حَدَّثَنَا شَاذَانُ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَمَّا حُرِّمَتْ الْخَمْرُ قَالَ أُنَاسٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَصْحَابُنَا الَّذِينَ مَاتُوا وَهُمْ يَشْرَبُونَهَا فَأُنْزِلَتْ لَيْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا طَعِمُوا قَالَ وَلَمَّا حُوِّلَتْ الْقِبْلَةُ قَالَ أُنَاسٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَصْحَابُنَا الَّذِينَ مَاتُوا وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَأُنْزِلَتْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2691
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: When alcohol was forbidden, some people said: O Messenger of Allah, (what about) our companions who died and who used to drink it? Then the words were revealed: "Those who believe and do righteous good deeds, there is no sin on them for what they ate (in the past)" [al- Ma'idah 5:93]. And when the qiblah was changed, some people said: O Messenger of Allah, (what about) our companions who died and who used to pray facing Jerusalem? Then the words were revealed: "And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i,e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem)" [al- Baqarah 2:143].
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020