67 Preface وَمِن ثَمَراتِ النَّخيلِ وَالأَعنابِ تَتَّخِذونَ مِنهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَومٍ يَعقِلونَYusuf AliAnd from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, ye get out1 drink and wholesome food: behold, in this also is a sign for those who are wise.There are drinks and wholesome foods that can be got out of the date palm and the vine: e.g., non-alcoholic drinks from the date and the grape, vinegar, date sugar, grape sugar, and dates and grapes themselves for eating. If sakar is taken in the sense of fermented wine, it would refer to the time before intoxicants were prohibited, for this is a Meccan Sūra and the prohibition came in Medīna. In such a case it would imply a subtle disapproval of the use of intoxicants and mark the first of a series of steps that in time culminated in total prohibition. (R).