Hadith: Every intoxicant is prohibited

عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَريِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَهُ إِلَى اليَمَنِ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ أَشْرِبَةٍ تُصْنَعُ بِهَا، فَقَالَ: وَمَا هِيَ؟، قَالَ: «البِتْعُ وَالمِزْرُ»، فَقِيلَ لِأَبِي بُرْدَةَ: مَا البِتْعُ؟ قَالَ: نَبِيذُ العَسَلِ، وَالمِزْرُ: نَبِيذُ الشَّعِيرِ، فَقَالَ: «كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ حَرَامٌ» خرجه البخاري. وَخَرَّجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَلَفْظُهُ: قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اَلله أَنَا وَمُعَاذٌ إِلَى اَليَمَنِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ! إِنَّ شَرَابًا يُصْنَعُ بِأَرْضِنَا يُقَال لَهُ: المِزَرُ مِنَ الشَّعِيرِ، وَشَرَابٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ: البِتْعُ مِنَ العَسَلِ، فَقَالَ: «كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ حَرَامٌ». وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ: «فَقَالَ: كُلُّ مَا أَسْكَرَ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ». وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لَهُ: «وَكَانَ رَسُولُ الله قَدْ أُعْطِيَ جَوَامِعَ الكَلِمِ بِخَوَاتِمِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَنْهَى عَنْ كُلِّ مُسْكِرٍ أَسْكَرَ عَنْ الصَّلَاةِ».
[صحيح] - [رواه البخاري ومسلم] - [الأربعون النووية: 46]

Abu Burdah reported from his father Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (ﷺ) had sent him to Yemen, and he asked him about certain drinks that used to be prepared there. He said: What are they? He said: "Al-Bit‘ and Al-Mizr?" It was said to Abu Burdah: What is Al-Bit‘? He said: An alcoholic drink made from honey, and Al-Mizr is an alcoholic drink made from barley. Thereupon, he said: "Every intoxicant is prohibited" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri] Muslim narrated it with the following wording: He said: The Messenger of Allah sent me and Mu‘ādh to Yemen. I said: O Messenger of Allah, there is a drink made in our land called 'Al-Mizr' from barley and a drink called 'Al-Bit‘' from honey. He said: "Every intoxicant is prohibited." Another version by Muslim reads: "Thereupon, he said: Every intoxicant that detains one from prayer is forbidden." Another version by him reads: "The Messenger of Allah is gifted with the most eloquent and concise speech. He said: I forbid every intoxicant that keeps one away from prayer."
[Authentic] - [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim] - [Al-Arba‘oon An-Nawawiyyah (The Forty Hadith of An-Nawawiyyah) - 46]

Explanation

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Prophet (ﷺ) sent him to Yemen. He asked him about certain drinks made there—if they were forbidden—so the Prophet (ﷺ) inquired further about them. Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They are Al-Bit‘, which is an alcoholic drink made from honey, and Al-Mizr, which is an alcoholic drink made from barley. The Prophet (ﷺ), who had been given concise speech, said: "Every intoxicant is prohibited."

Benefits from the Hadith

1. Nabīdh: Water in which dates, honey, barley, or the like are steeped, and it derives good taste from it. It may be fermented after that and become an intoxicant.
2. The Hadīth represents a rule prohibiting all intoxicants like wine, hashish, etc.
3. It shows the importance of asking about things needed by a Muslim.
4. The first stage in the prohibition of alcoholic drinks was at the time of prayer, when one of the Emigrants prayed and recited in his prayer, but mixed up in his recitation, the verse was revealed in which Allah Almighty says: {O you who believe, do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 43] And the caller of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would announce: Let no one approach the prayer while intoxicated. Then Allah prohibited it absolutely with His saying: {O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters and divining arrows are of Satan’s evil work; therefore avoid such [evil], so that you may be successful. Satan only wants to create enmity and hatred between you through intoxicants and gambling, and to prevent you from remembering Allah and from prayer. Will you not then abstain?} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 90-91]
5. Indeed, Allah Almighty has prohibited wine because of its huge harms and evils.
6. Prohibition is determined on the basis of the existence of intoxication. If a Nabīdh is intoxicating, it is prohibited; otherwise, it is permissible.