Prohibition of Intoxicants in the Holy Qur’an and Islamic Traditions

By Reza Bolbolvand

Translated by Fatemeh Khazaii

The harmful effects of intoxicants, alcoholic drinks, make a theme to be studied and discussed from numerous viewpoints: social, moral, cultural, economic, health and hygiene, political and so on.

Various plights including the break-up of marriages and the weakening of the pillars of the family units,  lack of peace of mind and tranquility in individuals, families and communities, social disorder, corruptions of various sorts and expanding dimensions, irreligiosity and loss of faith in God, loss of intellect and the ability to reason, loss of man power and capitals, poverty depression and suicidal tendencies and many other deplorable conditions have already been proved to have been the ominous results of consuming intoxicants.  Surveys have shown that many narcotic addicts have started their harmful habits with alcohol. No wonder our Divine teachers have regarded alcoholic drinks to be the cause of every evil and that is why all Divine Messengers(AS) have prohibited intoxicants and likewise all other men of wisdom and understanding have frowned upon the consumption of wine and all other intoxicants.

In verse 90 of Chapter 5 (Ma’ideh) of the Holy Qur’an, Allah – The Gracious has commanded His servants to avoid intoxicating drinks and gambling (along with certain other evil things), regarding them as ‘the work of Satan’ which should be avoided by those who desire salvation. To present detailed accounts and discussions on the reasons behind the prohibition of alcohol, many articles and books are indeed needed to be compiled. Here we have selected a short survey, hoping to have taken a useful step towards the sacred cause of enlightening Allah’s servants.

As a matter of fact, numerous harms are caused by intoxicants to the body and the soul. These harms leave their undesirable effects on the individual and his family and also his society as a whole.

As already proved, alcoholic drinks cause a variety of physical and mental disorders including dizziness, severe headaches, irrationality loss of concentration, carelessness, ill-timid excitement and a variety of other undesirable conditions which in turn lead to many misfortunes and disastrous events  such as breakup of families, car accidents, crimes, murders and suicides.

Just a glance at various surveys conducted by experts on illnesses including cancers is enough to reveal the evil nature of alcoholic drinks to any person of sound mind. The holy Prophet(PBUH) has been quoted as having expressed total opposition to the consumption of alcohol. His Holiness once addressed a man who thought that Khamr (wine, intoxicating drinks) could be used as a medicine such: “Truly Khamr is not a medicine. Rather it is aliment.”

As for the harms caused by the consumption of alcoholic drinks to human societies as a whole, just remember the domination of the enemies of Islam over Muslims in the event of the fall of Andalus. According to authentic historical surveys, the European wine was made to penetrate Andalus in order to corrupt the Muslim youths. This evil trend was promulgated to such an extent that drinking wine turned into an ordinary thing among Muslim youths and that those who avoided drinking wine were called fanatics.

No doubt, that ominous plot was one of the chief causes behind the fall of Andalus and the elimination of the Muslim rule there.

To pave the grounds for such devilish phenomena, the enemies of Islam who have invariably been struggling to poison the Muslims with their nasty ideas and dominate them thus, launched all-sided cultural assaults through,among other things, plotting to rob the Muslims of their faith and make them indifferent to their faith and make them indifferent to their religious decrees. In this connection, they also used a number of alluring and physically attractive women. It was due to such Satanic plans that after a while, the enemies of Islam succeeded in overpowering the Muslims and subsequently subjecting them to oppression, torture and humiliation of incredible sorts and terrible degrees.

A very significant point to be mentioned here is that one of the reasons for the rise of the master of the martyrs, Imam Hussein (AS) against Yazid was Yazid’s being a drunkard.

Imam Hussein (AS) has been quoted as having described Yazid thus: “Yazid is a transgressor, a lewd, a drunkard, a murderer and one who commits sins publically and shamelessly.” No doubt, drinking wine and all other intoxicants is among sins bringing about severe punishment in the Hereafter, besides causing various ailments and failures in this world. In Islamic Narrations (Ahadith), drinking intoxicants has been regarded to be on the same level of evil as idol-worshipping. Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) has said: “ My intercession (with Allah) on the Day of Judgment will not embrace those who drink wine.” Also, Imam Ali(AS) has been quoted as having said: “ Three groups will not enter the Paradise; the murderers, the drunkards and the tale-bearers.”

Source: Persian magazine, Roshd-e-Amoozesh-e-Qur’an