Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 1833 — Vessels

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid the use of the "hantamah". I asked, "What is the hantamah?" He replied, "A green earthenware jar." And he (peace and blessings be upon him) also forbade the use of the hollow gourd vessel (dubba'), the pitch-coated jar (muqayyar) and the tar-smeared vessel (muzaffat). I said, "We make jars of lead in which we steep (dates and the like) in the evening to prepare nabidh, and we drink it in the morning." He said, "By Allah, that is (in effect) wine!" I asked, "Then what (should we use)?" He said, "A leather waterskin (siqa') in which we steep it in the morning and drink it in the evening."
According to the scholars of hadith, drinks in these particular vessels would very quickly ferment and become intoxicating; that is why they were forbidden at the beginning of Islam, so that the Muslims would stay away from every form of wine. Later, however, the restriction on vessels was lifted and only the prohibition of intoxicating drinks remained.