He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was also asked:

What must be done concerning someone who consumes hashish, and someone who claims that consuming it is permissible, lawful, and allowed?

He replied:

Consuming this solid hashish is forbidden. It is among the foulest of forbidden substances, whether one consumes a little or a great deal. However, an intoxicating quantity of it is forbidden by the consensus of the Muslims. Whoever declares that lawful is a disbeliever who must be called upon to repent. If he repents, his repentance is accepted; otherwise, he is put to death as a disbeliever and apostate. His body is not washed, no funeral prayer is offered over him, and he is not buried among the Muslims. The legal status of an apostate is worse than that of a Jew or a Christian. This applies whether he believes it lawful for the general public or for the select few who claim that it is “the morsel of reflection and remembrance,” that it stirs dormant resolve toward the noblest of places, and that this is why they use it.

Some of the early Muslims had thought that wine was permissible for the select few, interpreting the words of Allah Most High:

“There is no blame on those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have consumed, so long as they fear Allah, believe, and do righteous deeds, then fear Allah and believe, then fear Allah and do good.”

When their case was brought before ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb and the Companions consulted about them, ʿUmar, ʿAlī, and other learned Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—agreed that if they acknowledged its prohibition, they were to be flogged, but if they persisted in declaring it lawful,