applied only to intoxicating drinks made from grape juice.

These people understood “intoxicants” to mean one kind but not another, and thought that the prohibition applied only to that kind. Yet “gambling” encompasses all its forms, just as “intoxicants” and “usury” encompass all their respective forms. No one may follow the scholars’ errors, just as no one may speak of people of knowledge and faith except in a manner befitting them.

Allah Most High has pardoned the believers for their mistakes, as He Most High says:

“Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake.”

Allah said, “I have done so.” He has commanded us to follow what has been sent down to us from our Lord and not to follow protectors besides Him. He has commanded us not to obey any created being in disobedience to the Creator, and to seek forgiveness for our brothers who preceded us in faith, saying:

“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith”—and the rest of the verse.

This is obligatory upon Muslims in all such matters. We must honor His command by obeying Allah and His Messenger, and uphold the rights of Muslims, especially the people of knowledge among them, as Allah and His Messenger have commanded.

Whoever departs from this path has turned away from following the evidence to following his own desires through blind imitation, and has wrongfully harmed believing men and women. He is therefore among the wrongdoers. Whoever honors what Allah has made inviolable and treats Allah’s servants well is among Allah’s allies who fear Him. And Allah, glorified is He, knows best.