The people would continue drinking until one of them came to prayer after drinking his evening draught (1). Then a verse more stringent than that was revealed:
“O you who believe, wine, gambling, sacrificial altars, and divining arrows are an abomination from Satan’s handiwork, so shun them, that you may prosper.”
They said, “We have desisted, our Lord!” The people then said, “Messenger of Allah, there were people who were slain in Allah’s cause or died in their beds, who drank wine and consumed the gains of gambling, while Allah has declared it an abomination and part of Satan’s handiwork?” So Allah revealed:
“There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have consumed, provided they fear Allah and believe ...”
to the end of the verse. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“If it had been prohibited to them, they would have given it up just as you have.”
Recorded by Ahmad (2/351–352).
I say: Its chain of transmission is weak, for this Abu Wahb is unknown.
Abu Maʿshar—whose name was Najih—is weak. Al-Haythami said in Majmaʿ al-Zawaʾid (5/51):
“Ahmad narrated it. Abu Wahb, the freedman of Abu Hurayrah, was neither criticized nor declared trustworthy by anyone; and Abu Najih is weak due to his poor retention, though more than one scholar declared him trustworthy.”
Al-Hafiz made no comment on it in Fath al-Bari (10/31).
- As for the hadith of Ibn ʿAbbas, Rabiʿah ibn Kulthum ibn Jabr narrates it from his father, from Saʿid ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbas, who said: