Compulsion to Drink Wine as Medicine, in Thirst or in Fear (Taqiyah)

دَخَلَتْ أُمُّ خَالِدٍ الْعَبْدِيَّةُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَتْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّهُ يَعْتَرِينِي قَرَاقِرُ فِي بَطْنِي- [فَسَأَلَتْهُ عَنْ أَعْلَالِ النِّسَاءِ وَ قَالَتْ‌] وَ قَدْ وَصَفَ لِي أَطِبَّاءُ الْعِرَاقِ النَّبِيذَ بِالسَّوِيقِ وَ قَدْ وَقَفْتُ وَ عَرَفْتُ كَرَاهَتَكَ لَهُ فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَ مَا يَمْنَعُكِ عَنْ شُرْبِهِ قَالَتْ قَدْ

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) when the mother of Khalid al-‘Abdiyah visited him (the Imam). She said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. I have a growling condition in my belly [I asked a women with such condition about it and she said] the physicians of Iraq have prescribed for her al

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُبْعَثُ لَهُ الدَّوَاءُ مِنْ رِيحِ الْبَوَاسِيرِ فَيَشْرَبُهُ بِقَدْرِ أُسْكُرُّجَةٍ مِنْ نَبِيذٍ صُلْبٍ لَيْسَ يُرِيدُ بِهِ اللَّذَّةَ وَ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ بِهِ الدَّوَاءَ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَا جُرْعَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ مِمَّا حَرَّمَ شِفَاءً وَ لَا دَوَاءً.

“I once wrote to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked about a man to whom a medicine for curing hemorrhoid gases is sent to drink in an amount that in the form of hard al-Nabidh makes one drunk. He does not drink it for pleasure but as medicine? He (the Imam) said, ‘No, not even one sip of it is lawful? He (the Imam) then

فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا لَكَ وَ لِمَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُولُهُ ص يَقُولُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثاً عَلَيْكَ بِهَذَا الْمَرِيسِ الَّذِي تَمْرُسُهُ‌[1] بِالْعَشِيِّ وَ تَشْرَبُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَ تَمْرُسُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَ تَشْرَبُهُ بِالْعَشِيِّ فَقَالَ لَهُ هَذَا يَنْفُخُ الْبَطْنَ قَالَ لَهُ فَأَدُلُّكَ عَلَى مَا هُوَ أَنْفَعُ لَكَ مِنْ هَذَا عَلَيْكَ بِالدُّعَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ قَالَ فَقُل

“My father has informed me that he once was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when a man said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, (I suffer from the) gases of hemorrhoids. Nothing suits me except drinking al-Nabidh? He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘What do you ha

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ دَوَاءٍ عُجِنَ بِالْخَمْرِ فَقَالَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ فَكَيْفَ أَتَدَاوَى بِهِ إِنَّهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ شَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ أَوْ لَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَ إِنَّ أُنَاساً لَيَتَدَاوَوْنَ بِهِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a medicine which is made in dough with wine. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, by Allah I do not like to look at it, so how will I use it as medicine? It is like the fat of pork or flesh of pork. Why then certain people use it as medicine?”’

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَيَّامَ قَدِمَ الْعِرَاقَ فَقَالَ لِيَ ادْخُلْ عَلَى إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ فَإِنَّهُ شَاكٍ فَانْظُرْ مَا وَجَعُهُ وَ صِفْ لِي شَيْئاً مِنْ وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي يَجِدُ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى إِسْمَاعِيلَ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي يَجِدُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِهِ فَوَصَفْتُ لَهُ دَوَاءً فِيهِ نَبِيذٌ فَقَالَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ النَّبِيذُ حَرَامٌ وَ إِنَّا أَهْل

“I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), during the days that he had come to Iraq. He (the Imam) told me to visit ’Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far because he complains and see what kind of pain has made him suffer then describe for him (the Imam) the pain he feels. I then left him (the Imam) to see Tsma‘il and asked him about his pai

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ دَوَاءٍ عُجِنَ بِالْخَمْرِ نَكْتَحِلُ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيمَا حَرَّمَ شِفَاءً.

“A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a medicine which is made into dough from alcohol to be used as Kohl (eyeliner) for the eyes. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has not placed cures in things that He has made unlawful.’”

مَنِ اكْتَحَلَ بِمِيلٍ مِنْ مُسْكِرٍ كَحَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِمِيلٍ مِنْ نَارٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one uses intoxicating things as eye medicine with an applicator of medicine to the eye Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, will apply as such with an applicator of fire.’”

لَا لَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَسْتَشْفِيَ بِالْحَرَامِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Nabidh which is placed in medicine. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not proper for one to seek cure from unlawful things.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْكُحْلِ يُعْجَنُ بِالنَّبِيذِ أَ يَصْلُحُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَا.

“I once asked my brother, abu al-Hassan ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about kohl made into dough with al- Nabidh; if it is proper. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not proper.’”

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ دَوَاءٍ يُعْجَنُ بِخَمْرٍ فَقَالَ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهِ وَ لَا أَشَمَّهُ فَكَيْفَ أَتَدَاوَى بِهِ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about a medicine which is made into dough with wine. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not like to look at it or smell it; so why should I use it as medicine?”’

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَيْسَ فِي شُرْبِ النَّبِيذِ[1] تَقِيَّةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘There is no Taqiyah (maintaining caution because of fear) in the case of al-Nabidh (wine).”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي الْمَسْحِ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ تَقِيَّةٌ قَالَ لَا يُتَّقَى فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ قُلْتُ وَ مَا هُنَّ قَالَ شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ أَوْ قَالَ شُرْبُ الْمُسْكِرِ وَ الْمَسْحُ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ وَ مُتْعَةُ الْحَجِّ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about wiping on slippers because of Taqiyah (caution due to fear). He (the Imam) said, ‘There is no Taqiyah (caution because of fear) in three things.’ I then asked, ‘What are they?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is drinking wine,’ or he said, ‘Drinking intoxicating liquor, wiping on slippers