[Section: The Rāfidī’s claim that ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with him—did not impose the prescribed punishment on Qudāma for drinking wine]

A Section(1)

The Rāfidī(2) said:

“Nor did he impose the prescribed punishment on Qudāma(3) for drinking wine, because he recited to him:

‘There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they consumed, provided they fear Allah and believe’ [Surah al-Māʾida: 93]

—to the end of the verse. ʿAlī [said to him](4), ‘Qudāma is not among those to whom this verse applies.’ Yet he did not know how many lashes to give him, so the Commander of the Faithful said to him, ‘Give him eighty lashes. When one who drinks wine drinks it(5), [he becomes intoxicated, and when he becomes intoxicated](6), he speaks incoherently; and when he speaks incoherently, he makes false accusations.’”

The response is that this is a [plain](7) and manifest lie against ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with him. Ibn al-Khattāb’s knowledge of the ruling in a case such as this is too obvious to require proof. He had administered flogging for drinking wine on more than one occasion, as had Abū Bakr before him. They would sometimes administer forty lashes and sometimes eighty. ʿUmar would sometimes impose a discretionary punishment for it consisting of shaving the offender’s head and banishing him. They would sometimes strike offenders with palm stalks, and at other times with sandals and their hands,