهما أسود والآخر أبيض، قال: فجعلتهما تحت وسادتي، فجعلت أنظر إليهما، فلما تبين لي الأبيض من الأسود أمسكت، فلما أصبحت غدوت إلى رسول الله ﷺ فأخبرته بالذي صنعت. فقال: (إن وسادك لعريض؛ إنما ذلك بياض النهار من سواد الليل) رواه أحمد والبخاري ومسلم.
(٢) سورة النساء الآية ٤٣