Hadith record

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman from Ahmad ibn ’Isma‘il al-Katib from his father who has said the following: “Once abu Ja‘far (a.s.), went to Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred area). A group of Quraysh saw him. They asked, ‘Who is he?’ It was said to them, ‘He is the Imam of the people of Iraq.’ Certain ones among them said, ‘You may send someone to ask him questions.’ One young man from among them went and asked, ‘Son of my uncle, what is the greatest of the great sins?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is drinking wine.’ He went back and informed them about it. They said, ‘Go back and ask again.’ He went back and he (the Imam) said, ‘Did I not say, O son of a brother, that it is drinking wine?’ He went back and informed them and they told him to go back again. They were there that he went back to him (the Imam) and asked him. He (the Imam) said, ‘Did I not say, O son of a brother that it is drinking wine? Drinking wine takes the drinker to fornication, theft, murder of what Allah has prohibited, paganism and the effects of wine goes above all sins like trees that go above all other trees.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.