Wine is the Head of all Sins and Evil

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ’Isma‘il ibn Bashshar who has said the following: “Once a man asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, is drinking wine more evil or not performing Salat (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Drinking wine is more evil.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Do you know why?’ The man said, ‘No, I do not know.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because he ends up in a condition in which he does not know his Lord.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from certain persons of our people from Muthanna’ al-Hannat from Zurarah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of two men who testify in favor of a man to confirm that so and so owes him fifty dirham, then two other men testify and state that he owes him one hundred dirham and all of them testify at the same place. He (the Imam) said, ‘I (in such case) arrange a raffle and whoever ’s name (of the defendant or the plaintiff) comes out I would ask him to take an oath to confirm that he has spoken the truth.”’

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

2. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn Hassan from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu Jamilah from al-Halabiy and Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim and Humran ibn ’A‘yan who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, and abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have made it clear that wine is the head of all sins.’”

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

2. Ali has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from Dawud ibn abu Yazid al-‘Attar from certain persons of his people who has narrated the following: “This is about the case of a man who has a woman but a man comes with witnesses to prove her to be his woman, yet others come with testimony to prove her to be the woman of so and so and they all are just witnesses. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A raffle must be arranged and whoever’s name comes out is the rightful party with priority to her over the others.’”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Amir from abu Jamilah from Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Wine is the head of all sins.’”

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

4. It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Muhammad ibn Ali from abu Jamilah from abu ‘Usamah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Drinking wine is the key to all evil and a wine addict is like an idol worshipper. Wine is the head of all sins and a wine drinker is a rejecter of the book of Allah, most High; had he accepted the book of Allah he would consider what it declares unlawful as unlawful.’”

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

5. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufiy from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ibn Muskan from those who narrated to him who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made for every evil thing a lock and He has made its keys’ or he (the Imam) said, ‘the keys to those locks to be wine.’”

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

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Ya‘qub ibn Shu’ayb from abu Basir who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made a house for sins. For this house He has made a door, for the door He has made a lock and for the lock He has made a key, the key to disobedience is wine.’”

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

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad from his father who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah is not disobeyed by anything more severely than by drinking wine. One of them may neglect obligatory Salat (prayer), fall on his mother, sister or daughter when drunk and be devoid of reason.’”

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

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “It was said to ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), ‘You think that drinking wine is a sin which is more serious than fornication and theft.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, because a fornicator perhaps does not extend it to other sins but a wine drinker when he drinks, fornicates, steals and murders a soul which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made unlawful to kill, and neglects Salat (prayer).”’

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

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from certain persons of our people in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Drinking wine is the key to all evil.’”

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