Imam al-Qurtubi, born in 13th century Spain, is celebrated for his Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir). The 12-volume Tafsir Al Qurtubi is considered one of the preeminent classical works of exegesis, with its original aim being to help deduce juristic injunctions and rulings from the Qur’anic verses (Usmani, 1976). The following extract is Imam al-Qurtubi’s treatment of the Qur’anic verses dealing with the consumption of alcohol.