Wine was forbidden in three stages. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, the people were drinking wine and engaging in games of chance. They asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about these two things, and Allah revealed to His Prophet ﷺ, "They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, 'In them is great sin and some benefit for people, but their sin is greater than their benefit'" [Baqarah 2:219], to the end of the verse.The people said, "It has not been forbidden to us. He only said, 'In them is great sin'." So they continued to drink wine, until one day a man from among the Emigrants led his companions in the Maghrib prayer and confused his recitation. Then Allah revealed concerning it a sterner verse, "You who believe, do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying" [Nisa 4:43].The people would still drink, but in such a way that one of them would come to the prayer already sober. Then a verse sterner than that was revealed, "You who believe, intoxicants, gambling, sacrificial altars, and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork, so avoid them, that you may be successful" [Maidah 5:90].The people said, "We have stopped, our Lord."Then the people said, "Messenger of Allah, what about those who were killed in the cause of Allah, or died upon their beds, who used to drink wine and engage in games of chance? Allah has now made it an abomination and the work of Satan."So Allah revealed, "There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have eaten, so long as they fear Allah and believe" [Maidah 5:93], to the end of the verse.The Prophet ﷺ said, "Had it been forbidden upon them, they would have left it just as you have left it."
حدثنا سريج يعني ابن النعمان وحدثنا أبو معشر عن أبي وهب مولى أبي هريرة
حرمت الخمر ثلاث مرات قدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة وهم يشربون الخمر ويأكلون الميسر فسألوا رسول الله ﷺ عنهما فأنزل الله على نبيه ﷺ {يسألونك عن الخمر والميسر قل فيهما إثم كبير ومنافع للناس وإثمهما أكبر من نفعهما} إلى آخر الآية فقال الناس ما حرم علينا إنما قال {فيهما إثم كبير} وكانوا يشربون الخمر حتى إذا كان يوم من الأيام صلى رجل من المهاجرين أم أصحابه في المغرب خلط في قراءته فأنزل الله فيها آية أغلظ منها {يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقربوا الصلاة وأنتم سكارى حتى تعلموا ما تقولون} وكان الناس يشربون حتى يأتي أحدهم الصلاة وهو مفيق ثم أنزلت آية أغلظ من ذلك {يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما الخمر والميسر والأنصاب والأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطان فاجتنبوه لعلكم تفلحون} فقالوا انتهينا ربنا فقال الناس يا رسول الله ناس قتلوا في سبيل الله أو ماتوا على فرشهم كانوا يشربون الخمر ويأكلون الميسر وقد جعله الله رجسا ومن عمل الشيطان فأنزل الله {ليس على الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات جناح فيما طعموا إذا ما اتقوا وآمنوا} إلى آخر الآية فقال النبي ﷺ لو حرمت عليهم لتركوها كما تركتم