Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a general phenomenon that affects communities as a whole, and is one of the intractable problems. Islam did not begin to resolve the problem of alcohol addiction through punishment, but identified its causes and then addressed those causes in order to prevent Muslims from being addicted to drugs. Islamic law established punishment for doing evils in order to distance Muslims from what will cause trouble to them. One of the issues which Islamic law warns Muslims against is addiction to alcohol and drug abuse. Islam holds a judicious position regarding rulings for taking alcohol or drugs and involving in its business. Besides, Islamic law established punishment for those who take alcohol; drugs identified its causes, addressed these causes and prevented its spread. It is well known that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was sent at a time when people were addicted to alcohol and intoxicants, and the wine was one of the three pleasures of life for the youth; alcohol, gambling and women. If a boy is attributed to it, he becomes the best among his peers. So the youth are proud of combining these pleasures and boast about them. They used to commit sin and irregularities in order to get money to spend on these and other worldly pleasures. It should also be noted that, when prohibition of alcohol drinking was revealed, the Muslims just heard and obeyed. Anas (RA) reported that: “I was the butler of the people in the house of Abu Talha, and in those days’ drinks were prepared from dates. Allah’s Messenger ordered somebody to announce that alcoholic drinks had been prohibited. Abu Talha ordered me to go out and spill the wine. I went out and spilled it, and it flowed in the streets of Medina” (Bukhari).
Prophet (SAW) clearly explained the punishment of those who participate in spreading this scourge in the society. In the Hadith, the Jibril came to the prophet (peace be upon him) and said “O Muhammad, indeed Allah cursed the wine, its owner, its worker, its processor, its conveyer, its drinker, its seller, its buyer, its giver and its taker”. It is clear from the hadith that spreading this scourge has been prevented as it explained the punishment for all people involved in its spread in the society.
Apparently, Islam has turned those addicted to alcohol into active people in the society, and this is acknowledged even by non-Muslims amongst the Western scholars, James Baldwin says: “But the miracle has reached, those who are addicted to alcohol and drug abuse suddenly change when converted to Islam. Islam has been able to achieve what the generations of social experts, committees, decrees, reports, housing projects and recreation canters failed to achieve; this is treatment and saving the drunks and vagrants“. Alcohol is the mother of all evils; it can make people to violate the law. The penalty of alcohol drinking and its addiction is denial of entrance into the heaven and enjoyment of its comfort. For the Prophet (SAW) said: “No one who reminds others of his favors, no one who is disobedient to his parents and no drunkard, will enter Paradise” (Al-Nasai). Also alcohol drinking results in non-acceptance of repentance. The Prophet SAW says “Whoever drinks wine once, his repentance will not be accepted for 40 days, then if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he does it again, his repentance will not be accepted for 40 days, then if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he does it again, his repentance will not be accepted for 40 days, then if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he does it again (a fourth time), then it is a right upon Allah to make him drink from the mud of Khibal on the Day of Resurrection” (Al Nasai). Prophet (SAW) clearly explained the punishment of those who participate in spreading this scourge in the society. In the Hadith, the Jibril came to the prophet (peace be upon him) and said “O Muhammad, indeed Allah cursed the wine, its owner, its worker, its processor, its conveyer, its drinker, its seller, its buyer, its giver and its taker”. It is clear from the hadith that spreading this scourge has been prevented as it explained the punishment for all people involved in its spread in the society.
