According to the allegedly sound ahadith Muhammad permitted and drank a type of fermented drink called Nabidh:
(9) Chapter: The permissibility of Nabidh so long as it has not become strong and has not become intoxicating
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Nabidh was prepared for Allah’s Messenger in the beginning of the night and he would drink it in the morning and the following night and the following day and the night after that up to the afternoon. If anything was left out of that he gave it to his servant, or gave orders for it to be poured out.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2004a
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 100
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4971 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2004a)
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Nabidh was prepared for Allah’s Messenger in the waterskin, Shu’ba said:
It was the night of Monday. He drank it on Monday and on Tuesday up to the afternoon, and If anything was left out of it he gave it to his servant or poured it out.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2004b
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 101
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4972 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2004b)
Ibn Abbas reported that raisins were steeped in water for the Messenger of Allah and he would drink it on that day and on the next day and on the following day until the evening of the third day. He would then order it to be drunk by (other people) or to be thrown away.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2004c
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 102
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4973 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2004c)
Ibn Abbas reported that Nabidh was prepared from raisins for Allah’s Messenger in the waterskin and he would drink it on that day and on the next day and the day following and when It was the evening of the third day, and he would drink it and give it to (his Companions) and if something was left over, he threw that away.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2004d
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 103
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4974 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2004d)
Yahya Abu ‘Umar al-Nakhai reported that some people asked Ibn Abbas about the sale and purchase of wine and its commerce. He asked (them):
Are you Muslims? They said, Yes. Thereupon he said: Its sale and purchase and its trade are not permissible. They then asked him about Nabidh and he said: Allah’s Messenger went out on a journey and then came back and some persons amongst his Companions prepared Nabidh for him in green pitcher, hollow stump and gourd. He commanded it to be thrown away, and it was done accordingly. He then ordered them (to prepare it.) in a waterskin and it was prepared in that by steeping raisins in water, and it was prepared in the night. In the morning he drank out of that and on that day and then the next night, and then on the next day until the evening. He drank and gave others to drink. When it was morning (of the third night) he commanded what was left of that to be thrown away.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2004e
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 104
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4975 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2004e)
Thumama (i. e. Ibn Hazn al-Qushairi) reported:
I met ‘A’isha and asked her about Nabidh (that was served to the Holy Prophet). ‘A’isha called an Abyssinian maid (servant) and said: Ask her (about it) for it was he, who prepared the Nabidh for the Messenger of Allah. The Abyssinian (maid-servant) said: I prepared Nabidh for him in a waterskin in the night and tied its mouth and then suspended it; and when it was morning he (the Holy Prophet) drank from it.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2005a
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 105
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4976 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2005a)
We prepared Nabidh for Allah’s Messenger in a waterskin, the upper part of which was tied and it (the waterskin) had a hole (in its lower part). We prepared the Nabidh in the morning and he drank it in the evening and we prepared the Nabidh in the night, and he would drink it in the morning.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2005b
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 106
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4977 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2005a)
Sahl b. Sa’d reported that Abu Usaid al-Sa’idi invited Allah’s Messenger to his wedding feast, and his wife had been serving them on that day while yet a bride. Sahl said ‘ Do you know what she served as a drink to Allah’s Messenger? She steeped the dates in water during the night in a big bowl, and when he (the Holy Prophet) had eaten food she served him this drink.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2006a
In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 107
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 4978 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/muslim:2006a)
Umar, Muhammad’s companion, father-in-law and Islam’s second caliph, actually loved this drink:
45 Madina
Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Abd ar- Rahman ibn al-Qasim that Aslam, the mawla of Umar ibn al-Khattab informed him that he had visited Abdullah ibn Ayyash al-Makhzumi. He saw that he had some nabidh with him and he was at that moment on the way to Makka. Aslam said to him, ”Umar ibn al-Khattab loves this drink.” Abdullah ibn Ayyash therefore carried a great drinking bowl and brought it to Umar ibn al-Khattab and placed it before him. Umar brought it near to him and then raised his head. Umar said, “This drink is good,” so he drank some of it and then passed it to a man on his right. When Abdullah turned to go, Umar ibn al-Khattab called him and asked, “Are you the person who says that Makka is better than Madina?” Abdullah said, “I said that it was the Haram of Allah, and His place of security, and His House was in it.” Umar said, “I am not saying anything about the House of Allah or His Haram.” Then Umar repeated “Are you the person who says that Makka is better than Madina?” He replied, “I said that it was the Haram of Allah and His place of security, and His House was in it.” Umar said, “I am not saying anything about the House of Allah and His Haram.” Then Abdullah left.
Sunnah.com reference: Book 45, Hadith 20
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 45, Hadith 21
Arabic reference: Book 45, Hadith 1620 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/malik/45/20)
Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman that Abu Said alKhudri returned from a journey and his family gave him some meat. He asked whether it was meat from the sacrifice. They replied that it was. Abu Said said, “Didn’t the Messenger of Allah forbid that?” They said, “There has been a new command from the Messenger of Allah since you went away.” Abu Said went out and made enquiries about it and was told that the Messenger of Allah had said,” I forbade you before to eat meat of the sacrifice after three days, but now eat, give sadaqa and store up. I forbade you before to make nabidh (by soaking raisins or dates in water), but now make nabidh, but remember every intoxicant is haram. I forbade you to visit graves, but now visit them, and do not use bad language.”
Sunnah.com reference: Book 23, Hadith 8
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 23, Hadith 8
Arabic reference: Book 23, Hadith 1038 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/malik/23/8)
To top it off, Muhammad even used Nabidh to perform ablution!
1 Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)
(43) Chapter: Wudu’ Using An-Nabidh
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
AbuZayd quoted Abdullah ibn Mas’ud as saying that on the night when the jinn listened to the Qur’an the Prophet said: What is in your skin vessel? He said: I have some nabidh. He (the Holy Prophet) said: It consists of fresh dates and pure water.
Sulayman ibn Dawud reported the same version of this tradition on the authority of AbuZayd or Zayd. But Sharik said that Hammad did not mention the words “night of the jinn”.
Grade: Da’if (Al-Albani)
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 84
In-book reference: Book 1, Hadith 84
English translation: Book 1, Hadith 84 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/abudawud:84)
(37) Chapter: Performing ablution with Nabidh
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud that:
On the night of the jinn, the Messenger of Allah said to him: “Do you have water for ablution?” He said: “No, I have nothing, but some Nabidh in a vessel.” He said: “Good dates and pure water (i.e. there is no harm from the mixing of the two).” So he performed ablution with it.
This is the narration of Waki’.
Grade: Da’if (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 384
In-book reference: Book 1, Hadith 118
English translation: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 384 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:384)
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas that:
On the night of the Jinn the Messenger of Allah said to Ibn Mas’ud: “Do you have water?” He said: “No, only some Nabidh in a large water skin.” The Messenger of Allah said: “Good dates and pure water.” (i.e. there is no harm from the mixing of the two.) Pour it for me.” He said: “So I performed ablution with it.”
Grade: Da’if (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 385
In-book reference: Book 1, Hadith 119
English translation: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 385 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:385)
Ironically, the Shia sect along with the consensus of Sunni scholars and three of their four main schools (madhahib) of jurisprudence (e.g., Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali) consider Nabidh as coming under the prohibition of wine and intoxicants, and therefore forbid its consumption. The only Sunni school which permits it is the Hanafi madhab:
It can easily be seen that the difficulty in this matter was caused by two circumstances. People were accustomed to prepare from all kinds of dates, from raisins and other fruits, drinks which only became inebriating if they were preserved for a long time and probably also if they were prepared after special methods. Where was the line of demarcation between the allowed and the prohibited kind? Several collections of traditions went so far as to mention nabidh among the drinks prepared by Mohammed’s wives and drunk by him (Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 79-89; Ahmad, 1. 232 sq., 240, 287, 320 sq., 336, 355, 369, 372; ii. 35 iii. 304, 307, 313 sq., 326, 379, 384 etc.). Abu Da’ud (Ashriba, bab 10) and Ibn Madja (Ashriba, bab 12) have preserved a tradition on this subject which is instructive. I translate Ibn Madja’s version: Says A’isha: “We used to prepare nabidh for the Apostle of Allah in a skin; we took a handful of dates or a handful of raisins, cast it into the skin and poured water upon it. The nabidh we prepared in this way in the morning was drunk by him in the evening; and when we prepared it in the evening he drank: it the next morn-jug.” In another tradition of the same bab Ibn Abbas says that the Prophet used to drink this nabidh even on the third day; but what was left then was poured out.
All this could, however, not persuade the majority of the faqih’s to declare nabidh allowed; three of the madhab’s as well as the Shi’a prohibit the use of nabidh. The Hanafi school, on the other hand, allows it, when used with moderation, for medicinal purposes, etc.
It would take us too far to give here a detailed survey of the opinions of the faqih’s of the madhhab’s it would be superfluous, to some extent at least, because the more important differences regard chiefly nabidh only. The following rapid survey is based on the Fatawa ‘Alamgiri, vi. 604 sqq. (cf. Sha’rani’s Mizan, Cairo 1279, p. 192 sq.).
Allowed according to the idjma is every non-fermented, sweet drink.
Prohibited (haram), according to the idjma, are wine and sakar of every kind. As to the wine there are six cases: to drink it in any quantity or to make use of it is haram; to deny this is kufr; to buy, sell, present it, etc., is haram; no responsibility (diman) rests on him who spoils or destroys wine (mutlifha); whether wine is a possession (mal) is an unsettled point; it is nadjis just as blood and urine; who drinks any quantity of it is liable to punishment.
Several kinds of products prepared by means of grapes (badhik, munassaf , etc. are prohibited according to the majority of the faqih’s.
Allowed, according to the majority of the faqih’s are tila’ (vide supra) or muthallath and nabidh from dates with the restrictions mentioned above. So is juice from grapes when the process of cooking has made to evaporate two-thirds. (Wine in Islam; bold emphasis mine)
What this means is that, according to the Shia and majoriy of the Sunni ulema, Muhammad was a hypocrite who didn’t practice what he preached since he allowed himself and his companions to consume a fermented drink, which for all intents and purpose is no different than wine.
For a more thorough, detailed discussion on this point make sure to read the following: WINE CONSUMPTION: MUHAMMAD FINDS A LOOPHOLE!
FURTHER READING
Muhammad’s Inconsistency (in making laws binding upon the Muslim community but granting exceptions to himself)
The Quran’s Prohibition of Intoxicants
Satan’s Handiwork in Allah’s Garden?
Answering Islam Blog 