Was Alcohol Always Forbidden in Islam?

For a good overview of the topic, I recomend Najam Haider's article "Contesting Intoxication: Early Juristic Debates over the Lawfulness of Alcoholic Beverages"

Prohibiting alcohol is undoubtedly one of the best things in Islam. Alcohol actually causes many problems

Fun fact: alcohol, (wine) wasn't forbidden immediately, but in stages. The Arabs before Islam drank it alot. First stage: it was made forbidden to pray while intoxicated. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ Second stage: the companions asked about it, and allah revealed:[ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ ۖ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا they question thee about strong drink and game of chance. Say: in both is great sin and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness. Third stage: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (90) إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ (91) O you who believe! Indeed Khamr (Intoxicants, all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and Maysir (gambling), and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Satan seeks only to cast among you enemity and hatred by means of Khamr and Maysir, and to turn you from rememberance of Allah, and from his wordship, then are you done (from khamr, maysir, Ansab, and Azlam)?

In Arabic Khamr means cover. Anything that covers the brain (Alcohol, wine, drugs, and Cannabies) is forbidden.

Abu Musa reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent myself and Mu’adh ibn Jabal to Yemen. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, there is a wine in our land prepared from barley known as beer and another wine prepared from honey known as mead.” The Prophet said, “Every intoxicant is unlawful.” Source: Sahih Muslim 1733

As much as I like booze, the drinking ban in Islam always was something I liked (even if it makes it impossible for me to find any date wine). Societally speaking, alcohol causes so much more problems than it's worth.

As a muslim, I've been to 50+ countries and never drank alcohol. I don't have any urge for it. The whole booze obsession everywhere I go almost makes me feel like it's a superpower to not want it. I sit with friends in bars with my chocolate shakes lol

You misunderstood the hanafi school. Alcohol is unequivocally haram. But نبيذ is not unless it contains alcohol. نبيذ is usually translated as wine, but that’s only a modern use of this word. It’s used to describe any drink that was left still for some time. The prophet pbuh used to leave some dates in a cup of water or milk to make it sweet then drinks it. That’s called نبيذ too. And that’s what’s halal, not wine.

i think then the question should be "Did any scholar in Islam permit alchohol" rather than "was it always forbidden" because Islam existed before the Hanafi school of thought as well

It's so nice to see all of these people who aren't Muslim be so respectful about islam

That’s why you need to learn Arabic to learn where the word “khamr” comes from. In Arabic it’s very clear and obvious that it applies to any type of alcohol that “covers” your intellect and senses, not just grape wine.

Thank Allah for his guidance on alcohol.Started drinking as a teenager. Islam entered my life ,slowly but surely no more alcohol.So for over 45 years no alcohol.I have to thank Allah for that.Dont know how many family ,social ,health and mental problems were avoided

يقول النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم « ما اسكر كثيره فقليله حرام» صدق رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم

Haram or not.. I never cared for alcohol just because it’s really unhealthy and the idea of losing control of my actions is terrifying.

"ما أسْكرَ كثيرُهُ فقليلُهُ حرامٌ"

Whatever you may think about Islam you have to admit that alcohol destroys lives and you can't put Islam in a negative light for banning something like that

Two points to mention here: 1- whatever makes you intoxicated (even if you drink a little where you don't get drunk) is automatically haram (booze, weed, drugs) 2- 1st verse that came down regarding alcohol came to say that it had benefits and negatives, and the negatives are more, 2nd verse was to not approach prayer while drunk, 3rd verse was to not drink at all. Regarding hanafi, nearly all people in that school believe that all kinds of booze are haram.

Distinguish between "khmr خمر"and "nabeez نبیذ". Khmr was allowed in meccan period of prophet but told in quran that there are benefits and disadvantages in it. Later on , it was regarded as not allowed during prayer times . And lastly in medina it was regarded as haram and punishment of 40 lashes was enforced in prophet' life and then 80 in caliph umer period. It is crime of " hadood" category . Nabeez is allowed but disliked by all faqihs and jurists. Nobody regraded nabeez as haram. Nabeez is "Date syrup ".

Anything that intoxicates you is haram, and if the amount is that it will intoxicate you or if your intention is to intoxicate yourself ie. In this case get drunk, then it’s haram. For example oranges contain alcohol however you don’t get drunk by eating them and you normally don’t have the intention to get drunk by esting these

The Hadiths say that one day Muslims will call wine with new names to consume it because of the difference of the naming they themselves created