Hadith 3873

حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ وَائِلٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، ذَكَرَ طَارِقُ بْنُ سُوَيْدٍ أَوْ سُوَيْدُ بْنُ طَارِقٍ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ ؟ فَنَهَاهُ ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ ؟ فَنَهَاهُ ، فَقَالَ لَهُ : يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا دَوَاءٌ ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " لَا وَلَكِنَّهَا دَاءٌ " .
Narrated Tariq ibn Suwayd or Suwayd ibn Tariq: Wail said: Tariq ibn Suwayd or Suwayd ibn Tariq asked the Prophet ﷺ about wine, but he forbade it. He again asked him, but he forbade him. He said to him: Prophet of Allah, it is a medicine. The Prophet ﷺ said: No it is a disease.
Hadith Reference سنن ابي داود / كتاب الطب / 3873
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: صحيح مسلم (1984)
Hadith Takhrij « سنن ابن ماجہ/الطب 27 (3500)، (تحفة الأشراف: 4980) ، وقد أخرجہ: صحیح مسلم/الأشربة 3 (1984)، سنن الترمذی/الطب 8 (2046)، مسند احمد (4/311، 5/293)، سنن الدارمی/الأشربة 6 (2140) (صحیح) »
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊ It is forbidden to seek treatment with alcohol and substances mixed with it.
However, it is regrettable that non-Muslim practitioners have made medicines composed of forbidden and disliked substances so common and have popularized them to such an extent that neither the general public nor the elite feel any aversion in using them.
It is the religious duty of Muslim authorities, institutions, and organizations to introduce purely lawful (halal) and pure medicines in this field, and ordinary Muslims should also act with patience and restraint, avoiding the use of forbidden and doubtful medicines. Instead, they should use pure and non-doubtful medicines. Allah the Exalted says: “And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out (from difficulty).”
And if a sincere physician, in the case of a particular illness, expresses his inability and considers alcohol to be the only cure, then in order to save a life—on the condition that saving the life is certain—in such a situation its use will be permissible.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 3873
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:

➊ Alcohol is forbidden (haram).

➋ The use of anything that is intoxicating is forbidden (haram).

➌ It is also not permissible to use something forbidden (haram) as medicine.
For details regarding treatment with forbidden and harmful substances, see the benefits of Hadith number 3460.

➍ Nowadays, alcohol is added to English (Western) medicines so that they remain preserved for a longer period.
Muslims should use something lawful (halal) for this purpose (such as honey, vinegar, or pure water, etc.).
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3500
Shaykh Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
Takhrij:
«أخرجه مسلم، الأشربة، باب تحريم التداوي بالخمر...، حديث:1984، وأبوداود، الطب، حديث:3873، والترمذي، الطب، حديث:2046، وابن ماجه، الطب، حديث:3500.»©Explanation:
➊ It is forbidden to use wine, harmful, and unhealthy substances for treatment.
But it is unfortunate that non-Muslim practitioners have made compound medicines from forbidden and disliked substances so common and have popularized them to such an extent that neither the general public nor the elite feel any aversion in using them.
It is the Islamic duty of Muslim authorities, institutions, and organizations to introduce purely lawful (halal) and pure medicines in this field.
And ordinary Muslims should also act with patience and restraint, avoiding the use of forbidden and doubtful medicines.
Instead of these, they should use pure and non-doubtful medicines. Allah the Exalted says: ﴿ وَمَنْ یَّتَّقِ اللّٰہَ یَجْعَلْ لَّہٗ مَخْرَجًا ﴾ (At-Talaq 65:2) “And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out.”
And if a sincere physician expresses his inability in a certain illness and considers wine, etc., to be the only treatment, then to save a life—provided that saving the life is certain—its use will be permissible, just as Allah the Exalted says: ﴿ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَیْرَ بَاغٍ وَّلاَ عَادٍ فَلاَ اِثْمَ عَلَیْہِ ﴾ (Al-Baqarah 2:173) “But whoever is compelled by necessity, neither desiring it nor transgressing, then there is no sin upon him.”
➋ Nowadays, alcohol, etc., is added to English (Western) medicines so that they remain preserved for a longer period.
Muslims should use some lawful (halal) substance (such as honey or vinegar, etc.) for this purpose.
© Hadith Narrator:
«حضرت طارق بن سوید حضرمی رضی اللہ عنہ » Some scholars have mentioned his (the narrator’s) name as Suwayd ibn Tariq.
He was a Companion (sahabi).
He was also called Ju‘fi.
Only this one hadith is narrated from him.
The people of Kufa narrated from him.
Source: Bulugh al-Maram: Commentary by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Page: 1074