Sharia - alcohol and drugs Flashcards
What was the first revelation regarding alcohol?
“They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: ‘In them is a great sin and (some) benefits for men but the sin of them is greater than their benefit”
How can the first revelation on alcohol be interpreted?
It is possible that “some” benefits are mentioned since it was impossible for the new Muslims in the time of Muhammad to wake up one morning and discover alcohol drinking prohibited - too drastic a change
What was the second revelation on alcohol?
“O you who acknowledge, do not go near prayer, while you are stupified, until you know what you are saying”
What was meant by the second revelation on alcohol?
Put a curfew and demanded that prayers have to be offered with a clean mind and full comprehension of what one is saying to Allah. This made drinking incompatible with prayers.
What was the first part of the third revelation on alcohol ?
“O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, altars and arrows of chance are afflictions which are the work of the devil; you shall stay away from him, that you may succeed”
What was the second part of the third revelation on alcohol?
“Stan’s plan is to sow hatred and enmity amongst you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hamper you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not give up?”
What was meant by the third revelation on alcohol?
Declared a ban on addictions to substance of abuse or gambling and fortune tellers so this is the final and strictest teaching
What do the revelations on alcohol show?
How the Prophet revealed laws gradually to suit his audience, culture etc. Could be used to support the use of ijtihad.
What are the teachings on alcohol an example of?
‘Naskh’ or abrogation (repeal or abolition of a law) of earlier Qur’anic verses
What is the issue with Qur’anic teachings on alcohol?
Doesn’t specify alcohol in any verse, instead the Qur’an prohibits Kham’r
What is Kham’r?
“Covering” in Arabic. Kham’r is any substance or emotion or feeling that covers one’s judgement and reasoning about right form wrong. It can be defined as a state of intoxication.
What is the modern understanding of alcohol?
It is regarded as Haram - forbidden by Shari’a law because it is a substance that covers one’s judgement.
How do scholars use the process of Ijma?
To update laws about alcohol for example, some medicines contain alcohol which might be considered essential to take for good health. The Qur’an was thought to refer to wine.
What do the Hadith say about alcohol?
Muslims must not have alcohol in the house, give it as a gift or sell produce such as grapes for someone to make alcohol out of.
What happened when a man brought a cask of wine to Muhammad as a gift?
The prophet informed him that Allah had prohibited. Shall I not sell it? The man asked but Muhammad informed him that Allah had prohibited even giving alcohol as a gift to the Jew. He told him to pour it on the ground.
