and do not drive them away. Make things easy and do not make things difficult.’ I then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, give us a ruling concerning two drinks we used to make in Yemen: bitʿ, which is made from honey and left to ferment until it becomes strong, and mizr, which is made from millet and barley and left to ferment until it becomes strong.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had been endowed with concise yet comprehensive speech, including its pithy conclusions, so he said: ‘I forbid every intoxicant that keeps one from prayer.’”

Muslim (6/100) narrated it. Ahmad (4/410, 415–416, 417) also narrated an abridged version, with the wording: “He said: ‘Every intoxicant is forbidden.’”

The other hadith is from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar, who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Every intoxicant is wine, and all wine is forbidden.”

Muslim (6/101), the compilers of the Sunan works, others, and Ahmad narrated it; and he said: “An authentic hadith.” Al-Tirmidhī said: “A sound, authentic hadith.”

It has four routes from Ibn ʿUmar, which I traced in al-Irwāʾ (2370).

58 – (The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whatever intoxicates in large quantities is forbidden even in small quantities.”

Narrated by Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī.) p. 71

Authentic. In their works, it is narrated from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him). It has numerous routes and corroborating reports from him, a good many of which I cited in al-Irwāʾ (2372).

59 – (“If a faraq-measure of it intoxicates, then even a handful of it is forbidden.” Narrated by Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī.) p. 71

Authentic. Al-Tirmidhī declared it sound, and Ibn Hibbān declared it authentic. I traced it and discussed its chain of transmission in al-Irwāʾ (2373).