Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn that Waqid ibn Amr ibn Sad ibn Muadh informed him from Mahmud ibn Labid al- Ansari that when Umar ibn al-Khattab went to ash-Sham, the people of ash-Sham complained to him about the bad air of their land and its heaviness. They said, "Only this drink helps." Umar said, "Drink this honey preparation." They said, "Honey does not help us." A man from the people of that land said, "Can we give you something of this drink which does not intoxicate?" He said, "Yes." They cooked it until two- thirds of it evaporated and one-third of it remained. Then they brought it to Umar. Umar put his finger in it and then lifted his head and extended it. He said, "This is fruit juice concentrated by boiling. This is like the distillation with which you smear the camel's scabs." Umar ordered them to drink it. Ubada ibn as-Samit said to him, "You have made it halal, by Allah!" Umar said, "No, by Allah! O Allah! I will not make anything halal for them which You have made haram for them! I will not make anything haram for them which You have made halal for them."  

أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ حِينَ قَدِمَ الشَّامَ شَكَا إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ وَبَاءَ الأَرْضِ وَثِقَلَهَا وَقَالُوا لاَ يُصْلِحُنَا إِلاَّ هَذَا الشَّرَابُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ اشْرَبُوا هَذَا الْعَسَلَ قَالُوا لاَ يُصْلِحُنَا الْعَسَلُ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ نَجْعَلَ لَكَ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّرَابِ شَيْئًا لاَ يُسْكِرُ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَطَبَخُوهُ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ مِنْهُ الثُّلُثَانِ وَبَقِيَ الثُّلُثُ فَأَتَوْا بِهِ عُمَرَ فَأَدْخَلَ فِيهِ عُمَرُ إِصْبَعَهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ يَدَهُ فَتَبِعَهَا يَتَمَطَّطُ فَقَالَ هَذَا الطِّلاَءُ هَذَا مِثْلُ طِلاَءِ الإِبِلِ فَأَمَرَهُمْ عُمَرُ أَنْ يَشْرَبُوهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ أَحْلَلْتَهَا وَاللَّهِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي لاَ أُحِلُّ لَهُمْ شَيْئًا حَرَّمْتَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ أُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا أَحْلَلْتَهُ لَهُمْ