✅ Answer: Fuqa is a beverage made from a specific method using barley grains, also known as Ma'alishu'eer. It is sometimes referred to as "Abju" or "Ma'alishu'eer." The first person to make it in Islam, in the land of Sham, was Yazid ibn Muawiya, may Allah's curse be upon him.

✅ The definition of "Fuqa" in Majma' al-Bahrain is as follows:

✅ "Al-Fuqa Karmān: It is a drink made only from barley water, not intoxicating, but it has been prohibited. It is called Fuqa because foam rises on its surface."

📚 Majma al-Bahrain Article "فَقَعَ"

Translation: "Fuqa" is like pomegranate, something that is consumed and is only made from barley water. It is not intoxicating, but it has been prohibited. It is said to be called "Fuqa" because foam forms on its surface.

✅ First, pay attention to some narrations:

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423:

1⃣عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَقَالَ لَا تَشْرَبْهُ فَإِنَّهُ خَمْرٌ مَجْهُولٌ فَإِذَا أَصَابَ ثَوْبَكَ فَاغْسِلْهُ.

Hisham ibn Hakam asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) , about Fuqa, and the Imam said: "Do not drink it because it is an unknown and unidentified intoxicant. If it reaches your clothes, wash them."

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423:

2⃣ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ يَعْنِي الرِّضَا أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ حَرَامٌ وَ هُوَ خَمْرٌ الْحَدِيثَ.

Washa' asked Imam Reza (a.s) , about Fuqa in a letter, and the Imam wrote back: "It is forbidden, and it is wine!"

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 424:

3⃣عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَقَالَ هُوَ الْخَمْرُ وَ فِيهِ حَدُّ شَارِبِ الْخَمْرِ.

Ibn Faddal says: I wrote a letter to Imam Abu al-Hasan about Fuqa, and the Imam said: "It is wine, and the punishment for drinking wine (i.e., eighty lashes) applies to it!"

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 424:

4⃣عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا قَالَ: كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ حَرَامٌ وَ كُلُّ مُخَمَّرٍ حَرَامٌ وَ الْفُقَّاعُ حَرَامٌ.

Imam Reza (a.s) , said: "Anyone who drinks it is forbidden, and it is forbidden to use it in any form."

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 424:

5⃣عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَقَالَ هُوَ خَمْرٌ.

Ammar said: I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) , about Fuqa, and he said: "It is wine."

Zakariya says: I wrote a letter to Imam Abu al-Hasan, describing Fuqa to him and asking about it. The Imam said: "Do not drink it!" I repeated the inquiry, explaining how Fuqa is made each time, and the Imam repeated: "Do not drink it, and do not ask me about it again!"

6⃣عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا أَبِي يَحْيَى قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ وَ أَصِفُهُ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَا تَشْرَبْهُ فَأَعَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ كُلَّ ذَلِكَ أَصِفُهُ لَهُ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ قَالَ لَا تَشْرَبْهُ وَ لَا تُرَاجِعْنِي فِيهِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423:

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 422:

7⃣ عَنْ حُسَيْنٍ الْقَلَانِسِيِّ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَاضِي أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَقَالَ لَا تَقْرَبْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِنَ الْخَمْرِ.

Qalansi says: I wrote a letter to Imam Kazim (a.s) , about Fuqa, and he said: "Do not go near it because it is one of the types of wine."

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423:

8⃣عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَقَالَ هِيَ الْخَمْرُ بِعَيْنِهَا.

Muhammad ibn Sanan says: I asked Imam Reza (a.s) , about Fuqa, and he said: "It is exactly wine itself!"

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423:

9⃣عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: لَوْ أَنَّ لِي سُلْطَاناً عَلَى أَسْوَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لَرَفَعْتُ عَنْهُمْ هَذِهِ الْخَمِيرَةَ [الخمرة ] يَعْنِي الْفُقَّاعَ.

Imam Sadiq (a.s) , said: "If I had control over the markets of the Muslims, I would eliminate this wine, meaning Fuqa, from them."

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 424:

0⃣1⃣عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَنْ شُرْبِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَكَرِهَهُ كَرَاهَةً شَدِيدَةً.

Muhammad ibn Isma'il says: I asked Imam Abu al-Hasan about drinking Fuqa, and the Imam strongly expressed his disapproval of it.

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (peace be upon him), Vol. 2, p. 23:

1⃣1⃣عَنْ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ الْهَرَوِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا يَقُولُ أَوَّلُ مَنِ اتُّخِذَ لَهُ الْفُقَّاعُ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ بِالشَّامِ- يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ لَعَنَهُمَا اللَّهُ فَأُحْضِرَ وَ هُوَ عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ وَ قَدْ نَصَبَهَا عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحُسَيْن فَجَعَلَ يَشْرَبُهُ وَ يَسْقِي أَصْحَابَهُ وَ یَقُولُ اشْرَبُوا فَهَذَا شَرَابٌ مُبَارَکٌ مِنْ بَرَکَتِهِ أَنَّا أَوَّلَ تَنَاوَلْنَاهُ وَ رَأْسُ عَدُوِّنَا بَیْنَ أَیْدِینَا وَ مَائِدَتُنَا مَنْصُوبَةٌ عَلَیْهِ وَ نَحْنُ نَأْکُلُ وَ نُفُوسُنَا سَاکِنَةٌ وَ قُلُوبُنَا مُطْمَئِنَّةٌ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا فَلْيَتَوَرَّعْ عَنْ شُرْبِ الْفُقَّاعِ فَإِنَّهُ من شَرَابُ أَعْدَائِنَا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا وَ لَقَدْ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ آبَائِهِ- عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لا تَلْبَسُوا لِبَاسَ أَعْدَائِي وَ لَا تَطْعَمُوا مَطَاعِمَ أَعْدَائِي وَ لَا تَسْلُكُوا مَسَالِكَ أَعْدَائِي فَتَكُونُوا أَعْدَائِي كَمَا هُمْ أَعْدَائِي.

Harawi says: I heard Imam Reza (a.s) , say: "The first person to make Fuqa in Islam in the land of Sham was Yazid ibn Muawiya. May Allah curse him! They prepared Fuqa for him while he was sitting at a table, and he placed the table on the head of Imam Hussein (a.s) . Then he began to drink Fuqa and offered it to his companions, saying, 'Drink! This is a blessed wine, and its blessing is that I was the first to consume it, while our enemy lies in front of us, and our table is spread over him, and we eat while our souls are calm and our hearts are content!'"

Therefore, anyone who belongs to our Shia community should refrain from drinking Fuqa, as it is a drink of our enemies. If one does not abstain from it, they are not of us. My father conveyed from his ancestors from Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) , who said: "Do not wear the clothes of my enemies, do not eat the food of my enemies, and do not travel on the paths of my enemies so that, as a result, you will not be like them, just as they are my enemies."

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 419

2⃣1⃣عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا علیه السلام یَقُولُ لَمَّا حُمِلَ رَأْسُ الْحُسَیْنِ علیه السلام إِلَی الشَّامِ أَمَرَ یَزِیدُ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ فَوُضِعَ وَ نُصِبَ عَلَیْهِ مَائِدَةٌ فَأَقْبَلَ هُوَ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ یَأْکُلُونَ وَ یَشْرَبُونَ الْفُقَّاعَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا أَمَرَ بِالرَّأْسِ فَوُضِعَ فِی طَسْتٍ تَحْتَ سَرِیرَةٍ وَ بُسِطَ عَلَیْهِ رُقْعَةُ الشِّطْرَنْجِ وَ جَلَسَ یَزِیدُ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ یَلْعَبُ بِالشِّطْرَنْجِ وَ یَذْکُرُ الْحُسَیْنَ بْنَ عَلِیٍّ وَ أَبَاهُ وَ جَدَّهُ علیه السلام وَ یَسْتَهْزِئُ بِذِکْرِهِمْ فَمَتَی قَامَرَ صَاحِبَهُ تَنَاوَلَ الْفُقَّاعَ فَشَرِبَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ صَبَّ فَضْلَتَهُ عَلَی مَا یَلِی الطَّسْتَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَمَنْ کَانَ مِنْ شِیعَتِنَا فَلْیَتَوَرَّعْ عَنْ شُرْبِ الْفُقَّاعِ وَ اللَّعِبِ بِالشِّطْرَنْجِ وَ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَی الْفُقَّاعِ أَوْ إِلَی الشِّطْرَنْجِ فَلْیَذْکُرِ الْحُسَیْنَ علیه السلام وَ لْیَلْعَنْ یَزِیدَ وَ آلَ زِیَادٍ یَمْحُو اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِذَلِکَ ذُنُوبَهُ وَ لَوْ کَانَتْ بِعَدَدِ النُّجُومِ

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 2, p. 22

Fadl ibn Shadhan narrates: I heard Imam Reza (a.s) , say that when they took the head of Husayn ibn Ali, peace be upon them, to Sham, Yazid, may Allah curse him, ordered it to be placed, and a table was set. So, he and his companions ate and drank Fuqa (barley water).

Once they were done, he ordered Husayn's head to be placed under a cushion on a low bed, and a chessboard was spread on it. He started playing chess, mentioning Husayn ibn Ali, his father, and his grandfather during the game. At the mention of them, he mocked and ridiculed them. Whenever he defeated his opponent in the chess game, he would take Fuqa, drink it three times, and pour the remaining near a jar.

Therefore, anyone from our Shia community should refrain from drinking barley water and playing chess. If someone sees Fuqa or chess, they should remember Husayn (a.s) , and curse Yazid and the family of Yazid. Through this, Allah, the Almighty, may forgive their sins, even if they are as numerous as the stars.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 423

3⃣1⃣ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ: کَتَبْتُ إِلَیْهِ یَعْنِی الرِّضَا أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْفُقَّاعِ قَالَ فَکَتَبَ حَرَامٌ وَ هُوَ خَمْرٌ وَ مَنْ شَرِبَهُ کَانَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ شَارِبِ الْخَمْرِ قَالَ وَ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَخِیرُ لَوْ أَنَّ الدَّارَ دَارِی لَقَتَلْتُ بَائِعَهُ وَ لَجَلَدْتُ شَارِبَهُ وَ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَخِیرُ حَدُّهُ حَدُّ شَارِبِ الْخَمْرِ وَ قَالَ هِیَ خُمَیْرَةٌ اسْتَصْغَرَهَا النَّاسُ.

Washa' wrote a letter to Imam Reza (a.s) , asking about Fuqa, and the Imam replied: "It is forbidden, and it is wine. Whoever drinks it is like a wine drinker." Imam Kazim (a.s) , said: "If I had control (meaning authority), I would kill the seller and flogger of it. The punishment for drinking it is the same as that for a wine drinker. It is a type of wine that people consider insignificant."

✅ The above hadiths are part of the condemnation of Fuqa or Ma'alishu'eer, which requires careful attention.

In the next section, important points about today's Ma'alishu'eer will be discussed!

✅ In previous sections, the prohibition of drinking Fuqa or Ma'alishu'eer was clarified.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

✅ Today, drinks called "Ma'alishu'eer" are sold in Muslim communities, some of which are produced by non-Muslims, and some are domestic products!

✅ Since the main criterion for turning barley into Fuqa is the foam forming on its surface, according to the claims of the producers, the only difference in the production of Ma'alishu'eer is the use of malt, i.e., germinated barley, instead of regular barley, in its production process.

✅ However, some producers also claim to add yeast to Ma'alishu'eer during certain stages of its production!

✅ To present Ma'alishu'eer as halal, non-Muslim producers, who also produce various intoxicants for their communities, claim that by distillation, they remove most of the alcohol present in it, leaving only half a percent. Since this alcohol percentage is not intoxicating, they market it as halal by putting the "halal" label for Muslims to consume!

✅ On the other hand, domestic producers claim that to make Ma'alishu'eer halal, they limit and control the fermentation process by applying a heat shock to the barley water. Since it is no longer intoxicating, it becomes halal and is allowed for consumption!

✅ However, claims similar to these and other contradictory statements are made about the production of Ma'alishu'eer by various parties.

✅ Considering the existing facts, it is necessary to note a few points:

1⃣ Refer to the following narration:

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 421

عَنْ أَبِي عبداللَّه قال: إِذَا شَرِبَ الرَّجُلُ النَّبِيذَ الْمَخْمُورَ فَلَا تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ فِي شَيْ ءٍ مِنَ الْأَشْرِبَة و إِنْ كَانَ يَصِفُ مَا تَصِفُونَ

Imam Sadiq (a.s) , said: "When a person drinks fermented liquid, his testimony about any drinks is not valid, even if he describes and believes in it (Shia beverages)."

✅ According to the above narration, the testimony of all non-Muslim Ma'alishu'eer producers, who produce intoxicating and haram beverages in their factories, and Muslims who drink intoxicants, is not valid, and the halal status of their drinks is not acceptable. Therefore, all products of producers of intoxicating beverages are not halal and are not usable.

✅ The same method of halalizing Ma'alishu'eer, as mentioned by them and claimed to be accepted by Islamic scholars, is invalid because distillation is not among the permissible methods of halalizing according to Quranic language and traditions!

2⃣ Regarding the production of Ma'alishu'eer by Muslims! It must be remembered that applying a heat shock to barley water during one of the stages of making barley water, according to divine scholars, has not been established as a halal method and is not acceptable in any way.

3⃣ As we have seen in the narrations, one of the reasons for the prohibition of drinking Fuqa is its association with Yazid, may Allah curse him, and categorizing it as "drinks of the enemies." Attempts to remove or limit the production of alcohol in it, according to the inventiveness of others, do not exempt it from condemnation, and its status remains firm.

4⃣ At least one thing that must be considered regarding various types of Ma'alishu'eer today is that, according to the facts surrounding it, it is placed in the category of "doubtful matters," and it is the duty of the believers to exercise caution and abstain from doubtful matters, as emphasized in numerous traditions.

5⃣ The final point to note is found in the following narration:

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 9, p. 126

عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَخِيهِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَقْطِينٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَاضِي قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ شُرْبِ الْفُقَّاعِ الَّذِي يُعْمَلُ فِي السُّوقِ وَ يُبَاعُ وَ لَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ عُمِلَ وَ لَا مَتَى عُمِلَ أَ يَحِلُّ أَنْ أَشْرَبَهُ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّهُ.

Ali ibn Yaqteen says: I asked Imam Kazim (a.s) , about drinking Fuqa, which is made and sold in the market, and I do not know how it is made or when it is made. Is it halal for me to drink it? The Imam said: "I do not like it!"

✅ We see that in the above narration, the use of ambiguous Fuqa from the market is discouraged by Imam Kazim (a.s) , even though the halalization process is not known.

Therefore, we also do not like it and completely avoid it until, God willing, the matter becomes clearer, and until that day, we continuously say:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ