How common is alcohol (for sale) in Muslim-majority countries?

DippedinJannah

DippedinJannah

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I'm just curious. I have never traveled to a Muslim-majority country.

I'm sure it varies by country.
 
Well, Indonesia is the largest muslim country, population wise, but don't let the statistics fool you. The laws is pretty much secular, and although there is religious courts, they deal mainly with marriage, divorce, waris (inheritance) issues. Some "more islamic" regions have their own regional laws or by-laws that implement syariah, such as the province of Aceh.

The sale of alcohol is allowed and although there's big tax and excise on the sale of alcohol drinks, they are widely available. Sometimes I even think the sale of alcohol is more liberal in Indonesia than in many non-muslim countries. You don't have to go to a bottle shop to buy them, most big supermarkets and larger supermarket chains (carrefour, lotte, sogo, foodhall, giant, hypermart, etc etc) stock them and ANYONE can buy them. All hotels and many most big restaurants serve them.
The nightlife in Jakarta beats those in other western countries, my foreign friends said that Jakarta nightlife is Asia's best kept secret, and there are huge clubs in Jakarta which are open for 24 hours (I'm not joking). I know people who went out and stayed in those clubs for 2 days and nights. So you can imagine what sort of things sold in there.

Along with more open and democratic processes in this country, the tensions between those forces who want Indonesia to go on more liberal route and those who want Indonesia to go back on more Islamic values are getting more transparent and clearer.
The good news is that there are more and more muslims who are going back and study Islam more in depth. I have had three female colleagues who started wearing hijab for the first time in the past year and a half.
 
I have heard that in Saudi Arabia you be served alcohol in an American-style hotel's restaurant. I don't know how common this is, or if it was only in the nicer hotels my teacher stayed at.
 
A brother I know from Jordan says that alcohol is commonly sold at every other shop there, people turn up drunk to the masjid after hangovers. But 40 days before the start of ramadhan all the shops stop selling alcohol. LOL
 
In Gaza it is illegal to sell alcohol. Also it is forbidden import it to there even to personal use. Some people may still make it at home but that too is illegal.

Comparing to the West Bank, there selling alcohol is legal.
 
sister harb said:
In Gaza it is illegal to sell alcohol. Also it is forbidden import it to there even to personal use. Some people may still make it at home but that too is illegal.

Comparing to the West Bank, there selling alcohol is legal.
Click to expand...
One difference between Hamas and Fatah.
 
Alcohol... you know I haven't had a drink in a month and then this topic pops up.

Get thee behind me, Shaytan.
 
Ramadhan said:
Well, Indonesia is the largest muslim country, population wise, but don't let the statistics fool you. The laws is pretty much secular, and although there is religious courts, they deal mainly with marriage, divorce, waris (inheritance) issues. Some "more islamic" regions have their own regional laws or by-laws that implement syariah, such as the province of Aceh.

The sale of alcohol is allowed and although there's big tax and excise on the sale of alcohol drinks, they are widely available. Sometimes I even think the sale of alcohol is more liberal in Indonesia than in many non-muslim countries. You don't have to go to a bottle shop to buy them, most big supermarkets and larger supermarket chains (carrefour, lotte, sogo, foodhall, giant, hypermart, etc etc) stock them and ANYONE can buy them. All hotels and many most big restaurants serve them.
The nightlife in Jakarta beats those in other western countries, my foreign friends said that Jakarta nightlife is Asia's best kept secret, and there are huge clubs in Jakarta which are open for 24 hours (I'm not joking). I know people who went out and stayed in those clubs for 2 days and nights. So you can imagine what sort of things sold in there.

Along with more open and democratic processes in this country, the tensions between those forces who want Indonesia to go on more liberal route and those who want Indonesia to go back on more Islamic values are getting more transparent and clearer.
The good news is that there are more and more muslims who are going back and study Islam more in depth. I have had three female colleagues who started wearing hijab for the first time in the past year and a half.
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An ironic, Indonesia is a country that has largest number of Muslims, but is easy to get alcohol beverages here. Even, every year many people died caused by low quality alcohol beverages. Unfortunately, county that dominated by Muslims but known as county that has high percentage of alcohol drinker is my dad home county, Indramayu.
 
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Mr.President said:
Some one pls comment abt UAE !

they shoot the people who drink !! here :P
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UAE is similar to US in a way that each state has different laws with basic federal laws. Abu Dhabi, alcohol is not allowed much. In hotels you can get them but it is restricted in many ways. Al though people don't follow the restrictions in hotels but hotel can get a fine if reported for violation.

In Dubai it is allowed to non-Muslims and it is available more than Abu Dhabi. But still it has restrictions for example, people are allowed only in bars and hotels, outside there is a fine. Selling to Muslims is not allowed or there is a fine. Caught drunk by police on the road, big fine esp if driving. Drunk driving can get a person in serious trouble. Ajman and Um ul Qwian, there are not many restrictions, hence, you can see on weekends drivers going there to drink. We had a driver, didn't tell us himself, but the watchman living with him had a habit of spilling things about others. He said driver goes to Ajman on weekend to drink alcohol.
 
I'm jealous. My University looooooooves alcohol. I would love to be some place where I didn't have to worry about drunken idiots hassling people or drunk drivers killing people.
 
@FS123

Assalamu alikum wr wb

100% agree with u but you've missed Ras al Khimah !!!

@people who live in egypt cairo

pls comment on this thread !!
 
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Bah, 4th of July weekend and you guys are killing me with this alcohol talk. Trying... not... to... drink...
 
sister harb said:
We are here making dua to you dear brother. Don´t!
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Thanks, sister.

I am trying to keep myself occupied with other things. Boredom in the past has been a big contributing factor as to why I used to drink. I haven't had a drink in almost a month and I want to stay straight.
 
salam

It is legal in Bahrain, I even visited one big store & I was obliged to buy beer as my in law was not allowed to buy as he was wearing dishdasha (traditional clothes-looking like a Muslim eh?). Well he is not pretty drinker but he likes beer once/twice a year when we out for vacation lol(okie I want to clarify that it was many years ago and i was young when i entered this shop and Not Muslim)

I heard that when police caught you drunk on the street they will drop you to your house

Qatar/UAE not all UAE (e.g.sharjah) it is not legal on the street but still widely available

Egypt/Syria/Lebanon/Jordan and Turkey do not have any ban on alcohol & production as well as consumption are legal

in Kuwait it is very much illegal but too much people are making their own alcohol or importing & selling, its daily news.

Actually even smoking is HARRAM but which country bans selling cigarette anyway?
 
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Mr.President said:
@FS123

Assalamu alikum wr wb

100% agree with u but you've missed Ras al Khimah !!!

@people who live in egypt cairo

pls comment on this thread !!
Click to expand...

Actually I forgot about Sharjah too and Sharjah is very strict about Islamic laws. In sharjah it is completely illegal as sister mentioned. I don't know much about RAK and Fujairah, but it is probably not like Ajman. I never heard of people going there to drink.
 
Riana17 said:
Actually even smoking is HARRAM but which country bans selling cigarette anyway?
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Salam sister,

Smoking is or can be haram from fiqh but it is not declared haram in Quran directly. There word used in Quran is khimar, and it means intoxicant -- anything that makes the mind lose it senses and people do silly things or out of control. So just doesn't mean alcohol from the language of Quran but most people think it is just alcohol that is declared haram in Quran directly.
 
FS123 said:
Actually I forgot about Sharjah too and Sharjah is very strict about Islamic laws. In sharjah it is completely illegal as sister mentioned. I don't know much about RAK and Fujairah, but it is probably not like Ajman. I never heard of people going there to drink.
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SALAM
Drinks are available in AbuDhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain, Fujairah, Ajman, Umm alQuwain
Sharjah is the only state that bans the alcohol in UAE, it is also the only strictest decency laws in the UAE eg. conservative dress code for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men + women
 

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