Author: M. Shoaib Ghaznawi
Gradual Suicide; Drinking Alcohol (Part 5)
Alcoholic Beverages and Their Destructive Effects
Alcohol-Related Mortality
According to official statistics published in the Kaplan source, after heart disease and cancer, alcohol-related disorders are considered the third major health problem in the United States. Based on American reports, around 200,000 deaths per year occur among alcoholic men and women in the United States. These deaths are caused by cancer, heart disease, suicide, and accidents. Moreover, alcoholics constitute one-quarter to one-third of psychiatric patients.
Beer: The Half-Brother of Alcoholic Beverages
Some people assume that the alcohol content in beer is low, or they mistakenly think that only wine is prohibited but not beer; therefore, they consume it. They are heedless of the fact that the first danger awaiting them through beer consumption is alcohol addiction, because the alcohol content in beer is not negligible—it sometimes reaches up to 12 percent. The harmful effects of even this level on the stomach and intestines cannot be overlooked.
In addition, beer consumption leads to:
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anxiety,
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hypersensitivity,
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insomnia,
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dizziness,
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palpitations,
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obesity and body malformation [1],
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vascular stiffness,
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fatty gland production in the neck,
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hair loss,
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and sexual disorders that may cause infertility, among other complications.
Note: Beer inherently produces alcohol [2]. Therefore, since the consumption of a large amount of beer results in intoxication, the consumption of even a small amount is prohibited (haram) according to the majority of Sunni scholars [3].
General Harms of Wine Consumption
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The wine drinker destroys his body, which comprises three great divine blessings: health, life, and leisure.
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The wine drinker abandons congregational prayer and does not even perform its make-up (qada).
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The wine drinker cannot fast or perform the obligation of Hajj.
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The wine drinker is unable to provide financial support for his wife, children, and dependents.
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The wine drinker cannot fulfill his wife’s sexual rights, which are a religious obligation.
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The wine drinker cannot engage in lawful earning (which is an Islamic duty).
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The wine drinker fails to educate and nurture his children, which is a religious obligation.
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The wine drinker resorts to lying, false oaths, theft, begging, and wastefulness.
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The wine drinker tries to make others drink so as not to feel ashamed; usually, drinking begins as a gesture of politeness but gradually traps people in addiction.
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The wine drinker may be forced into prostitution, or even compelled to sell his children like slaves.
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The wine drinker either completely despairs of Allah’s mercy or, conversely, becomes emboldened in sin, dying faithless before natural death.
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Family disorder and domestic violence.
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Decline of cultural, social, and economic status of the family, leading to increased divorce.
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Superficial and artificial social relations, distancing from strong emotional bonds.
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Spread of crime and delinquency.
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Increase in murder, theft, and arson.
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Spread of infectious and dangerous diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis.
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High costs of purchasing wine and medical expenses for treatment.
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The rise of evil phenomena such as kidnapping, extortion, and destructive family or tribal conflicts.
continues…
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References:
[1] Malformation.
[2] For further explanation, see: The Effects of Alcoholic Beverages from the Perspective of Medical Science and Western Scholars, authored by Dr. Ali Asghar Akbari.
[3] Mahmoud al-Fatawa, Vol. 4, p. 360, Mufti Khudanazar (may Allah have mercy on him).
