2. Drinking Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks are harmful drinks that are completely antithetical to human nature. The true state is that human beings are sober and alert. It is not acceptable to lose control and become drowsy and lazy. The result of leaving alertness is generally to fall into deviation. The latter course is inevitable for those who see drinking alcohol as natural.

Drinking alcohol is a great cause of mischief for both the individual and the society. Drinking alcohol harms mental capabilities, while all affairs regarding the world and the hereafter can only be conducted with intelligence. When mental capabilities are lost, a person makes unbelievable mistakes. Just like spirits fire up the moment a spark falls into them, it is that easy to fire up evil in a mind and heart that are addicted to alcohol.

Through alcohol and gambling Satan instills animosity and enmity among people, he sets them against each other. By preventing them from the remembrance of Allah, prayer and worship, he makes them destitute here and in the hereafter. In short, Satan destroys both their world and their hereafter.[1]

Russian professor Rachinsky says the following wise words:

“Satan waits within the bottle and takes away from alcohol addicts all they have. He evens grabs the last shirt that they have and the last bite that the baby that they are holding would eat. In addition, Satan takes away from the people and families that he enslaved their health, chastity, conscience, cheer and joy, serenity and happiness. As he breaks the resolution and feeling to work, he also deprives them from all kinds of earnings. First of all, kindly think about how much intermediary labor is lost in vain in producing alcohol and drinks. Kindly calculate how much food, drink, and labor is wasted unduly to prepare this many kinds of alcoholic drinks. If the billions of kilograms of bread, plums, figs, and grapes that people recklessly wasted in the swamp of alcohol were to be added up, there would never be hunger or pricy food in the world. Leaving aside human beings, every kind of food sufficient to even feed animals could have been found!

“The budget of the Satan in the bottle cannot be known in its entirety. This is because those who follow Satan pay fully the tax of using alcohol. But the same people drag their feet to pay back what they owe to other people. Satan always and fully cashes all of his receivables. Even if these people do not have sufficient money to pay, they either steal or kill or sell the honor and chastity of themselves or their families, but they make sure that they pay the tax of Satan.

“Because of alcohol, the lives of many valuable and outstanding people have been destroyed. These people have always lost the values that they have. Alcohol and drinking have ruined the health of millions of great people. Just like sound and large buildings cannot be built on top of a swamp, it is not possible to establish lasting order and a serene life in a nation of alcoholics and drunks. For this reason, the activities of amelioration need to start first from waking up this nation from this terrible situation.”[2]

According to the World Health Organization’s latest reports that encompass thirty countries, 85% of homicides (about 60-70 % of these victimizing one’s own family), 50% of sexual assaults, 50% of violent incidents, 70% of domestic violence, 60% of absenteeism, and 40-50% of mental illnesses originate in alcohol abuse. The likelihood of mental problems developing in babies born to alcoholics is about 90% high. For an alcoholic woman, the risk of giving birth to a baby who has a handicap is 35%. This is because alcohol prevents growth in the mother’s womb and the after-birth development, and it causes mental retardation, shortness of height, and behavioral problems. Since the children of alcoholics live in a family atmosphere with continuous quarreling and violence, the risk of increased emotional collapse and behavioral problems is very high. Hence, most of these children are unsuccessful in school and in life.[3]

According to an official report of the English government, the burden of fighting, injuries, hospital expenses and the like due to alcohol on the English economy is an annual 20 billion sterling pounds (about 30 billion US dollars).[4]

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) has commanded us, “Never drink alcohol because it is the mother of all evil and mischief.” (Ibn-i Majah, Ashriba, 1). He also said, “If much of something makes one drunk then even a little of it is also prohibited.” (Abu Dawud, Ashriba, 5/3861; Tirmizi, Ashriba, 3/1865).

For this reason, one should not be deceived by those who say “Nothing happens by drinking a little so as not to cause drunkenness.” The criterion is quite clear, if more of something causes drunkenness, then a little of the same is also prohibited. Islam wants to prevent evil in the best manner by blocking all the roads to sin. It disregards theoretical solutions that do not go well with the practice of life. It establishes prohibitions with great wisdom in order for them to be deterred and gives the most appropriate punishments to those who violate these prohibitions. This situation shows how much our religion values human beings and embraces them with infinite compassion and mercy.



[1].     Al-Mâida (The Table), 5: 90-91.

 

[2].     Grigory Petrov, Ideal Öğretmen (The Ideal Teacher), Istanbul 2005, pp. 48-52.

 

[3].     Musa Tosun, Article: “Içki” (Alcoholic Drinks), Diyanet Islâm Ansiklopedisi – Encyclopedia of Islam (Republic of Turkey, Presidency of Religous Affairs), XXI, p.463.

 

[4].     The Guardian, Saturday March 27 2004, “Sobering thoughts about a claim”, Sean COUGHAN.

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