He replied:

Praise be to Allah.

If a large quantity of it causes intoxication, it is forbidden and constitutes wine; its drinker is subject to the prescribed punishment. This is established in authentic hadiths from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and is the position of the overwhelming majority of earlier and later scholars. In Sahīh Muslim, Ibn ‘Umar reports that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

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

In the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah said:

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was asked about bit‘, a honey drink which the people of Yemen used to drink. He said: ‘Every drink that causes intoxication is forbidden.’”

In al-Sahīh, Abū Mūsā said:

“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, give us a ruling concerning a drink we used to prepare in Yemen: bit‘, a honey infusion left to steep until it becomes strong.’ He replied: ‘Every intoxicant is forbidden.’”

In Sahīh Muslim, Jābir reports:

“A man from among the Abyssinians of Yemen asked the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—about a drink they made in their land called mizr. He asked, ‘Does it cause intoxication?’ The man replied, ‘Yes.’

“He said: ‘Every intoxicant is forbidden. Allah has pledged to give whoever drinks intoxicants a drink of Tīnat al-khabāl.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is Tīnat al-khabāl?’ He replied: ‘The sweat of the people of Hell—or the discharge of the people of Hell.’”

It has also been reported from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—through several chains of transmission:

“Whatever causes intoxication in large quantities is forbidden even in small quantities.”

More than one leading hadith scholar has authenticated this report. There are numerous hadiths on this subject.

If grape juice is boiled until a third or half of it evaporates, but it still causes intoxication, it is forbidden according to all four imams. Indeed, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and Ahmad consider it wine. But if two-thirds of it evaporates, leaving