to Qudāmah: “You have missed the mark! Had you truly been mindful of Allah, believed, and done righteous deeds, you would not have drunk wine.”

This verse was revealed because, when Allah, glorified is He, prohibited wine—which occurred after the Battle of Uhud—some of the Companions asked, “What, then, of our companions who died while still drinking wine?” Allah therefore revealed this verse, explaining that whoever consumed something when it was not yet prohibited incurred no blame, provided he was among the believers who were mindful of Allah and acted righteously.

Likewise, when He changed the direction of prayer and commanded them to face the Kaaba after they had been commanded to face Jerusalem, Allah Most High said:

“Allah would never let your faith go to waste.”

That is, your prayers facing Jerusalem. He thus explained that whoever acts in obedience to Allah will be rewarded by Allah for doing so, even if He prohibits that act at another time. Whoever regards as lawful something He has not prohibited incurs no blame, provided he is among the believers who are mindful of Allah, even if Allah prohibits it at another time.

Once He had prohibited wine, however, regarding it as lawful became comparable to praying towards the Rock after that had been prohibited, observing the Sabbath as an act of worship, regarding fornication as lawful, and other matters concerning which the Shariah has established rulings different from those that previously applied. No one is entitled to hold fast to any provision of an abrogated law. Whoever does so is like someone clinging to abrogated provisions of earlier religious laws.

For this reason, the Companions agreed that they would put to death anyone who declared wine lawful. Those who had done so then regretted it, realized that they had been mistaken, and despaired of repentance. Then he wrote