Islam and Alcohol?

[Druidus]

It was my understanding that drinking alcohol was forbidden in Islam. However, I recently read that there are several Islamic states wherein alcohol consumption is allowed, and being a Muslim doesn't automatically mean that one cannot drink alcohol. In fact, there are some groups of Muslims that are staunch followers of Muhammed and still see no reason not to drink alcohol, as long as it is done responsibly and not to excess.

Then I came across an interesting article while searching the internet on the subject. Here's an excerpt:

It’s quite well possible to be a good Muslim and still enjoy a drink once in a while.

It is a general assumption that Muslims can not drink alcohol. Not that all believers of Islam go through life sober, but still it’s considered a sin to have a beer. Well, we did a lot of research and in this story we will explain to you why this assumption is wrong. Muslims are indeed allowed to drink. Wine is even glorified in their holy book the Quran and the prophet Muhammad himself drunk too. We hope that soon everywhere in the Middle East the sounds of glasses bashing into eachother will replace those of gunshots. Here we go…

Link: Muslims can drink, just like Muhammad

(Btw, that site has a number of interesting articles pertaining to alcohol.)

Anyway, I'm not going to trust an article by an admitted non-Muslim on the matter. So what do the Muslims of RF have to say on the subject? Is alcohol forbidden for the righteous Muslim? Why? If it is, was it always that way? If it wasn't always that way, when and why did it become as it is now?

I hope that maybe a couple different Muslims with different views on Islam could post in this thread and enlighten me further. I don't plan on debating here, really, I'm not a Muslim, and so it doesn't really apply to me (lol, who am I to say someone is "doing Islam wrong" over alcohol?), but I'm putting the thread in "Religious Debates" because there may be differing views from different Muslims (at least, according to the things I've read recently, there should be).

If you're not a Muslim but still have relevant information to bring to the discussion, or just want to comment on posts by others (or the article I posted), feel free to join in too.

 

[WonderWho]

I was once told by a Muslim that he Quaran actually says to 'avoid alcohol', which gives drinkers some latitude. I don't know Arabic, so have no idea if this true or just an excuse.
Hopefully an Arabic speaker can comment.

 

[psychoslice]

I feel that if alcohol was allowed, there would be less stress there, my opinion.

 

[seeking4truth]

My understanding is that the Quran says alcohol has some benefit and some harm but its' harm is greater than its benefit.
I believe it is permitted by some Muslims as a medicine/drug used when necessary for healing/sterilization.
Eating pig's meat is also permitted to save life if it is the only food source and to the minimum required to save life.


Interest interests me since it is never permitted yet I have never found Muslims of any description having the same hatred for interest that they have for the pig.
The Quran states that God will destroy interest and cause charity to increase.(ch 2 v.276)
Personally I think it is the use of interest and the worship of wealth it has created that is causing the economic crisis effecting us all now.

 

[Farrukh]

Alcohol is prohibited in Islam, if you have to check Islamic teaching, consulting lordsofthedrinks will be ridiculous.

 

[cocokorina]

islam allows alcohol only in the heaven. there will be rivers of wine flowing in jannah/heaven.

{They will exchange with one another a cup [of wine] wherein [results] no ill speech or commission of sin.} [Quran 52:23]
{White and delicious to the drinkers; No bad effect is there in it, nor from it will they be intoxicated.} [Quran 37:46-47]

 

[seeking4truth]

ch 2 v.219
They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men, and their sin is greater than their profit. And they ask you as to what they should spend. Say: What you can spare. Thus does Allah make clear to you the communications, that you may ponder
ch 5 v.90
O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.

You are right. For a believer, alcohol is not allowed according to the second verse quoted above.

Remember descriptions of heaven are allegories not to be taken literally. It is described so for us to have some idea of what is in fact spiritual. Also the 'rivers of wine' of heaven do not intoxicate.

 

[Pastek]

It was my understanding that drinking alcohol was forbidden in Islam. However, I recently read that there are several Islamic states wherein alcohol consumption is allowed, and being a Muslim doesn't automatically mean that one cannot drink alcohol. In fact, there are some groups of Muslims that are staunch followers of Muhammed and still see no reason not to drink alcohol, as long as it is done responsibly and not to excess.

Alcohol is not permitted at all like pig or non-halal food.

The only difference is that in general, muslims will still considerate you as muslim if you drink alcohol.

In a muslim state the non-muslims can make alcohol and sell it, but i've seen that in reallity some muslims also do it. Why ? I don't know.
However the religion doesn't permit to a muslim to make alcohol, sell it or drink it.

Here the verses about alcohol, see by yourself :

2.219 They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit."

5.90 O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.

5.91 Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?


I think it's pretty clear.

 

[Maldini]

It's banned. No two ways about it.

 

[Godobeyer]

My understanding is that the Quran says alcohol has some benefit and some harm but its' harm is greater than its benefit.
I believe it is permitted by some Muslims as a medicine/drug used when necessary for healing/sterilization.
Eating pig's meat is also permitted to save life if it is the only food source and to the minimum required to save life.


Interest interests me since it is never permitted yet I have never found Muslims of any description having the same hatred for interest that they have for the pig.
The Quran states that God will destroy interest and cause charity to increase.(ch 2 v.276)
Personally I think it is the use of interest and the worship of wealth it has created that is causing the economic crisis effecting us all now.

Very Well said

 

[SkylarHunter]

I don't know what their book says about alcohol, but many of the muslims where I live drink like there's no tomorrow.

 

[Druidus]

I was once told by a Muslim that he Quaran actually says to 'avoid alcohol', which gives drinkers some latitude. I don't know Arabic, so have no idea if this true or just an excuse.

As far as I know, that is what the Qur'an says; alcohol is not labelled haaram (in the text itself).

Alcohol is prohibited in Islam, if you have to check Islamic teaching, consulting lordsofthedrinks will be ridiculous.

As I said before: "I'm not going to trust an article by an admitted non-Muslim on the matter." I don't know why you felt you needed to say that, as I made it clear that I understood that LordsoftheDrink was not an authoritative source for information on the beliefs of Muslims.

You are right. For a believer, alcohol is not allowed according to the second verse quoted above.

2.219 They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit."

5.90 O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.

5.91 Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?


I think it's pretty clear.

But is it not true that while pig flesh is labeled "haaram", alcohol is not? Why would alcohol not be explicitly labeled haaram, if it is meant to be wholly forbidden? It seems to me that it's just strongly discouraged, not explicitly forbidden, at least according to the scriptural sources. Extra-scriptural authority may have labelled it "haaram", but, AFAIK, it isn't declared as such within the Qur'an.

(Don't take this the wrong way, I just genuinely want to understand more.)