Source : Inter-Islam / 26 Jun 2014

Almighty Allah says (what can be translated as): “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.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:90)

The Evils of Smoking

The young Muslims of today are facing an ever-increasing number of dilemmas. One of these is drugs. What does Islam have to say about it? How should Muslims regard drugs? To understand this we have to see what Ahaadith say regarding intoxicants i.e. narcotics.

There are many Ahaadith stated by the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) in regards to intoxicants.

1) Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whosoever drinks wine, whip him. If he repeats it for the fourth time, kill him." He (Jabir) says, A man was later brought to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) who had drunk wine for the fourth time. He beat him, but did not kill him. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood)

The following Hadith clearly states that the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited intoxicants.

2) Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Every intoxicant is khamr (wine) and every intoxicant is haraam (unlawful). Whosoever drinks wine in this world and dies whilst consumed in it and does not repent will not drink it in the next world." (Muslim)

3) Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man came from Yemen and asked the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) about a wine made from corn called ‘Mizr’, which they drank, in their land. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) asked, "Is it intoxicating?" He replied, "Yes" The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Every intoxicant is unlawful. Verily there is covenant upon Allah for one who drinks intoxicating drinks, that he will make him drink from ‘Teenatul Khabal,’ they asked, "O messenger of Allah, what is Teenatul Khabal?" He said, "The sweat of the inmates of hell or the pus (of impurities) of the inmates of hell." (Muslim)

4) Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whosoever drinks wine, Allah will not accept his prayer for 40 days. If he seeks repentance Allah will forgive him. And if he repeats it Allah will not accept his prayer for 40 days. If he seeks repentance Allah will forgive him. And if he repeats it again Allah will not accept his prayer for 40 days. If he seeks repentance Allah will forgive him. If he repeats it for the fourth time Allah will not accept his prayer for 40 days. If he seeks repentance Allah will not accept it and he will be made to drink from the river of impurities (of the inmates of hell).

(Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah and Daarami from Ibn Amr)

5) Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said; "Whatever intoxicates in a greater quantity is also unlawful in its smaller quantity." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah) 

6) Umme Salmah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited every intoxicant and Mufattir (anything which excites and irritates the mind, body and heart). (Abu Dawood)

7) Abdullah Ibn Amr t reports from the Prophet(Peace and blessings be upon him), who said, "One who is disobedient to parents, gambles, harsh after charity and is a habitual drunkard shall not enter paradise." (Daarami)

8) Abu Umaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Verily Almighty Allah sent me as a mercy for all the worlds; and my Almighty and Glorious Lord ordered me to abolish drums, musical instruments, idols, the cross and the affairs of the days of Ignorance. My Almighty and Glorious Lord has sworn, "By my honour, no servant among my servants shall drink a mouthful of wine but I will make him drink like it from the scorching water (of hell); and none abstains from it out of fear of me but I will give him drink from the Holy fountain." (Ahmad)

9) Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There are three for whom Allah has forbidden paradise, a habitual drunkard, one disobedient to parents, and a careless husband who establishes impurity in his family." (Ahmad and Nasai)

10) Abu Musa Al-Asharee (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There are three who will not enter paradise, a habitual drunkard, one who cuts of blood ties and one who believes in sorcery." (Ahmad)

11) Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said’ "If a habitual drunkard dies, he will meet Allah like the one who worships idols." (Ahmad, Ibn majah from Abu Hurrairah)

12) Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he used to say, "I do not differentiate whether I drink wine or worship these idols besides Allah." (Nasai )

From the above Ahaadith, we can clearly see the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and the Islamic view regarding intoxicants. In another Hadith the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) has described intoxicants as: -

1. The key to all evils.

2. The head of all errors and lapses.

3. The most terrible of major sins.

4. The mother of all atrocities.

5. The mother of all evils.