What is the ruling on drinking fruit juice (Asir) that has not boiled, but three days have passed over it?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Beverages (Intoxicants)
Primary text
The consensus among our school's scholars is that juice upon which three days have passed without boiling is forbidden (haram). The primary reason for prohibition is the intoxicating potency (shidda mutribah), which is specifically associated with intoxicating drinks. Evidence supports limiting consumption: the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to have raisin drink (nabidh) steeped for him, and he would drink it for the current day, the next day, and the day after, until the evening of the third day, after which he would order it to be given to the servants or poured out. Another narration specifies drinking the juice for three days, provided it does not boil.
Supporting text
Imam Ahmad permitted drinking it for three days, provided it did not boil, but advised against drinking what had passed three days. Most scholars permit it as long as it does not boil and intoxicate, based on the Prophet's instruction to drink from every vessel but not to drink intoxicants. There is a possibility that consuming juice beyond three days without boiling is disliked but not forbidden, as Imam Ahmad did not explicitly state its prohibition, only that he disliked it, because the Prophet did not drink it after three days. Furthermore, the potency often manifests around the third day, necessitating a limit, making three days a practical boundary.