Meaning of Al-khamr
The
drink prohibited in Islam is described as Khamr.
The word Khamr which is
equivalent to the word liquor in English, is derived from the verb khamara which
means “he covered, hid, or concealed.”
Since liquor shrouds the intellect of man, and renders it invalid
for discriminating between right and wrong, it is, therefore, called khamr. Khamr is
differently explained as meaning what intoxicates, of the expressed juice
or grapes, or the juice of grapes when it was effervesced and thrown up
froth, and become freed therefrom, and still or it has a
common application to intoxicating expressed juice of anything, or
any intoxicating thing that clouds or obscures the intellect.
1.Another
view is that khamr has been so termed due to the reason that it is put up in a
place till it turns into wine. Turning
of a drink into wine implies the change of odour. All these featuers appear in khamr.
Definition according to the Islamic Shari’ah
Wine
under the term khamr as defined
by the Islamic Shari’ah implies all things which intoxicate.
In Bukhari
and muslim it
is reported on the authority of Ibn’Umar (Allah be pleased with him)
that Caliph ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him), in one of his Friday
Sermons, defined khamr as
everything that dull the faculty of thinking.
Ibn’Umar
(Allah be pleased with him) reported that ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with
him) delivered Sermon upon the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) and said:
“O
mankind! The prohibition of khamr(wine) has been revealed and that is made of five things:
Grapes, dates, wheat, barley and honey : and khamr what covers
intellect.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The
Arabs describe numerous names and attributes of khamr
(wine). Some
important names and attributes are
mentioned here as under:
(1)
Al-Khamr:
The word used in the Holy Qur’an for wine or anything that
intoxicates.
(2)
Al-Khandaris: Old wine
prepared of wheat.
(3)
Al-Rahiq: Strong and pure
wine.
(4)
Al-sukr: intoxicating
drink prepared from sweet grapes or fresh dates.
(5)
Al-Humayya : Wine that
provokes passion.
(6)
Al-Qahwa: A kind of wine.
(7)
Al-Sulafa: First juice of grapes.
It is a best kind of wine.
(8)
Al-Mudama: A kind of wine.
(9)
Al-Rahu: Wine that causes gladness and cheerfulness.
(10)
Al-Sahba’u: The red liquor.
(11)
Al-Nabidhu: A kind of wine made from dates and grapes.
(12)
Al-Bit’: Strong wine made of honey and dates.
(13)
Al-Kumait: Ruddy wine.
(14)
Al-Sakurka: A
kind of wine.
(15)
Al-Fadikh: A wine made of
the juice of grapes; date-wine.
(16)
Al-‘Uqar: Wine that
stupefies.
(17)
Al-Qarqaf: Wine, cold
drink.
(18)
Al-Zalla: A
kind of wine.
(19)
Al-Isfant: An
aromatic wine.
(20)
Al-Muzaffat: A kind of
wine.
(21)
Al-Safaqa: A kind of
wine.
(22)
Al-‘Atiq: Old
wine having bitter taste and strong intoxication.
(23)
Al-Badhiq: A drink made
form juice of grapes slightly boiled.
(24)
Al-Tila’: Wine prepared
from teckened juice of grapes.
(25)
Al-musha’sha’a: A
kind of wine.
(26)
Al-Muqdiyya: A
delicious and fragrant drink.
(27)
Al-Shamul: A fresh wine.
(28)
Al-Mizr: Abyssinian beer:
beverage made of millet, barley or grain.
(29)
Al-Mustar: A kind of
wine.
(30)
Al-Mara’: A
kind of wine.
(31)
Al-Qummahan: Literally:
Scum over the surface of old wine.
(32)
Al-Khurtum: A
kind of wine.
(33)
Al-Quindid: A
kind of wine perfumed with musk.
(34)
Al-Ja’atu: Beer.
(35)
Al-Ithmu: A kind of wine.
The
holy Qur’an has made a mention of some of these kinds of wine:
1.
Al-Khamr: It is the most
famous and common name of wine because drinking khamr
brings about a number of harms and troubles.
2.
Al-Sukr: Wine has been
termed as sukr because it has
the effect of intoxication.
3. Al-Rahiq: It is a wine, clear, pure, and old. This word has been used as a characteristic of the
wine
of Paradise in the following Qur’anic verse:
“ They are given therein (Paradise) to drink of a pure wine,
sealed.” (83:25)
The
word Khamr has appeared six
times in the Holy Qur’an: Once in subjective case in verse 5:90, twice
in objective case in verses 12:36,41 and thrice in genetive case in verses
2:219,5:91 and 47:15.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has
named wine as:
Ummul khaba’ith: The
fountain head of evils.
Ummul fawahish: The origin of all sorts of atrocities.
Akbarul Kaba’ir: The most heinous of major sins.
Ra’su kulli khatia’: The head of all errors and lapses.
Miftahu kulli shar: The key to all evils and mischiefs.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has attributed these names to Khamr (wine) because it embodies all the above cha