Commentary
Described in the previous verses were blessings of Allah Ta’ ala which manifest the stunning marvel of Divine power and creativity. Of these, the first to be mentioned was milk which nature has gifted human beings with after having made it go through its own processing in the bellies of animals separating it from feces and blood and delivering it as a finished product, pure and pleasant, food and drink in one. No subsequent human effort or artifice is needed here. Therefore, the word used in the text is: n نُسقِیکُم (nusqikum: We provided you with milk to drink).' The stress is self-explanatory.
After that it was said that human beings do make things from some fruits of the date-palms and grape-vines as well, which serve them as food, and other benefits. The hint ingrained here is that there is some intervening role played by human ingenuity, innovation and artifice in making the fruits from date-palms and grape-vines yield what they eat or benefit from in other ways. As a result of the factor of intervention, two kinds of things were made. The first is what intoxicates, the common form of which is liquor. The second is: Rizq Hasan, that is, good provision, like dates and grapes which everyone is welcome to use as fresh food, or dry it and store it for later use. The purpose is that Allah Ta’ ala, in His perfect power, has given to human beings fruits like dates and grapes, and along with it, He also gave human beings the choice to make things they eat and drink out of them. Now the option is theirs. Let them make what they would: Make what intoxicates and knocks their reason out, or make food out of them and get strength and energy!
According to this tafsir, this verse cannot be used to prove the lawfulness of that which intoxicates, that is, liquor.` This is because the purpose here is to state the nature of Divine blessings and the different forms they could take when used. It goes without saying that these remain the Divine blessings they are under all conditions. Take the example of foods, drinks and many things of benefit. People use them.
Some also use them in ways which are not permissible. But, the incidence of someone using things wrongfully would not stop a blessing from remaining the blessing it is. Therefore, this is no place to go into details as to which of the uses is lawful and which is otherwise and unlawful. Nevertheless, not to be missed here is the delicate hint given by setting up "rizq Hasan" (good provision) in contrast with "sakar" (intoxicant) which tells us that "sakar" is not a good provision. According to the majority of commentators, "sakar" means what intoxicates. (Ruh al-Ma ani, Qurlubi, Jassas)
These verses are Makki by consensus. As for the unlawfulness of liquor, it came after that in Madinah. Though liquor was lawful at the time of the revelation of this verse and Muslims used to drink openly, yet, even at that time, a hint was given in this verse towards the fact that drinking of liquor was not good. After that, came the specific injunctions of the Qur’ an which made liquor Haram (unlawful) clearly, emphatically and categorically. (Condensed from Al-Jassas and Al-Qurtubi)