If it is said, “This was abrogated, for it occurred in the early days of Islam. They were commanded to do this, just as they were commanded to break the vessels and tear open the containers, so that they would abstain from wine,” the reply is:

This is mistaken on several grounds.

First, a command of Allah and His Messenger can only be abrogated by a command of Allah and His Messenger, and no subsequent text has been transmitted that abrogates this command.

Second, the Rightly Guided Caliphs acted upon this after the Prophet’s death. It is authentically reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said:

“Do not consume vinegar made from wine unless Allah Himself initiated its souring. There is no blame upon a Muslim who buys vinegar from non-Muslims under Muslim protection.”

Here ‘Umar prohibits vinegar made from wine that someone deliberately soured, while permitting that whose souring Allah initiated. He also permits buying wine vinegar from the People of the Book, because they do not deliberately sour their wine; rather, it turns into vinegar without their choosing. ‘Umar’s statement provides evidence against all those opinions.

Third, the Companions were the most obedient of people to Allah and His Messenger. Thus, when wine was forbidden to them, they poured it away. If, despite this obedience, they were forbidden to turn it into vinegar and commanded to pour it away, then later generations have even greater reason to be subject to that command, since they are less obedient to Allah and His Messenger than the Companions were. This is illustrated by the fact that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb made the punishment imposed on people more severe for drinking