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Is Alcohol Consumption A Sin?
To my understanding, alcohol consumption is not a sin but leads to sins. If it is a sin, what is a reference from Quran calling it a sin.
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8 Replies
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Is Alcohol Consumption A Sin?
updated 4 months ago
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Replies
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Thanks Saad. Unlike items that are explicitly prohibited in Quran, eating pig, eating blood or charging interest on money loans, alcohol consumption is not explicitly prohibited in Quran, but it sounds like an advice to stay away from Alcohol. It seems like Alcohol consumption is a path towards sin and thus path has to be blocked. It makes sense, but in many other cases, the path to sin itself is not considered sin until a sin is committed. Such as meeting women in private or chatting with them without an essential reason. So why alcohol is a sin and for example meeting women in private is not a sin?
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Lust for women do not consume human reasoning immediately, lust clouds judgment over time. But alcohol can take human reasoning immediately. Human personality and intellect is very sacred to God and He does not like it when a man kills it with alcohol and become a creature of desires and instinct under intoxication. It is also Allah’s mercy that He did not prescribe a punishment for going near zina otherwise it is a minor sin and He could have put a punishment for it, but He choose to be tolerant and let individual handle it.
The thing that is interesting though, Allah calls alcohol as dirty satanic actions. Not many actions get this name from Allah, it shows that is more than just an advice, He really hates it. Now the question for a Muslim is not following Satan is just an ‘advice’ or a serious matter considering Allah calls Satan an open enemy (not even a indirect one).
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Anything that “intoxicates” is specifically termed Haram by Quran. Please see 2:219 read with 7:33.
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Thanks. I do not see anything in these two verses.
[2:219] They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, “In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit.” They also ask you what to give to charity: say, “The excess.” GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect,
[7:33] Say, “My Lord prohibits only evil deeds, be they obvious or hidden, and sins, and unjustifiable aggression, and to set up beside GOD powerless idols, and to say about GOD what you do not know.”
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Thank you Saad and Hassan for your help. I am not totally convinced yet. Only a small set of people, with certain genetics become alcoholic to loose their mind and commit regrettable acts. Rest do not become dependent on it. They just feel happier and bolder with Alcohol.
I do not read Hadith, but if that is a source of reliable information, then Alcohol is certainly strictly prohibited and a big sin; otherwise Quran doesn’t seem to be clear on this. Also calling Alcohol a sin breaks the consistency of message in Quran where source to sin is not called a sin.
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The logic isn’t sound. As Ghamidi Sahab gave an example, few people who break traffic laws end up in an accident, that does not mean we are going to forsake traffic laws. The general command will remain the same, especially in element that are addictive.
The Hadith is historical information, it showed how the Prophet PBUH and Sahaba treated alcohol is ‘special’ kind of sin due to its intoxication. They may tolerate minor sins like approaching women with wrong intentions until zina was committed but they did not have same tolerance towards alcohol, so to limit it to just a ‘minor’ sin is not an accurate estimate. It’s not the worst sin but it is a major if you want to understand Ghamidi Sahab’s point of view.
Even if you argue that alcohol has benefits, Allah has also shot down that argument in the Qur’an.
They ask you about drinking and gambling. Say: There is great sin in both, they also have some benefits for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefits…….(Qur’an 2:219)
Lastly the distinction is that drinking alcohol in small quantity might be argued to be the minor sin but getting drunk is the major sin as understood by Prophet PBUH, by Sahaba and the scholars, there is a consensus here. And while Allah has chosen to forgive minor sins as long as major sins are avoided, does not change that He does see minor sins as sins in verse 4:31, it’s just His mercy that He choose to forgive, this is not eliminate ‘sin’ status of an action. He was angry, but He choose to relent.
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