The Allegation of Wine Drinking Against Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه and Clarification of the Ḥadīth
Reference: Fatāwā Rashidiyyah, Page 540
❖ The Question
Some people have deduced from the following narration that Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه used to drink wine. Is their stance correct based on this narration?
The Ḥadīth:
((…دخلت انا وابى على معاوية … ثم أتينابالشراب فشرب معاويه ثم ناول أبى ثم قال ماشربته منذ حرمه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم …))
(Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 5, p. 347)
❖ The Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
The misunderstanding arises due to misinterpretation of the words of this narration.
➊ First Mistake: Who Said “ثم قال …”
- Some claim that the words “ثم قال …” were spoken by Buraydah رضي الله عنه.
- However, according to Arabic grammar, this is incorrect. The verb “ثم ناول” (then he offered) refers back to Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه, so “ثم قال” must also be attributed to him.
➋ Second Mistake: Limiting “Sharāb” to Wine
- Here, the word “Sharāb” has been wrongly taken to mean khamr (intoxicating wine).
- In Arabic, sharāb simply means any drink — water, milk, juice, etc.
- In Urdu or Sindhi, “sharāb” is commonly used only for alcohol, which caused the confusion.
✔ Qur’anic Usage of “Sharāb”
① ﴿فَٱنظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ﴾ (al-Baqarah: 259)
“…Look at your food and your drink…”
② ﴿يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ﴾ (al-Naḥl: 69)
“From their bellies comes a drink (honey) of varying colors…”
③ ﴿هَـٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌۢ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ﴾ (Ṣād: 42)
“This is cool water to wash with and a drink.”
Similarly, in authentic ḥadīth:
((يترك طعامه وشرابه وشهوته من أجلى))
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṣawm, ḥadīth 1894
“The fasting person leaves his food, drink, and desire for My sake.”
Clearly, sharāb means any beverage, not specifically wine.
✔ Clarifying the Report
- The narration appears only in Musnad Aḥmad; not in other compilations.
- The chain indicates: Ibn Buraydah says he and his father visited Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه.
- Food and then drinks were brought. Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه drank first, then offered Buraydah رضي الله عنه.
- Seeing possible hesitation, Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه himself clarified:
“I have never drunk (intoxicant) since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited it.”
Thus, the clarification was meant to remove suspicion, not to admit wine drinking.
✔ The Pronoun in “حرمه”
The pronoun refers to intoxicant (musker), though not mentioned explicitly. This style is common in the Qur’an, where the referent is understood by context.
✔ Further Clarification by Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه
He explained that in his youth, being one of the most handsome men of Quraysh, he found pleasure in many things, but never in anything other than milk.
So how could he, in old age, consume wine after the Prophet ﷺ had declared it ḥarām?
✿ Conclusion
- The words of the narration are Muʿāwiyah’s رضي الله عنه, not Buraydah’s رضي الله عنه.
- “Sharāb” here means a lawful drink, not wine.
- He explicitly negated ever drinking intoxicants since their prohibition.
- Therefore, using this narration to accuse Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه of wine drinking is entirely baseless.
ھذا ما عندی، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
