41/9. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4257 — Selling Wine and Legal Evasion
The Prohibition Of Using Whatever Allah, the Mighty And Sublime, has forbidden
Selling Wine and Trying to Bypass a Prohibition
Sunan an-Nasai : 4257
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4257
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ أُبْلِغَ عُمَرُ أَنَّ سَمُرَةَ، بَاعَ خَمْرًا قَالَ قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ سَمُرَةَ أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّحُومُ فَجَمَّلُوهَا " . قَالَ سُفْيَانُ يَعْنِي أَذَابُوهَا .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
It reached 'Umar that Samurah had sold some wine, and he said: 'May Allah ruin Samurah! Does he not know that the Messenger of Allah said: May Allah curse the Jews, for animal fat was forbidden to them, but they rendered it.' Sufyan (one of the narrators) said: "Meaning: They melted it down."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4257In-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 36English translation : Vol. 5, Book 41, Hadith 4262
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4257
Ibn Abbas reports that Umar was told Samurah had sold wine. Umar strongly objected and recalled the statement of the Messenger of Allah about people for whom animal fat had been forbidden. They rendered the fat, meaning they melted it down, and then dealt with it despite the prohibition. The central topic is selling wine and attempting to change a forbidden item before sale. The narration itself gives the comparison through Umar’s words. It does not provide further details about Samurah’s transaction or his intention. A careful explanation should therefore say only that Umar condemned the reported wine sale and used the Prophetic warning about rendered animal fat to make his point.
What we learn from this hadith
- Umar strongly objected when told that wine had been sold.
- He recalled a Prophetic warning about forbidden animal fat.
- Sufyan explained that rendering the fat meant melting it down.
