Quran and alcohol
When prophet Mohamed migrated to Al Madina, he found that the people
there were also indulging in drinking.
Our prophet was the finest model that set the best example of his sublime
characteristic, so much that whatever was yet to be declared HARAM, his habit and nature made him detest from the
very outset. Besides the prophet, other companions also refrained from
consuming alcoholic beverages.
Some of them went to prophet Mohamed asking him regarding alcohol and gambling
which they thought were ruining not only man's intelligence but also his wealth.
One of these was Moaz Ibn Gabal. In response to this query the Quran
stated:
"They ask you regarding wine and gambling. Say' in both of them is
major sin, and there is also, benefit for men, but the sin of them is far
greater than benefits ".
"Surat Al Baqara, verse 319"
Some of the companions after hearing
this verse immediately stopped consuming alcohol, but others declared that it overtakes full
precautious and law, that immediate consumption of alcohol would not be
harmful. However, shortly an accident occur which brought a sudden change in
the situation. One day, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf had invited some of the companions
and offered wine after the meal, then the Maghreb prayer was performed and the
Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb who was drunk made an error in his recitation of Surat
Al Kaferoon. Upon this, the second step was taken to prevent the consumption of
alcohol during the prayer times by the revelation of the following verse:
"O Believers' do not approach Al Salah while intoxicated ".
"Surat Al Nisaa', verse 241"
While the second warning many
more of the companions retrained completely from drinking, reasoning that what good can there be in
something that deprives one from Salah.
Then the following incident took
place: Othman Ibn Malek invited a few companions for a meal, and after it, wine
was served. During this gathering, Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas recited a few line of
poetry in which he criticized and belittled the Ansars (this type of poetry was
very often applied at this time and also accepted from everyone). Hearing this
drunken, Ansari youth became enraged and throw a bone at him which inflicted a
severe wound in the head of Saad. He then complained against the youngster to
the Prophet, and in response of this, the following verses concerning the complete prohibition of alcohol were revealed as
part of Surat Al Maeida':
"O You who believe! Intoxicants, gambling , idolatry and arrows (for seeking
help on decision) one an abomination of order that you may be successful. Satan
seeks only to cast amongst you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and
gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from his worship,
will you then not refrain? ".
"Surat Al Maeida', verse 90"
Allah in his wisdom declared alcohol Haram not in one step but in three stages because as
any addicted substance couldn't be stopped at once and time had to be given to
the people to decrease wine amount in their blood gradually.
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Medical harms of alcohol
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Wine and gastrointestinal tract
The most chief complaint of the esophagus
is heartburn, caused by welling up of acid material from the stomach. Two
major determinants are the quantity of acid secreted by the stomach and the
propulsion of the stomach acid the wrong way, upward in to the esophagus
instead of downward into the intestine. Wine may stimulate heartburns it
stimulates acid production by the stomach.
Alcohol, however especially in
heavy dose may close relax the low esophageal valve that is supposed to seal
of the esophagus and disorder motility, thereby promoting reflux.
Cirrhoses of liver is often
complicated by formation of the esophageal varies, dilation of veins of the
lower esophagus, a distinct risk of life threatening hemorrhage. The stomach
is both a key actor and a target in the life of ingested alcohol. Alcohol
dehydrogenize, the enzyme that the first metabolizes alcohol, so neutralizing
it, is secreted by the gastric mucosa, the lining of the stomach. When ample
alcohol slows the emptying of the stomach, alcohol dehydrogenize has more
time to attack the alcohol.
Women's stomachs contain about 60
percent as much dehydrogenize as do men's, which is likely the main reason
for the long observed lesser tolerance of women for alcohol.
The muscular motility of the intestine
may be reduced in alcoholics, thereby respectably altering function and
allowing toxic bacterial overgrowth.
Alcohol increases the absorption
of iron, which is an advantage for some cases of anemia. For others excessive
iron content in the body is a load on the both kidney and liver. Excessive
drinking often leads to diarrhea.
Chronic heavy drinking,
particularly accompanied by abuse of tobacco, is associated, in the
gastro-intestinal tract, with increased cancer risk in the: mouth, throat,
esophagus, and upper stomach. In some reports there is also an increase in
risk of cancer of the pancreas.
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Positives of wine
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A number of studies have
demonstrated that wine posses several properties that would tend to prevent
or inhibit cancer through the actions of its antioxidant compounds.
Epidemiologic
research has revealed substantial reduction of the risk of cancers of the
esophagus and upper stomach and colon and rectum in wine drinkers as compared
to non-drinkers.
They said whether wine is a poison, a medicine or nourishment is a
matter of dosage.
The
price of drinking alcohol:
But recently, at the American society of Addiction
Medicines recent annual meeting,
researchers showed the effect caused
by drinking just two drinks a day:
They include
an increased risk of gastrointestinal and other cancers, deficiencies in
vitamin A, foliate and other key nutrients in cell metabolism, and the
development of a fatty liver or even cirrhosis.
The research
further showed that the heart benefits to drinking wine are not clearly established.
Helmut Seitz, a professor of medicine at the
University of Heidelberg in Germany who proofed that if wine helped
the heart, this is the case with people over 50 having already heart
diseases.
At the end of his talk he stated:
Even if you drink small amount
of wine it could be addiction, liver disease or cancer. The best condition is
not to drink at all.
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