And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, prohibited small quantities because they lead to larger quantities. This applies to all intoxicants.

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked about “wine and gambling”: “Is there great sin in them, as well as benefits for people? What are those benefits?”

He replied:

This was the first verse revealed concerning wine. They asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it, so Allah revealed this verse without prohibiting it. He informed them that it contained “sin,” namely, the neglect of what is commanded and the commission of what is forbidden that result from drinking it. It also contained “benefit,” namely, the pleasure and bodily benefit it provides, and trade in it. Some people therefore refrained from drinking it, while others drank it.

Later, some people drank wine and then stood to pray while intoxicated, making mistakes in their recitation. Allah Most High then revealed:

“O you who believe, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying.”

He thus forbade them to drink it near the time of prayer, and some of them gave it up.

After that, Allah Most High revealed:

“Wine, gambling, sacrificial altars, and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan’s work, so shun them so that you may prosper.”

Thus Allah established its prohibition in this verse in several ways. They said, “We have desisted! We have desisted!” The command of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to pour it away was then carried out, and the jars and vessels were broken. He cursed those who pressed it, those who had it pressed, those who drank it, and those who consumed its proceeds.