Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is  their any hadith, where Ayesha (ra) states that if Allah (swt) would have revealed about prohibition alcohol before revealing about tawheed, no one would have stopped drinking alcohol.  

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Hadith of prohibition of alcohol before tawheed

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

A ‘hadith’ in Islamic terminology denotes what the Prophet (saws) said, what the Prophet (saws) did, and something which was done in the presence of the Noble Prophet (saws) and he (saws) did not stop it.

Thus in that respect the acts or deeds of Umm-ul-Mumineen Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) or any of the other noble companions or chaste wives of the Prophet (saws) would by themselves not constitute a ‘hadith’ in Islamic terminology.

The historians have indeed recorded a statement from Umm-ul-Mumineen Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) that if the Revelations and Guidance concerning ‘imaan’ (faith) of a believer were not revealed before the Revelation which prohibited the consumption of alcohol, it would have been very difficult for the people to leave ‘khamr’ (intoxicants).

Without an iota of a doubt, there is nothing in this world which has the power to persistently exhort man to do good and abstain from evil except the fear (Taqwa) of Allah Subhanah and the Last Day; and it is this element of ‘taqwa’ which alone raises the ranks of the believers in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 49 Surah Hujuraat Verse 13 (part):

Verily the most honored of you in the Sight of Allah is (he who has) the most ‘Taqwa’ amongst you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan