Is this hadith authentic? "Alcohol itself is prohibited and intoxication in every other beverage."

Question

I saw this hadith quoted by Mufti Ebrahim Desai in an AskImam.com fatwa 6408:

Furthermore, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, 'Alcohol itself is prohibited and intoxication in every other beverage.' (Hidaaya vol. 4 p. 497).

Question: Is this hadith authentic?

It probably is, since it was quoted in this fatwa. It was also in two other AskImam.com fatawa by the same author (10687 and 6) but the quotes are identical.

My Google-fu didn't help here. I don't know what "Hidaaya" is, but if it's this http://www.alhidaaya.com/sw/, then it's not in English. Google says it's Swahili.

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It's also available from IslamQA.org (and the other two mentioned are here and here). This is the text of the fatwa:

Category: Food

Fatwa#: 6408

Asked Country: Canada

Answered Date: Aug 13, 2002

Title: Are coke and soft drinks haraam or mushkook(doubtful)? Please reply!

Question

I recently received a copy of Mujlisul Ulama 25 page document in english regarding their fatwa against comsumption of all coke and carbonated drinks due to the syrups being extracted with alcholic slovents. I read on your website other fatwas, but an still confused? Is it mushkook, halaal, haraam? are you a part of this Mujlesul Ulama? Do They have any email contact? I can also forward you the documents via email if necessary.

Answer

Principally, if the alcohol is extracted from grapes or dates it is not permissible. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Khamr (wine) is from these two trees, dates and grapes.’ (Mishkãt p. 317).

Furthermore, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Alcohol itself is prohibited and intoxication in every other beverage.’ (Hidaaya vol. 4 p. 497).

In view of the abovementioned Hadith, since the alcohol in coke is from ethanol which is fermented from sugar cane mollasses and does not intoxicate, it is permissible. However, if one is doubtful, he may exercise precaution and abstain.

and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

The hadith itself is copy/pasted all over the web: e.g. these forums IslamicTeachings.org; SearchQuran.com; MuftiSays.com; PakLinks.com; IslamicBoard.com; Islam.SE, but they are all almost identical.

(I ask because it arose for my answer to this question Haraam or Halal? - Coke and Pepsi contain 0.001% Alcohol)

Answer 1

The most authentic hadith including parts of your quote is this from sahih Muslim which is quoted in "al-Hidayah fi takhriji ahadith al-Bidyah الهداية في تخريج أحاديث البداية" by the hafidh Muhammad ibn as-Siddiq al-Ghomari, as a mohaddith he commented or tried to authentify the ahadith from "bidayat al-Mujtahid wa nihayat al-Muqtasid بداية المجتهد ونهاية المقتصد" (also known as The Distinguished Jurist's Primer) of ibn Rushd (the grandson, also known as Averroes) which is a nice book on comparative fiqh.

But there are narrations of ibn 'Abbas in sunan an-Nasa'i which seem to cover your quote to some extent:

"Khamr was forbidden in and of itself, in small or large amounts, as was every kind of intoxicating drink."

see for example in the book of drinks (51) "Chapter 48: Reports Used by Those Who Permit the Drinking of Intoxicants" the hadith 145 (with the comment of an-Nasa'i that ibn Shubrumah didn't hear it from Abdullah ibn Shaddad), 146, 147 (comment of an-Nasa'i ibn al-Hakkam didn't mention the statement "in small or large amounts", so he seems to have different roots of this hadith) and 148 (this apparently was the most preferred or authentic chain according an-Nasa'i's comments). Al-Bayhaqi (in his as-sunan al-Kubra-Arabic link only) also quoted this hadith with a partly similar chain as 148.

However the grading or qualification on sunnah.com says the hadith is sahih I found a quote saying that al-Albani considered other versions as da'if.

First of all this isn't strictly speaking a hadith as ibn 'Abbas in non of the narrations attributed it to our Messenger. So in best case it is a hadith marfo' or mawquf (with a stopped narrator chain), al-Albani defined the version of an-Nasa'i as mawquf, as the wording is in passive form and not quoting the source of the prohibition and qualified the chain as sahih. Al-Bayhaqi and al-Albani said that these narrations are among the basis of the view of abu Hanifa (quoted only by al-Albani by name) to allow alcohol made of other kind of fruits except grapes and dates. While the majority is following the hadith quoted at the beginning of my post or similar narrations.

The reference Volume 4 p 497 however can also be from the hanafi book like "al-Hidayah sharh bidyat al-Mubtadi الهداية شرح بداية المبتدي" of al-Marghinani علي بن أبي بكر المرغياني or other hanafi books or commentaries.

In the hanafi book "nusb ar-raya fi takhrij ahadith al-hidaya" of a Abdullah az-Zayla'i عبد الله الزيلعي , he quoted that the version of this hadith above (as quoted by you: as a saying of Muhammad himself, not as a mawquf of ibn 'Abbas) has according to al-'Oqayli (in his boook ad-Du'afa' = "the weak narrators") has several issues in the narrator chains. Even if there's a hadith of Ali ibn Abi Talib which seems more likely to be close to your quote

"Khamr was forbidden in and of itself and every kind of intoxicating drink."

qualified as da'if by al-Albani (Arabic link) beside others narration

"Khamr was forbidden in and of itself and the intoxicating of any other drink."

on the authorithy of abu Sa'id al-Khudri, ibn 'Abbas and Ali qualified as da'if because of unknown and munkar (rejected) narrators (Arabic link).

... I stopped searching for a book including the words al-Hidaya in at least 4 Volumes as none of my findings had this hadith in Volume 4 p 407 the closes to that is this and the book of al-Marghinani (without commentaries, I only found it with commentaries and their in the 7th Volume!)

Conclusion

The version of the hadith used as a reference is considered as da'if and in the most authentic versions it is not presented as a saying of Muhammad, rather than as a hint for a prohibition. It is widely used in hanafi and comparative fiqh books or books quoting or refuting the hanafi view!