raisins, or the like, so that the water may become sweet and its saltiness removed; there is no harm in it as long as it does not boil or three days have not passed (1) over it, due to what we narrated from Ibn Abbas. Abu Hurayra said: "I knew that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to fast, so I anticipated his breaking of the fast with nabidh I prepared in a gourd (dubba'), then I brought it to him, and behold, it was bubbling. He said: 'Throw this against the wall, for this is the drink of one who does not believe in Allah and the Last Day.'" Reported by Abu Dawud (2). This is because when it reaches that point, it becomes intoxicating, and every intoxicant is forbidden.
Section: Wine (khamr) is impure, according to the opinion of the generality of scholars, because Allah, the Almighty, forbade it for its own essence, so it is impure, like swine. Every intoxicant is forbidden and impure, for the reason we have mentioned.
Section: What is cooked from juice (asir) and nabidh before its boiling, until it is no longer intoxicating, such as grape molasses (dibs), carob syrup (rubb al-kharrub) (3), and other preserves and sugar, is permissible, because the prohibition was only established for the intoxicant, so in whatever is other than it, it remains on its original state of permissibility (4). Whatever causes intoxication in large quantities, its small quantity is forbidden, whether two-thirds of it have evaporated, or less, or more. Abu Dawud said: "I asked Ahmad about drinking boiled grape juice (tila') when two-thirds of it have gone and one-third remains? He said: 'There is no harm in it.' It was said to Ahmad: 'They say that it intoxicates.' He said: 'It does not intoxicate, and if it were intoxicating, Umar would not have permitted it.'"
Section: There is no harm in fuqqa' (5). Ishaq and Ibn al-Mundhir also held this view. I do not know of any disagreement regarding it, because it does not intoxicate, and if left, it spoils, unlike wine, and things remain upon permissibility unless an argument for their prohibition has come.
Section: It is permissible to prepare nabidh in all vessels. It is narrated from Ahmad that he disliked preparing nabidh in a gourd
(1) Based on the estimation: "or that three days pass". (2) In: The Chapter on Nabidh When It Boils, from the Book of Drinks. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/301. Also reported by al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Mentioning the Reports Used by Those Who Permitted Intoxicating Drinks, from the Book of Drinks. Al-Mujtaba 8/292. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Nabidh of the Jar, from the Book of Drinks. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1128. (3) In B and M: "al-kharrunub". Rubb al-Kharrub is the extract/thickened liquid of its fruit after being pressed. (4) In B and M: "al-ibaha". (5) In M: "al-qata'" [as a] distortion. Al-Fuqqa'—like the pattern of 'rumman'—is this [drink] which is consumed; it was named as such due to the froth that rises to its top.
