Q453 :Was liquor permissible to drink in an early
stage of Islamic history? If yes, why was it forbidden later.
A453 : Islam did not start by legalizing alcoholic
drinks and changed its mind later. It simply approached the matter in
the only way that brings the desired results: to establish first the
basis upon which instructions are to be followed. Once faith was deeply
rooted in the hearts of the Muslims, they only needed a simple
instruction and they abided by it. During the process of establishing
the faith, Islam simply left matters to the wisdom of individuals. But
once its first task was netpleted, it sent about finalizing the second
stage, giving clear and detailed instructions, outlining what is
forbidden and what is permissible.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )