Author: M. Shoaib Ghaznawi
Gradual Suicide; Drinking Alcohol (Part two)
Alcoholic Beverages from the Perspective of Islam
Unlike other religions whose teachings are based on isolation and withdrawal from society—such as Christianity, Brahmanism, and Buddhism—or those that have focused only on training a specific tribe or race, such as Judaism, Islam has placed its system of education and upbringing within a global social framework. This system secures the well-being of humanity in the realm of civilization—which man can never dispense with—by creating complete unity and harmony among individuals. Islam envisions the formation of a community whose constituent is a pure and distinguished human being, who through his evolutionary progress can attain the complete happiness of humanity.
On this basis, Islam considers the natural (innate) human being as the foundation for structuring its intended society. That is, the human being created by the Divine system of creation, endowed with the blessing of sound intellect, and thus distinguished from other animal species. Such a person is free from the pollution of superstitions, false inherited traditions, and vain imaginations. This matter is evident with utmost clarity throughout the Book of Allah (the Noble Qur’an).
Islam recognizes that the human being created by the Divine system and endowed with sound intellect perceives with his God-given nature that he, along with every other created being, is seeking happiness and well-being in the journey of life. He realizes that in his very existence, survival, and fulfillment of needs, he is in no way independent but in every respect dependent on others.
Likewise, no other creature within creation has brought itself into existence or can independently manage its existence and survival. The entire universe, consisting of humanity and all other phenomena, depends on a reality beyond nature, governed by an invincible hidden will through universal laws of causality, and thus continues its existence.
This understanding leads humankind to the conclusion that he must submit to the One God—possessor of life, knowledge, and power beyond nature—and move towards the purpose for which his being has been structured, a purpose entrusted to reason.
The Noble Qur’an declares: “Religion is none other than submission to the One God,” and it further emphasizes that religion is a series of teachings harmonized with the unique creation of human beings, meeting the existential needs of man with ultimate balance: “The religion of Allah is based on His creation with which He has fashioned mankind, and the creation of Allah is not subject to change or alteration.”
Whoever reflects, even slightly, upon this definitive Islamic principle—“Humanity must live collectively in a way that aligns with human creation”—will conclude that Islam regards the preservation of sound intellect as one of the greatest obligations and never allows it to be corrupted, even momentarily. And indeed, this is the case.
Islam entrusts the management of individual and social life to sound intellect, permitting no interference from false emotions, except within the limits approved by reason. Hence, Islam prevents with all force anything that disrupts or diminishes the natural functioning of this divine gift, neutralizing reason and wisdom. Thus, gambling—founded on chance—lying, slander, fraud in transactions, and anything of this kind that disrupts social intellect and undermines judgment are forbidden.
Among these prohibitions is the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which Islam strongly forbids. Drinking alcohol, more than any other factor undermining intellect and wisdom, directly targets the mind and consciousness. Its very purpose is the destruction of reason and the empowerment of uncontrolled passions. For this reason, its harmful consequences—whether in terms of health, morals, psychology, or religion—spread widely among individuals and societies, and are undeniable.
Not a year passes in human history without thousands upon thousands of alcoholics being afflicted with diseases of the stomach, lungs, liver, nerves, and others, filling hospitals. Not a year passes without countless mentally ill alcoholics being transferred to asylums. Not a year passes without millions losing moral restraint, falling into psychological disorders, or becoming victims of mental afflictions. Not a year passes without this deadly poison causing hundreds of millions of murders, suicides, crimes, thefts, betrayals, immorality, scandals, exposure of secrets, foul speech, slander, and torment, or reducing honorable human beings to the state of wild beasts unbound by any law or regulation.
The pure intellect lost daily through the consumption of hundreds of millions of liters of alcohol is a tragic and irreparable loss. From a psychological standpoint, no hope of goodness or expectation of collective prosperity can be held from a society that continually loses all—or at least the greater part—of its distinctive human trait: sound and pure reasoning.
The Noble Qur’an, when first prohibiting the consumption of wine, briefly referred to all its individual and social harms, calling it “ithm”—an evil act bringing harmful consequences and deprivation. In the final and most emphatic prohibition, the Qur’an mentions two of its grave dangers which, if infiltrated into human society, would undermine its very foundation and ultimately topple the edifice of public happiness.
In Surah al-Ma’idah, verse 91, it declares: “Intoxicants sow enmity and hatred among you and distract you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer.”
It is clear that the sole aim of Islamic teachings is to build a righteous society where unity and affection prevail, where individuals regard themselves as accountable before God for implementing human laws that guarantee their prosperity, and where in no circumstance do they forget God or neglect their responsibilities.
At first, Islam faced difficulties in enforcing the prohibition of wine and eradicating the desire for it from people’s minds. Nevertheless, it achieved astonishing success in the enforcement and public acceptance of this difficult ruling. The verse of Surah al-Ma’idah—the final verse prohibiting wine—indicates that even after several years of prohibition, people had not fully abandoned their long-standing habit. Yet, as historical reports suggest, once the final prohibition was revealed, people instantly renounced wine drinking, smashing every wine jar and vessel in the streets and pouring out their contents. It is never reported that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), between the prohibition and his demise, anyone was punished for drinking wine—whereas punishments for murder, adultery, and other forbidden acts were indeed applied.
Throughout the thirteen to fourteen centuries since the rise of Islam, hundreds of millions of Muslims have lived and died without ever tasting a drop of this deadly poison. In Muslim lands where hundreds of millions reside—except in large cities influenced by modern civilization, where this poison has spread along with it—it can be confidently stated that millions of Muslims have never seen wine in their lifetime.
Continues…
By admin2