As part of the teachings of the Holy Quran- the holy book of Muslims- and Hadith- the sayings of the Holy Prophet Mohammad [peace and blessings upon him]- Muslims do not drink alcohol. In fact, we are instructed not to partake in anything that intoxicates an individual and leaves them without full possession of their senses. This includes recreational drugs.
In the Holy Quran it is stated:
“They ask thee concerning wine and the game of hazard. Say: ‘In both there is great sin and also some advantages for men; but their sin is greater than their advantage.’ And they ask thee what they should spend. Say: ‘What you can spare.’ Thus does Allah make His commandments clear to you that you may reflect.” (chapter 2: verse 220)
It is also noted by the Fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad [may Allah’s blessing be on him], that alcohol can cause many a person to commit violent acts, such as domestic violence and child abuse, and that intoxicated driving has led to many injuries and deaths.
This relates to the above verse from the Quran as to the disadvantages of alcohol and the various issues and ill effects that stem from the usage of alcohol, outweighing the positive aspects of alcohol. For instance, some alcohol is said to provide certain helpful health benefits, such as red wine, but then alcohol also leads to fatal vehicle crashes, contributes to domestic violence and child abuse, and can lead to liver and heart disease.
It is best then to look at the hadith of the Holy Prophet [pbuh] on this subject:
“Whatever causes intoxication in large amounts, a small amount of it is (also) unlawful”.
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Hopefully, this answered some of your questions on why Muslims do not drink alcohol. But if you do have any further questions or need elaboration on a certain point, please comment below and we will try and answer to the best of our ability. We have also listed a few sources below that we used as references. Feel free to check them out as they go into further detail on a lot of interesting related topics.
Sources:
Audio excerpt of 4th Khalifa explaining why Muslims cannot drink alcohol- https://askislam.org/1003
Chapter 6 of Pathway to Paradise, section on topic of substance and alcohol abuse- https://alisl.am/e8134
Article on why Muslims cannot use marijuana- https://alisl.am/e26231
Article on the effect of an alcohol ban in hospital visits: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985660277/covid-19-alcohol-bans-in-south-africa-reveal-painful-history