Q. Why is the consumption
of alcohol prohibited in Islaam?
Answer..
Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues
to cost countless human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout
the world. Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The
statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses
and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the
destructive power of alcohol.
1. Prohibition of alcohol in the Qur'ân
The Glorious Qur'ân prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the following
verse: "O ye who believe! Intoxicants and Gambling, (Dedication of) stones,
And (divination by) arrows, Are an Abomination - Of Satan's handiwork; Eschew
such (abomination), That ye may prosper." [Al-Qur'ân 5:90]
2. Prohibition of alcohol in the Bible
The Bible prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the following verses:
a. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise."
b. "And be not drunk with wine." [Ephesians 5:18]
3. Alcohol inhibits the inhibitory center
The human beings possess an inhibitory centre in their brains. This inhibitory
centre prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. For instance
a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents
or elders. If he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will
prevent him from doing so in public. Therefore he uses the toilet.
When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. That
is precisely the reason that an inebriated person is often found to be indulging
in behaviour that is completely uncharacteristic of him. For instance the intoxicated
person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake
even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate in their clothes. Neither
do they talk nor walk properly. They even misbehave.
4. Cases of adultery, rape, incest and AIDS are found more among alcoholics
According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department
of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713 rapes took place.
The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while
committing the crime. The same is true in cases of molestation.
According to statistics, 8% of Americans commit incest i.e. one in every twelve
to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. Almost all the cases of
incest are due to intoxication of one or both the persons involved.
One of the major factors associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded
disease, is alcoholism.
5. Every alcoholic was initially a social drinker
Many may argue in favour of liquor by calling themselves 'social drinkers'.
They claim that they only have one or two pegs and they have self-control and
so never get intoxicated. Investigations reveal that every alcoholic started
as a social drinker. Not a single alcoholic or drunkard initially starts drinking
with the intention of becoming an alcoholic or a drunkard. No social drinker
can say that I have been having alcohol for several years and that I have so
much self-control that I have never been intoxicated even a single time.
. If a person is intoxicated just once and commits something shameful, it will
remain with him for a lifetime.
Suppose a 'social drinker' loses his self-control just once. In a state of intoxication
he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human
being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Both the perpetrator
and the victim are irreparably and irreversibly damaged.
6. Alcohol is prohibited in the Hadith
The Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
a. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No.
3371.
"Alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is the most shameful of evils."
b. In Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No.
3392
"Anything which intoxicates in a large quantity, is prohibited even in
a small quantity."
Thus there is no excuse for a nip or a tot.
c. Not only those who drink alcohol are cursed but also those who deal with
them directly or indirectly are cursed by Allaah.
According to Sunan Ibn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith
No. 3380.
It was reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) said: "God's curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol.
The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who
drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the
one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it,
the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else."
7. Diseases associated with alcoholism
There are several scientific reasons for the prohibition of consumption of intoxicants
i.e. alcohol. The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular
cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year
only because of intake of alcohol. I need not go into the details of all the
ill-effects of alcohol since most of them are commonly known. Below is a
simple list of few of the alcohol related illnesses:
1. Cirrhosis of Liver is the most well known alcohol associated disease.
2. Others are Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver
(Hepatoma), Cancer of Bowel, etc.
3. Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis and Hepatitis are linked with alcohol
consumption.
4. Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina and Heart
Attacks are linked with heavy alcohol intakes.
5. Strokes, Apoplexy, Fits and different types of Paralysis are linked with
alcohol intake.
6. Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy are well-known
syndromes caused by alcohol consumption.
7. Wernicke - Korsakoff syndrome with amnesia of recent events, confabulations
and retainment of memory to old events with different types of paralysis are
mainly due to thiamine deficiency due to excessive alcohol intake.
The ill effects of alcohol consumption on women deserves special mention.
Females are more vulnerable to alcohol-related Cirrhosis than men. During pregnancy
alcohol consumption has a severe detrimental effect on the foetus. Foetal Alcohol
Syndrome is being recognised more and more in the medical profession.
8. Alcoholism is a 'disease'
Medical doctors have now turned liberal towards alcoholics and call alcoholism
a disease rather than an addiction.
The Islamic Research Foundation has published a pamphlet that says:
If alcohol is a disease, it is the only disease that:
- Is sold in bottles
- Is advertised in newspapers, magazines, on radio and television
- Has licensed outlets to spread it
- Produces revenue for the government
- Brings violent deaths on the highways
- Destroys family life and increases crime
- Has no germs or viral cause
ALCOHOLISM IS NOT A DISEASE - IT IS SATAN'S HANDIWORK
Allaah (swt) in His Infinite Wisdom has warned us against this snare of Satan.
Islam is called the "Deen-ul-Fitrah" or the natural religion of Man.
All its injunctions are aimed at preserving the natural state of man. Alcohol
is a deviation from this natural state, for the individual as well as for society.
It degrades man to a level below that of the beasts he claims to be superior
to. Hence the consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islaam.
Q Why is the eating of pork forbidden in Islam? ANSWER..
The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The
following points explain various aspects of this prohibition:
1. Pork prohibited in Qur'ân
The Qur'ân prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different
places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.
"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine,
and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah." [Al-Qur'ân
5:3]
The above verses of the Holy Qur'ân are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim
as to why pork is forbidden.
2. Pork prohibited in the Bible
The Christian is likely to be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bible
prohibits the consumption of pork, in the book of Leviticus
"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he
cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you". "Of their flesh shall
ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you."
[Leviticus 11:7-8]
Pork is also prohibited in the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy
"And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud,
it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead
carcass." [Deuteronomy 14:8]
A similar prohibition is repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter
65 verse 2-5.
3. Consumption of pork causes several diseases
The other non-Muslims and atheists will agree only if convinced through reason,
logic and science. Eating of pork can cause no less than seventy different types
of diseases. A person can have various helminthes like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm,
etc. One of the most dangerous is Taenia Solium, which is in lay man's terminology
called tapeworm. It harbours in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e.
eggs, enter the blood stream and can reach almost all the organs of the body.
If it enters the brain it can cause memory loss. If it enters the heart it can
cause heart attack, if it enters the eye it can cause blindness, if it enters
the liver it can cause liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of
the body.
Another dangerous helminthes is Trichura Tichurasis. A common misconception
about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die. In a research project
undertaken in America, it was found that out of twenty-four people suffering
from Trichura Tichurasis, twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This indicates
that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking temperature.
4. Pork has fat building material
Pork has very little muscle building material and contains excess of fat. This
fat gets deposited in the vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack.
It is not surprising that over 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.
5. Pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth
The pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck,
faeces and dirt. It is the best scavenger that I know that God has produced.
In the villages they don't have modern toilets and the villagers excrete in
the open air. Very often excreta is cleared by pigs.
Some may argue that in advanced countries like Australia, pigs are bred in very
clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic conditions the pigs are
kept together in sties. No matter how hard you try to keep them clean they are
filthy by nature. They eat and enjoy their own as well as their neighbour's
excreta.
6. Pig is the most shameless animal
The pig is the most shameless animal on the face of the earth. It is the only
animal that invites its friends to have sex with its mate. In America, most
people consume pork. Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives;
i.e. many say "you sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife."
If you eat pigs then you behave like pigs. We pakistanis look upon America to
be very advanced and sophisticated. Whatever they do, we follow after a few
years. According to an article in Island magazine, this practice of swapping
wives has become common in the affluent circles of Bombay.If
u eat pigs u act like pigs!