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

“There is a group of Muslim men, middle-aged and young, who have performed Hajj and diligently fulfil their obligations of fasting, prayer, and worship. Among them are men of high standing, and they are known among Muslims for their trustworthiness and honesty in word and deed. They show no outward signs of evil or wickedness. Yet they are of one mind and opinion about eating ‘al-ghubayrāʾ’. They acknowledge and believe that doing so is an act of disobedience and a sin. Nevertheless, they cite in support of their view the words in the Book of Allah—glorified and exalted is He:

‘Indeed, good deeds wipe out evil deeds.’

“They also acknowledge that it is forbidden. However, they have regular nightly devotions and other acts of worship, and they claim that when its intoxication takes hold of their minds, it prompts them to perform those acts of worship, not to commit evil or indecency. They maintain that it does not harm any of Allah Most High’s creatures in the way that unlawful sexual intercourse, drinking wine, and theft do, and that whoever consumes it is not liable to any prescribed punishment. Rather, it merely involves contravening one of the commands of Allah—glorified and exalted is He—and Allah forgives matters that are between a servant and his Lord.

“A truthful man met with them and reported these things about them. He joined them in consuming it, relying on the judgment they gave him and what they told him, and admitted to having done so.

“Is someone who consumes it liable to the prescribed punishment for drinking wine, or not? Please give us a ruling.”