Alcohol is consumed by many people worldwide. It’s often associated with negative consequences like driving under the influence and an increased risk of liver disease and cancer. But what about Muslims? Is drinking alcohol allowed in the Islamic faith? Do Muslims drink alcohol?
Let’s look at this a little deeper.
Table of Contents
1. Do Muslims Drink Alcohol?
No Muslims do not drink alcohol as it is explicitly forbidden according to the teachings of Islam. Although this is true a minority of Muslims do drink. They drink knowing that they are committing a sin, not that they think it is permissible.
Anything that intoxicates your mind is prohibited in Islam (haram). For the practicing Muslim, having the knowledge that God has forbidden alcohol should besufficient justification to abstain from it.
But why is alcohol prohibited and can Muslims drink at least a little? Let’s dig a little deeper.
2. Why is Drinking Alcohol Forbidden in Islam?
The first and most obvious reason as to why Muslims do not drink alcohol is because God said so. Muslims view God (Allah) as being the supreme and wise being that has all knowledge and knows what’s best for us.
But honestly, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that alcohol has benefits and has detrimental effects.
Unfortunately for all you drinkers out there its detrimental effects far outweigh its benefits. Take into consideration the following verse from the Quran.
“They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about intoxicants and gambling. Say, “There is great evil in both, as well as some benefit for people—but the evil outweighs the benefit.”They ˹also˺ ask you ˹O Prophet˺ what they should donate. Say, “Whatever you can spare.” This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you ˹believers˺, so perhaps you may reflect” (Quran 2:219).
Alcohol is a powerful demon that can wreak havoc on your body and soul. It’s not worth the benefits you think it might provide because its detrimental effects cancel out any type of positive effect this drug may have had for you in life.
In fact, alcohol will probably only make things worse as time goes by!
3. What is Some of the Wisdom Behind Abstaining From Alcohol?
According to the World Health Organization, alcohol kills three million people worldwide every year.
To put it differently, alcohol is responsible for 5.3%of all deathseach year. Alcohol-related sicknesses, injuries, accidents, suicides, and murdersaccount for about 1 in every 20 fatalities globally.
Alcohol-related deaths aremore common than HIV-related deaths, which account for fewer than 2% of all fatalities globally.
Imagine this. Millions and millions of people could still be alive today if alcohol wasn’t in the picture.
I get it, people have their own free choice it’s true. But at the end of the day, the detrimental effects of alcohol definitely do outweigh the benefits.
One of the main purposes of Islam is to preserve life and alcohol helps hinder that preservation in more ways than one.
So why would a Muslim want to put poison in their body? Why would they want to cloud their judgment?
If you view your body just like a vehicle the more control you have over the vehicle the better driver you are the less control the worse you are.
Similarly, the more control we have over our bodies the better drivers of our own bodies we become.
4. Can Muslims Drink a Little Bit of Alcohol?
You may be wondering if drinking in moderation is permissible in Islam. After all, if you just drink a little bit you won’t get drunk and you probably won’t die.
According to the hadith (sayings of the prophet), people should not consume any form of alcohol even if in moderation.
“The Prophet [PBUH] said: “I forbid to you small amounts of whatever intoxicates in large amounts.”(Sunan an-Nasa’i 5608)
Muslims cannot drink even a sip of alcohol. For Muslims having a little is the same as having a whole bottle.
Whether someone knows the wisdom behind any prohibitions is beside the point. Islam teaches that God wants what is best for us so he will only forbid what will cause pain in this life and the next.
If we can see past our emotional response to what God says, and if we investigate the wisdom behind every commandment rather than assume it is restricting, then we may all start to see the pearls of wisdom behind every prohibition.
Even though Muslims aren’t meant to drink some still do knowingly sinning. Watch the video below to learn a bit more.
5. Can Muslims Drink Wine?
No Muslims can’t drink wine because it is forbidden (haram) in the Quran.
The type of intoxicant is irrelevant. The Quran forbids drinking alcohol, period. So whether it be wine, beer, or spirits. even a cheeky co*cktail is a big no-no.
6. How Was Alcohol Prohibited?
Alcohol was a convenient method to cope with the harsh reality of pre-Islamic Arabia. Stores selling alcohol were always open and it helped to drown the sorrows of reality.
Alcohol was a big part of pre-Islamic Arabia as it is in many societies today.
As I’m sure many of you are aware the United States attempted to prohibit alcohol in what is known as the prohibition era starting on January 17, 1920, and ending on December 5, 1933.
The prohibition failed miserably. People liked to drink just too much. Bootleg alcohol was being made and people were also becoming sick because of the unsanitary conditions. It was one big great mess.
So why didn’t this happen with Islam? After all, alcohol was a big part of pre-Islamic Arabia.
7. Islam’s Gradual Prohibition of Alcohol in Stages.
If you prefer to watch the video below about the gradual prohbition of alchole be my guest.
According to Muslims God knows mankind better than they know themselves.
It’s important to remember that God also knows our cultures better than we do. He appreciates the difficulty of trying to enforce something on a cultural level and understands why many would choose not to follow His orders, even if they are good in nature.
That is why the wife of the prophet (PBUH) said that the first verses of the Quran that were revealed were about paradise and hellfire. Not prohibitions. This strengthened the Muslims in their faith which made it easier to accept prohibitions later on.
On the other hand, if the first verses revealed told Muslims not to drink they would have said we will never stop drinking. (Sahih al-Bukhari 4993 In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 15).
So, in essence, belief in God outweighs the desire for alcohol. Otherwise, it may have turned out differently.
The Quran’s Gradual Prohibition of Alcohol
Even the Quran has a gradual approach to the outright prohibition of alcohol. For those of you who don’t know the Quran was revealed piecemeal in stages. Not as one complete text. It was revealed due to events, questions and was circ*mstantial addressing the issues of the people.
It was a gradual process that weaned people into abstinence from alcohol. The Quran first asks its followers to abstain from coming to prayer while drunk. It is of course inappropriate to turn up to pray drunk. how do you truly know what you are doing? How can you truly connect with God?
“O believers! Do not approach prayer while intoxicateduntil you are aware of what you say, nor in a state of ˹full˺ impurity2—unless you merely pass through ˹the mosque˺—until you have bathed. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth, wiping your faces and hands. And Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.”(Quran 4:43).
This was before the outright prohibition.
Essentially people’s hearts were first connected to the Creator before they could accept any major behavioral changes.
When it was time for the actual outright prohibition the streets of Arabia were flooded with discarded alcohol.
8. What Happens if a Muslim Drinks?
If a Muslim drinks alcohol, their prayers will not be accepted for 40 days. If they repent and stop drinking, then Allah is the most forgiving and will accept their repentance.
The hadith (sayings) of the messenger of God (PBUH) also mentions a punishment in the hereafter if the Muslim does not repent but God is always willing to accept the repentance if they would simply ask.
“Whoever drinks wine and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks wine again and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks wine again and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents Allah will accept his repentance. But if he does it again, then Allah will most certainly make him drink of the mire of the puss or sweat on the Day of Resurrection.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the mire of the pus or sweat? He said: “The drippings of the people of Hell.”(Sunan Ibn Majah 3377 Book 30, Hadith 7)
This shows us that God is willing to accept our repentance as long as we are alive and have the ability to ask. It’s never too late to make a change for Muslims.
9. Lets Sum It Up
No one is perfect and every Muslim strives to follow the rules that God has legislated. The consumption of alcohol and any intoxicant for that matter is outright prohibited.
If you see a Muslim who drinks they more than likely know that they are committing a sin according to Islam.
I hope this article cleared things up for you. have a great day! If you would like to listen to the Quran in English download your free trial of audible here.
