Can Muslims drink alcohol? Now we will examine this issue in detail, find out all the nuances. It is well known that Muslims do not drink alcohol. It is forbidden. They do not eat alcohol-containing products, do not use perfumes with alcohol and stay away from all types of intoxicating substances. This abstinence is a commandment from Allah. But why is alcohol haram (forbidden) in Islam? Let's figure it out.
Alcoholic drinks in Islam
Why don't Muslims drink alcohol? This is forbidden by the texts of the Qur'an (see 5:90). Alcohol is illegal (haram) and is considered unclean (naji). Consumption in any quantity is prohibited, even if the drink does not create any intoxicating effects. Muslims are not allowed to attend prayers while drunk (Qur'an 4:43). A later verse of the Prophet Muhammad says that although alcohol has some healing advantages, its negative effects outweigh the good (Quran, 2: 219).
Finally, intoxicants and gambling were called scripture the “abominations of the hands of Satan.” Therefore, people with self-awareness were asked not to turn away from Allah and not to forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (Quran 5: 90-91). The Prophet Muhammad also instructed his companions to avoid any intoxicating substances. For this reason, most Muslims refuse to use alcohol in any form.
Alcohol and Prayer
Why are Muslims not allowed to drink alcohol? Next, we consider several main reasons:
- Alcohol and prayer are incompatible.
- Prayer is a fundamental part of the Muslim lifestyle, a compulsory call to God five times a day. Alcohol affects it, according to Islamic scholars.
- Everyone who drinks alcohol cannot pray for a month, unless he repents.
Alcohol is addictive
Even when Muslims used alcohol for medical purposes, the Prophet Muhammad compared the drink to the disease, stating that there was no cure for what God had forbidden. Willpower is needed to stop drinking alcohol, which absorbs intelligence.
Alcohol consumption makes it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. Muslim faith is based on intelligence, rational thought, and sound judgment. Anything that could jeopardize this behavior is prohibited. This is another reason Muslims do not drink.
Wrong Example
If we talk about whether it is possible for Muslims to drink alcohol, then I would like to note that drinking alcohol gives a wrong example to children. And those who believe in Allah have family values above all else. Sitting in a restaurant serving alcohol is not the same as drinking it. Bars where alcohol is served can cause it to be consumed in the presence of children. And this can push them to addiction. Adult Muslims are role models and make it clear that you do not need to drink for a good pastime, work or communication.
Any intoxicating substance, whether it is wine, beer, gin, whiskey or drugs, affects a person’s abilities and behavior. The result is the same, and the Qur'an states that this intoxication, which makes one forget about God and prayer, is bad.
Alcohol can lead to crime
Although this is a contradictory statement, in Islam alcohol is considered in close relation to the creation of criminal behavior. This is not a prohibition of the drug use of alcohol. The Qur'an explains: “(in alcohol) there is great sin and (some) benefits, but sin outweighs its benefit” (2: 219). Modern fatwa (Islamic rule) classifies alcohol that is not consumed as permitted for external use (perfumes and deodorants) until it is used for intoxication.
For Muslims, when something is done by haraam, it means that the thing is unhealthy. That is, Muslims should not encourage others to consume alcohol, regardless of who they are. Work related to the sale of alcohol is classified as haraam. The Prophet Muhammad forbade people to perform all activities related to the wine industry, including the manufacture, maintenance, sale or purchase. This is to stop the spread of harm caused by alcohol.
Do not really drink?
Understanding whether Muslims actually drink alcohol, we note that much depends on lifestyle. For some, drinking alcohol while eating and communicating is the norm. Usually such Muslims simply do not indulge. This is a general assumption that Muslim citizens cannot drink alcohol. It’s not that all believers of Islam walked sober through life, but it is still believed that alcohol is a sin. Muslims are indeed allowed to drink. Wine is even glorified in their holy book, the Qur'an.
What does the Qur'an say?
Many people ask: “Is it possible for Muslims to drink alcohol?” Alcohol consumption is not prohibited by the Quran, as many claim. There are three passages that point to this. However, in no case is it called haram, or forbidden by God, for example, as pork meat. Here are three passages: Koran 2: 219 “They ask you about alcohol and gambling. Say: they have harm and poison for men. But their harm brings good consequences. ” Koran 4:43 "Do not approach prayers while you are drunk." Koran 5:90 “O Those Who Believe! Intoxication and gambling, (dedication) with stones and (prediction) with arrows are the abominations of the hands of Satan: so avoid this so that you can prosper. " Yes, alcohol is not encouraged here. Although it is said that there are good sides, the emphasis is on the bad consequences. Nevertheless, it is more like an advice to stop drinking.
Winemaking
Let's see if Muslims can drink alcohol? Excerpt from the Qur'an, which refers to alcohol: Quran 16:67 “And from the fruits of date palms and grapes you get alcoholic drinks and goods. Truly, this is a sign for people who use their understanding. ” This verse no doubt says that God gave grapes to people so that they could make alcoholic drinks. That's right, winemaking is encouraged here.
Although moderate alcohol is encouraged in Islam, it is absolutely not prohibited. The Qur'an does not say anywhere that it is a haram or a sinner. The prophet Muhammad himself, who is an example for the Muslims themselves, drank wine, like his companions and Jesus, who are also considered prophets in Islam.
Values higher than spirits
Understanding whether it is possible for Muslims to drink alcohol, let us say that values in Islam present alcoholic drinks as unnecessary. Muslims were instilled with family values and a safe lifestyle. Thus, with Islam, you no longer need to drink to get rid of unhappiness and stress, slipping into a fantasy world. Thinking about whether Muslims drink alcohol, it is worth saying that fear of Allah helps Muslims stay away not only from alcohol, but also from all other evils prohibited by the Qur'an, such as adultery, abuse of wives and children, gambling. Attempts to abolish alcohol in America (during the ban period) and drugs (the “War on Drugs”) were unsuccessful. Because the factors that make people in the US drink and use drugs have not been eliminated.
Why do people drink?
What makes people drink? Many factors. For example, some people at work have close contact with alcohol. Or they work where alcohol is freely available. In addition, being able to afford to spend money on alcohol and have free time to drink it is a way to have a good time or look sexy. But, unfortunately, this opinion is erroneous. And not many understand it.
Finally, the example of other drinkers, usually friends or families, can make one think that drinking alcohol is normal. Alcoholics (people prone to excessive drinking), as a rule, want immediate gratification and are addicted to this worldly pleasure. They are not inclined to care for long-term consequences. In the United States today, much of the economy revolves around the alcohol industry. The government, for example, collects a significant amount of money from alcohol taxes. Do you think that today the US government can take seriously the desire to get rid of alcohol? Companies producing alcohol continue to spend a lot of money on commercials. And then they donate part of their profits in order to “help” some people whose lives were ruined by consuming their product.
Help your neighbor get rid of addiction
But still, is it possible for Muslims to drink alcohol? A Muslim practitioner will not touch liquor for fear of Allah. Those who usually feel a great deal of guilt violate the Qur'an injunction. Many drinkers stop this addiction during Ramadan. Sometimes excessive drinkers are so altered as a result of the hajj (pilgrimage) that they never drink again. In a true Islamic state, a person is unlikely to reach the point of physical dependence on alcohol. Friends, family and neighbors will not just look away until a person destroys himself and his family. Muslims are thought to be very involved in correcting the mistakes they see. Islam is a very community-oriented faith. A person has nowhere to do what he wants, if it harms others. Causing harm to himself by alcohol, a drinker harms to loved ones.
Too much blame for drinking alcohol can make a person feel very bad. To balance this feeling, Muslims need to remember the mercy and forgiveness of Allah. "And those who, having done something to be ashamed or offend their own souls, sincerely urge Allah to think and ask for forgiveness for their sins, and who can forgive sins except Allah? --- and never stubbornly consciously remaining in (delusion) ), what did they do". (3: 135).
Conclusion
The evidence of the ban on alcohol in Islam is absolutely overwhelming. Unlike other issues where there is controversy among scholars, the problem of alcohol has 100% consensus among students of Islam, leaving no doubt. Most people living in Western countries will eventually come across those who claim that alcohol is not prohibited. Do not doubt that a Muslim should never drink alcohol. Because alcohol is forbidden for them. If you come across a Muslim who consumes alcohol, either out of ignorance or deliberately, he deceives verses from the Koran.