They claimed, saying: The Prophet of Islam informed his followers that there is wine in Paradise, and wine takes away the mind and brings about obscenities and major sins. So how can there be impurities in a pure and clean place like Paradise in the heavens?

“Whoever drinks wine in this world will be deprived of it in the Hereafter.”

That assumption is wrong.

The wine of the Hereafter does not cause headaches, vomiting, or illness. It does not take away the mind, nor does it defile the body, nor does it exhaust the senses.

This is indicated by several proofs.

“There will circulate among them immortal youths, with goblets and pitchers and a cup of pure wine. They will not get headaches from it, nor will they get drunk.”

“They will not have headaches from it nor will they lose their minds,” unlike the wine of this world.

Boys who will not grow old or die will circulate among them to serve them, with goblets, pitchers, and a cup from a flowing spring of wine in Paradise, from which their heads will not be afflicted nor will their minds be taken away.

“They will not have a headache from it nor will they be drained.”

Meaning: their heads will not be split, nor will their minds be drained. Rather, they will remain stable despite the intense enjoyment and the resulting pleasure.

“There are four characteristics of wine: intoxication, headache, vomiting, and urine.”

So Allah mentioned the wine of Paradise and cleared it of these characteristics.

“They will not have a headache from it”

Meaning: they will not have a headache from it.

And they said regarding:

“Nor will they be drained”

Meaning: their minds will not be taken away.

“There will be passed around among them a cup of pure wine, white, delicious to the drinkers. Therein is no evil, nor will they be intoxicated from it.”

“Therein is no evil,” meaning that which overwhelms their minds.

“And they will not be intoxicated from it,” meaning they will not become intoxicated as people become intoxicated from the wine of this world.

They will be served in their gatherings with cups of wine from flowing rivers. They will not fear that it will run out. It is white in color, delicious to drink, and it will not harm the body or the mind.

“They will be given to drink from a pure, sealed wine.”

“They will be given to drink from a pure, sealed wine,” meaning sealed upon its vessel, and no one can break its seal except them.

What has been prepared for them of good things. You will see on their faces the joy of bliss. They will be given to drink of pure wine, whose vessel is well-made, the end of which is the scent of musk. And in that is the lasting bliss. So let the racers compete.

This drink is mixed and tempered from a spring in Paradise known for its height as “Tasnim,” a spring prepared for those brought near to God to drink from and enjoy.

“The Prophet of Islam informed his followers that there is wine in Paradise, and wine takes away the mind and brings about obscenities and indecencies. So how can there be impurities in a pure and purified place like Paradise in the heavens?”

The answer is simple: the wine of Paradise is not the corrupting wine of this world.

We accept your statement, O People of the Book, but why is it called wine? Why is it not called by another name?

There is nothing in the pleasures of this world and the pleasures of Paradise except the names only. As for the reality and content, it is completely different from what is in people’s minds.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Allah said:

“I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived. So recite if you wish: {No soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for their eyes}.”

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man.”

Therefore, Paradise is not measured by the corrupt experiences of worldly life. The names may be familiar, but the realities are beyond human imagination.

According to their texts, they drink it in its earthly description with their physical bodies and enjoy its sensual and spiritual pleasure.

“And I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus will drink “this fruit of the vine” — the same wine — in the kingdom of his Lord in heaven with the believers, both men and women.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’”

There are other texts showing that the Lord Jesus drank wine. Indeed, the accusation against him in the Gospel itself includes that he was called a winebibber.

His first miracle was making wine at the wedding.

If the Christian has a problem with wine being mentioned in Paradise, then he must first explain why his own scripture presents Jesus turning water into wine as his first miracle.

“No longer drink water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent diseases.”

Therefore, wine is permissible on earth in their belief, and it should not be forbidden in heaven according to the texts of their gospels.

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

“And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The meaning is: anything that is permissible and not forbidden in this world will be permissible in the Paradise of the Lord.

Some of them said what I said — the Protestants — and some of them said something else — the Orthodox.

First, Islamic scripture clearly states that the wine of Paradise is not like worldly wine. It does not cause headache, intoxication, vomiting, loss of reason, bodily corruption, or impurity. The Qur’an explicitly removes these defects from it.

Second, the pleasures of Paradise cannot be judged by worldly categories, because Allah has prepared for the righteous what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined.

Third, the Christian critic has no right to object to wine in Paradise while his own scripture speaks of Jesus drinking the fruit of the vine in his Father’s kingdom, being accused of drinking wine, turning water into wine, and Paul recommending wine.

So the objection is not a serious theological argument. It is another double standard.