Answered by Sidi Suheil Laher
Is there any evidence that suggests that it is haram to speak to someone who is drinking alcohol (khamr) or if they are drunk?
Answer:
Yes, you should generally not speak to someone while they are drinking alcohol, unless you are advising them to stop drinking (although if the person is very drunk, then talking to him is not going to be of much benefit in any case), or for an urgent necessity which cannot be avoided. But to sit and chat casually with a person who is drinking is not permissible, because you would be neglecting the duty of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, aside from which, we are supposed to avoid being in places where Allah is being disobeyed. A further danger is that you would be influenced by his misconduct, and you might end up getting accustomed to the sin of drinking, such that you are no longer as repulsed by it, and this is a sign of weakened iman. Even worse, you might eventually end up following his bad example.
It is reported in a hadith,
“The first failing to enter the Children of Isra’il was that a man would meet another man and say, ‘O so and so! Fear Allah and stop what you are doing. It is not lawful for you,’ Then he would meet him again the following day and find him still doing the same thing but that would not prevent him from eating, drinking and sitting with him. When they did this, Allah caused the hearts of some of them to be tainted by others. Then He said, “Those among the Tribe of Israel who rejected were cursed on the tongue of Dawud and that of ‘Isa, son of Maryam. That is because they rebelled and overstepped the limits. They would not restrain one another from any of the wrong things that they did. How evil were the things they used to do! You see many of them taking the unbelievers as their friends. What their lower selves have advanced for them is evil indeed” to “deviators” (5:78-81) Then he said, “No, by Allah, you should command the right and forbid the wrong and you should restrain the unjust and bend them to the truth and confine them to the truth or Allah will cause the hearts of some of you to be tainted by others. And then He will curse you as He cursed them.'” [Narrated by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi; its isnad has a discontinuity in it, but the general meaning is sound.]
And Hafiz Ibn Kathir cited a hadith in his tafsir:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the last day should not sit on a table at which wine is being partaken of.”
This is the ruling on talking to someone while they are actually drinking. It does not apply to other times; in other words, such a person should not be ostracized completely from the community, for in that case he would probably only sink deeper into sinfulness. Rather, it is an obligation – on whoever is capable, and is confident of not being adversely influenced – to try to advise, remind and reform the person.
And Allah knows best.