Nabidh facts for kids

Nabidh is a traditional drink from the Arabian Peninsula. It is usually made by soaking dates in water. Sometimes, it can also be made with dried grapes, which are called raisins.

Nabidh is usually not alcoholic. However, if it is left to ferment for a longer time, it can become slightly alcoholic or even strongly alcoholic.

In Islam, drinking alcohol is forbidden, which is called haram. Because of this, Nabidh is only fermented for a short time. An important Islamic teaching, called a hadith, from Imam Malik Ibn Anas, says that it is not allowed to make Nabidh in certain types of containers, like a gourd or a jug coated with tar.

The History of Nabidh

Long ago, around the year 100 AD, a writer named Rufus of Ephesus wrote about Nabidh. Later, a scholar named Qusta ibn Luqa translated this writing into Arabic. In 2007, Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman found copies of this old writing and published it again in Urdu and Arabic.

A writer named Ibn Fadlan wrote about meeting people called "Rūsiyyah" near the Volga River. These people might have been Russians or Vikings. Ibn Fadlan said that the Rūsiyyah drank an alcoholic drink they called "nabidh."

Today, in Modern Standard Arabic, the word "nabidh" often means wine in general. It has replaced the older Arabic word for wine, khamr.