The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 358
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 358 Prophet sa. There is a narration related by Anas bin Mālik ra in the Aḥādīth , that when the injunction on the prohibition of alcohol was revealed, the Holy Prophet sa instructed that it should be announced and then he instructed a Companion to walk the streets and alleys of Madīnah and proclaim this order. Anas ra relates: “At the time, I was serving alcohol to Abū Ṭalḥah Anṣārī ra and a few other Companions in a home, when we heard the voice of this herald. Abū Ṭalḥah said, ‘Find out what this person is announcing. ’ Upon further investigation, I found that alcohol had been prohibited. When I returned and conveyed this news to the people of the gathering, as soon as he heard this news, Abū Ṭalḥah ra instructed me, ‘Stand up and pour away these barrels of alcohol on the ground. ’” 1 Anas ra relates that on that day one could see alcohol flowing throughout the streets of Madīnah. 2 Moreover, in another narration, recorded in this very chapter of Bukhārī, it is related that upon hearing the cry of this herald no one thought of investigating whether the hearald was telling the truth or speaking falsehood; rather, everyone pulled back their hand immediately, and abstained from drinking in an instant. 3 To immediately abandon the habit of drinking, and such a habit which was ingrained in the very nature of the Arabs, and then to abandon it at such a time when a round of alcohol was being shared and the ones consuming it were in a state of intoxication, is such a magnificent example of self-control as cannot be found in the history of the world. It is also worthy to note, as indicated in various narrations of Bukhārī, that although the injunction on the categorical prohibition of alcohol was revealed after the battle of Uḥud, certain Qur’ānic verses had still been revealed on this subject, wherein the evil of alcohol had been alluded to. As such, it is narrated that the very first verse which was revealed regarding alcohol was that, “No doubt there are certain benefits of alcohol, but the harms 1 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Mā’idah, Bābu Qaulihī ‘Laisa ‘Alalladhīna Āmanū. . . . . ’ , Ḥadīth No. 4620 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Ashribah, Bābu Taḥrīmil-Khamri. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 5131 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Mā’idah, Bābu Qaulihī ‘Laisa ‘Alalladhīna Āmanū. . . . . ’ , Ḥadīth No. 4620 3 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Mā’idah, Bābu Qaulihī ‘Innamal-Khamru Wal- Maisiru. . . . . ’ , Ḥadīth No. 4617