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

[DippedinJannah]

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

I'm sure it varies by country.

[Ramadhan]

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.

[Starrynight]

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.

[aadil77]

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

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[sister herb]

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.

[ardianto]

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.

One difference between Hamas and Fatah.

[Who Am I?]

Alcohol... you know I haven't had a drink in a month and then this topic pops up.

Get thee behind me, Shaytan.

[Mr.President]

Some one pls comment abt UAE !

they shoot the people who drink !! here :P

[ardianto]

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.

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.

[FS123]

Some one pls comment abt UAE !

they shoot the people who drink !! here :P

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.

[Starrynight]

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.

[Mr.President]

@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 !!

[Who Am I?]

Bah, 4th of July weekend and you guys are killing me with this alcohol talk. Trying... not... to... drink...

[sister herb]

Bah, 4th of July weekend and you guys are killing me with this alcohol talk. Trying... not... to... drink...

We are here making dua to you dear brother. Don´t!

[Who Am I?]

We are here making dua to you dear brother. Don´t!

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.

[Mr.President]

inshaa allah we will add you in our dua !!

[Riana17]

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?

[FS123]

@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 !!

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.

[FS123]

Actually even smoking is HARRAM but which country bans selling cigarette anyway?

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.

[Riana17]

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.

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

[Riana17]

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.

Salam sister, I meant that anything that will harm our health is harram. There is no benefit of smoking.

He allows them all that is good and lawful, and prohibits them as unlawful all that is evil (things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, drinks, etc.). (Quran 7/157)
Smoking is a killer: causes lung-cancer, lung-tuberculosis and heart diseases.
Allah says: And do not kill yourselves. (Quran 4/29)

[إحسان]

If you're caught with alcohol in Saudi in public you're dead.

[FS123]

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

I mentioned that, but in Ajman and Umm alQuwain it is not illegal to sell to muslims, hence, not so religious muslims on weekends go there to drink.

Salam sister, I meant that anything that will harm our health is harram. There is no benefit of smoking.

He allows them all that is good and lawful, and prohibits them as unlawful all that is evil (things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, drinks, etc.). (Quran 7/157)
Smoking is a killer: causes lung-cancer, lung-tuberculosis and heart diseases.
Allah says: And do not kill yourselves. (Quran 4/29)

I'm a brother. True, thats why I said it is not directly banned, hence, dependent on fiqh. But for khimar ip so facto, it is banned in Quran explicitly, and it is not dependent on fiqh. I think explicit ban on intoxicant by Allah is because it can do irreversible harm in a very short time and it is something very difficult for society to forbid. US tried in the early 1900s to ban alcohol, but it failed. And one example of irreversible harm: according to the Kansas State University Policy Prohibiting Sexual Violence, excessive use of alcohol and other drugs precedes many incidents of sexual violence. Source: http://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine...s/alcohol.html

Above cannot be said about smoking, although it is harmful, but person still stays intact with mental faculties. I don't mean smoking is not haram, just pointing out an important and delicate difference.

[Starrynight]

Someone actually was talking to me about the US ban on smoking in the 1900's. I guess it was their way of explaining to me why it was dumb that I don't like or approve of alcohol, lol. But I was wondering why it failed so badly here, but works overall in some Middle Eastern countries. Do you think that religion plays the largest role or do you think there are other factors involved?

[Who Am I?]

Prohibition of alcohol was also tried in the US and it was a disaster as well.

Anyway, I've made it this far without a drop of alcohol. One more day to go...

Thanks for the duas, everyone.

[Riana17]

Salam

I apologize for the gender error brother

[SFatima]

Someone actually was talking to me about the US ban on smoking in the 1900's. I guess it was their way of explaining to me why it was dumb that I don't like or approve of alcohol, lol. But I was wondering why it failed so badly here, but works overall in some Middle Eastern countries. Do you think that religion plays the largest role or do you think there are other factors involved?

There definitely was a great difference, in approaching the ban and carrying out its implementation. You must know that the Quran was sent down in stages.

For the first several years with the advent of ISlam, the hearts of the Arab people were softened and guided to the Oneness of Allah, the concept of One Almighty God ( Tauheed) was presented, well understood and established in the minds of the believers. When they had developed a sense of acknowledgement that the creator is with them and watching them all the time, they developed the sense that they were unable to hide their sins, if they were to do things which pleased them, in seclusion from everyone. Since arabs were ardent lovers of alcohol and women, after some years, came the order of abstaining from Alcohol, during and before salat only( the prayer). They stopped overdoing it ,and limited its consumption after the prayer timings only.

What happened with that implication was, that people started realizing that they acted so much better and in control when they were not intoxicated, and it started making them see things with a reasonable comparison. Then a point came when people themselves started wondering if alcohol should even be consumed before salat, because the state of stupor carried on till the prayer and it made them forget if they had done proper ablutions, or how many rakat did they offer and etc, and people started refraining from it to be punctual for their prayers.

At this time, when people were already aware of its delirious effects, Came the order of the complete ban in the Quran, and the believers, since were convinced in their hearts by that time that there was no good in alcohol and it was just a waste of time, they completely endorsed the ban, and such was their compliance, that as soon as the verses came and the Prophet Muhammad saww recited them, people ran into their house and broke all storages of their wine, wasted them in the drainage lines, so much that the whole place looked like it was streaming with alcohol.

And such was the faith and love of the believers in the order of Allah swt that those who were drinking at the moment, smashed their jars, those who had taken a sip, re-gurgitated it out, and some even vommitted out the liquor they had already consumed. It was one of the most massive self de-alcoholization of the civilization i guess, and so effective subhanAllah, that in most muslim countries alcohol is still banned. And personally practising muslims do not consume it even if they get to see it around themselves. (Don't ask about non practising muslims though).

Alcohol is called the " mother of all evils" by Allah swt . Its ban required gradual tapering in the beginning, but that was only possible because people feared Allah swt's dis-obedience, and they knew in their hearts that it was not right, and it went against their faith to indulge in it. But in this day and age, if you tell an alcoholic to stop drinking, whether its a doctor who tells that or a loved one, such a person is unable to stop it, even if he himself wants to, it is not quite possible to let go of its intoxication if you don't have a better feeling to replace it with, and that better feeling is only provided by the Love of Allah swt and his obedience.

And once the ban was established, Allah swt said( something like)

" Do not even go near it, for if you go near the boundaries set by Allah swt, you will trip into them,( indulge in them)".

[Who Am I?]

I know from my own experiences what alcohol can do to you. I also know how hard it is to give it up.

[Starrynight]

Very interesting response. I wish there was some kind of gradual pulling back from it in the US. But that won't happen, and so all we can do is avoid the situations where it is served, and pray that God protects us from the drunk drivers that are far far too common.

[Ansariyah]

In Turkey they even sell it in grocery stores, it's everywhere.

[Who Am I?]

Very interesting response. I wish there was some kind of gradual pulling back from it in the US. But that won't happen, and so all we can do is avoid the situations where it is served, and pray that God protects us from the drunk drivers that are far far too common.

They'll never reinstate Prohibition here.

Thing is, in Europe, from what I have read, alcohol is a big part of the culture, but they don't have as much alcoholism as we do here.

Maybe some European brothers can shed some light on that.

[SFatima]

Europe has a lot of alcoholism as well, I have had a chance to observe it, and there are as much alcoholics by percentage, as could be in any non muslim country, and there (esp in irish descent people) it is a very cultural thing, they cannot celebrate without alcohol, and the celebration happens once too often : P.. It has become an essential part of western civilization, to celebrate with alcohol, but since its highly addictive, people don't wait for occassions to indulge in it. It is lesser though in eastern europeans ( cuz of a weaker economy, affordability etc) but very much there in Uk,and europe, US, Australia etc.

Infact doctors of all these countries are sick and tired of dealing with alcoholics ALL the time, it is such a huge burden on hospital funds when these alcoholics, for the most part, have always occupied more than roughly 65% of medical health care, and there isn't enough time for health professionals to focus on people's real health issues which do not stem from alcohol and addictions. If you have a bleeding arm, they wont see you because they know you're not dying, as much as the alcoholic, hit in an accident as they are busy with trying to save his life (err... so that he can go back healthy to drinking again :p) .Here's a rough list,

1. More than 90% of horrible accidents, because of alcohol.

2. Life emergencies, 'cause of alcohol over dosage. Brain hemmorahages, obesity related disorders, diabetics,

Domestic abusers who hit people while drunk and etc. ( domestic abuse the highest by % in US, murders by domestic abuse also rampant > all due to alcoholism, loss of control, lack of sense of direction in life)

3. Chronic alcoholism, liver cancers other cancers, organ failures, critical care departments mostly occupied with that.

4. Young adults alcohol addiction with drug addictions, leading to,

a) a very high rate of suicide in young adults mostly in Europe( failed attempts, stay in the hospital for a long time)
it is so high , that in Ireland for example, there is only ONE man for TEN women! ( sharing the blame; discrimination increased by growing % of homosexuality too : P )

b) health problems, psychological problems towering in US, Eu, Japan etc where psychiatriac departments, and psychologists are over burdened.

[Interesting fact: out of all the health professionals, suicide rate is the highest among psychiatric doctors themselves :p ]

Anyhow, all addictions are harmful, and ruin your peace of mind if nothing else. I don't think however that you can take addictions away by implementing bans, people just go crazy. Give people some true sense of God, and things start bettering up themselves, you cant tell all these suicidal depressed people to leave drugs just to improve their lives, when all they have is drugs/ broken families/abusive, abandoning or no parents/no sense of purpose or happiness, and they just live by the high they experience from substance abuse.

You have to give them some meaningful purpose in life. Only then the true revolutionary change of self comes from within, which comes by recognizing the Creator, other wise when you've had it all, the world just seems like a useless place altogether, and people just don't feel like living, furiously competing for high-class survival everyday, and hence choose to end their lives, or waste it by drinking and drug abuse.

And coming from these hopeless backgrounds, those who aim to fight back , end up becoming weird criminals, and being nasty to other people satisfies their sense of self, as if that is a way they are giving back to life, what they had received. You can only blame them so much, they see nothing worth living for, in this life.

Anyhow, another interesting hidden fact is that in some states they let muslim preachers in a lot in some prisons in the US, because the inmates are so violent and criminal, that its really hard to handle them, and there is some success with preaching to them about the one true God.

ok end of post : )

p.s : all this can be confirmed from uncle google, I did not have time to search post links, thanks .

[Mr.President]

Europe has a lot of alcoholism as well, I have had a chance to observe it, and there are as much alcoholics by percentage, as could be in any non muslim country, and there (esp in irish descent people) it is a very cultural thing, they cannot celebrate without alcohol, and the celebration happens once too often : P.. It has become an essential part of western civilization, to celebrate with alcohol, but since its highly addictive, people don't wait for occassions to indulge in it. It is lesser though in eastern europeans ( cuz of a weaker economy, affordability etc) but very much there in Uk,and europe, US, Australia etc.

Infact doctors of all these countries are sick and tired of dealing with alcoholics ALL the time, it is such a huge burden on hospital funds when these alcoholics, for the most part, have always occupied more than roughly 65% of medical health care, and there isn't enough time for health professionals to focus on people's real health issues which do not stem from alcohol and addictions. If you have a bleeding arm, they wont see you because they know you're not dying, as much as the alcoholic, hit in an accident as they are busy with trying to save his life (err... so that he can go back healthy to drinking again :p) .Here's a rough list,

1. More than 90% of horrible accidents, because of alcohol.

2. Life emergencies, 'cause of alcohol over dosage. Brain hemmorahages, obesity related disorders, diabetics,

Domestic abusers who hit people while drunk and etc. ( domestic abuse the highest by % in US, murders by domestic abuse also rampant > all due to alcoholism, loss of control, lack of sense of direction in life)

3. Chronic alcoholism, liver cancers other cancers, organ failures, critical care departments mostly occupied with that.

4. Young adults alcohol addiction with drug addictions, leading to,

a) a very high rate of suicide in young adults mostly in Europe( failed attempts, stay in the hospital for a long time)
it is so high , that in Ireland for example, there is only ONE man for TEN women! ( sharing the blame; discrimination increased by growing % of homosexuality too : P )

b) health problems, psychological problems towering in US, Eu, Japan etc where psychiatriac departments, and psychologists are over burdened.

[Interesting fact: out of all the health professionals, suicide rate is the highest among psychiatric doctors themselves :p ]

Anyhow, all addictions are harmful, and ruin your peace of mind if nothing else. I don't think however that you can take addictions away by implementing bans, people just go crazy. Give people some true sense of God, and things start bettering up themselves, you cant tell all these suicidal depressed people to leave drugs just to improve their lives, when all they have is drugs/ broken families/abusive, abandoning or no parents/no sense of purpose or happiness, and they just live by the high they experience from substance abuse.

You have to give them some meaningful purpose in life. Only then the true revolutionary change of self comes from within, which comes by recognizing the Creator, other wise when you've had it all, the world just seems like a useless place altogether, and people just don't feel like living, furiously competing for high-class survival everyday, and hence choose to end their lives, or waste it by drinking and drug abuse.

And coming from these hopeless backgrounds, those who aim to fight back , end up becoming weird criminals, and being nasty to other people satisfies their sense of self, as if that is a way they are giving back to life, what they had received. You can only blame them so much, they see nothing worth living for, in this life.

Anyhow, another interesting hidden fact is that in some states they let muslim preachers in a lot in some prisons in the US, because the inmates are so violent and criminal, that its really hard to handle them, and there is some success with preaching to them about the one true God.

ok end of post : )

p.s : all this can be confirmed from uncle google, I did not have time to search post links, thanks .

Masha allah a good post but No reference :(!

Insha allah i will try to search the refs !!

[ardianto]

There are many alcohol drinkers in Indonesia, but we don't have problem with drunk drivers. It's because alcohol drinker in Indonesia usually poor and low educated people. They don't have cars and even they can't drive.

[Ramadhan]

There are many alcohol drinkers in Indonesia, but we don't have problem with drunk drivers. It's because alcohol drinker in Indonesia usually poor and low educated people. They don't have cars and even they can't drive.

And those who drink and have cars, they have drivers :)

[Who Am I?]

Well when you put it like that, sister Fatima, I'm not sure I want to drink anymore.

[sister herb]

I remember when I was teenager, most my school mates at every monday at school talked about "what you drunk at weekend and how much". And they weren't any older than just 16! :hmm:

I didn´t drink and they were thinking I am a little weird.

[Starrynight]

^Alright Brother! :)

I know that the US won't ever ban it again. And I don't think the government should necessarily have the power to. I just wish people would either cut down to a few beers, or else stop all together. I hate alcohol so much.... Not the people who drink since everyone around me does. Just the substance itself.
I wonder if you took 1 mother who lost their son or daughter because of a drunk driver hitting their car if anyone could give her one good reason for alcohol. I want to do this with the people around me who tell me I'm uptight or stupid for not drinking.
Uuuug. Okay, I'm sorry. Rant over.

[SFatima]

Masha allah a good post but No reference :(!

Insha allah i will try to search the refs !!

JazakAllah I would encourage you to, they are some rough estimates of some of the big places in Europe and Uk,I had heard in US its much worse. I have done essays on these topics quite sometime ago, and most of my search came from medical journals, I found some of it online too, but its wide-scattered and i remember the data from my memory so its kind of really time consuming to re-locate the authentic sources once again, but if i come across them, sure will post .

Well when you put it like that, sister Fatima, I'm not sure I want to drink anymore.

well I have not gone into gory details of it yet : )

^Alright Brother! :)

I know that the US won't ever ban it again. And I don't think the government should necessarily have the power to. I just wish people would either cut down to a few beers, or else stop all together. I hate alcohol so much.... Not the people who drink since everyone around me does. Just the substance itself.
I wonder if you took 1 mother who lost their son or daughter because of a drunk driver hitting their car if anyone could give her one good reason for alcohol. I want to do this with the people around me who tell me I'm uptight or stupid for not drinking.
Uuuug. Okay, I'm sorry. Rant over.

I agree with you, that is the concept of Islam, hate the evil, not the evil do'er. Because people can be turned around from their evil ways if they sincerely seek to , and they all deserve a chance. It is just that though that it is better to avoid prolonged company with people who do all those kind of things that are haram in Islam, for in a moment of weakness, you may also want to try somethings haram just for the heck/fun of it and might get used to it then.

[Who Am I?]

I never drank until I got into college. None of my high school friends drank either. I would never have graduated if I drank in high school because my parents would have killed me if they caught me drinking underage.

But once I got away from home and discovered the world of drugs and alcohol, it nearly consumed me. I lived for getting drunk/high. I lived to party. For years, that was my life. But I wasn't really happy, and I wasn't at peace. I still hated myself every time I took a drink or snorted a line, but I was chasing that high that I never found.

And as soon as the effects of the alcohol/drugs wore off, I felt worse than before. Not just physically ill but emotionally drained and depressed. I don't ever want to feel that way again.

[SFatima]

it is a blessing from Allah swt that you still were able to feel , and feel horrible about it after the feeling of a high is over, and that is what probably propelled you to find a better meaning in life, 'cause there are people who ignore those dark feelings of depression after substance abuse, and carry on for more, going deeper in the vicious cycle of being totally becoming a slave to drugs/intoxicants, and at last sealing their own fates, and unable to feel any sort of regret, remorse, or any sense of responsibility about where they are headed. If anyone had heard the lyrics of 'comfortably numb' by this well known rock band, Nirvana the lead singer of which committed suicide, thats about what drugs and intoxicants do to you, they make you comfortably numb to your own sense of warning, pain, and of those around you.

P.s: before anyone jumps at me for knowing about music, I don't listen to music anymore or ever did any drugs , and I still stand by strong against it Alhamdulilah, I came to know as a health professional about how the youth was so intoxicated by songs/drugs and etc and how music makes you enjoy drugs even more, these are all tools of satan which he uses to tempt people with and drag them slowly towards their own destruction.

[Who Am I?]

it is a blessing from Allah swt that you still were able to feel , and feel horrible about it after the feeling of a high is over, and that is what probably propelled you to find a better meaning in life, 'cause there are people who ignore those dark feelings of depression after substance abuse, and carry on for more, going deeper in the vicious cycle of being totally becoming a slave to drugs/intoxicants, and at last sealing their own fates, and unable to feel any sort of regret, remorse, or any sense of responsibility about where they are headed. If anyone had heard the lyrics of 'comfortably numb' by this well known rock band, Nirvana the lead singer of which committed suicide, thats about what drugs and intoxicants do to you, they make you comfortably numb to your own sense of warning, pain, and of those around you.

P.s: before anyone jumps at me for knowing about music, I don't listen to music anymore or ever did any drugs , and I still stand by strong against it Alhamdulilah, I came to know as a health professional about how the youth was so intoxicated by songs/drugs and etc and how music makes you enjoy drugs even more, these are all tools of satan which he uses to tempt people with and drag them slowly towards their own destruction.

I hated Nirvana. They were popular when I was in high school and all of my classmates loved them. I couldn't stand them.

Anyway, you're right about that, sister. I finally got tired of my cycle of boredom and depression. That was part of my problem. I would get bored, get drunk/high, get depressed. I finally got tired of that cycle and realized that I had to make some changes in my life. Thus began my journey to Islam.

[Woodrow]

I hated Nirvana. They were popular when I was in high school and all of my classmates loved them. I couldn't stand them.

Anyway, you're right about that, sister. I finally got tired of my cycle of boredom and depression. That was part of my problem. I would get bored, get drunk/high, get depressed. I finally got tired of that cycle and realized that I had to make some changes in my life. Thus began my journey to Islam.

As-Salaamu Alaikum Ahki,

When I reverted I knew Muslims were forbidden to get drunk, but I was under the impression it was ok to drink in moderation. Yet I never had another beer after I said the Shahadah. Before I was a daily beer drinker and had at least one beer everyday for as long as I could remember. Allaaah(swt) removed my taste for beer the minute I said the Shadah Ithank him for the gift.

For about a year after my second wife died, I went into a deep depression and drowned myself in alcohol for that period of time. But Allaah(swt) pulled be out of it. The minute I said the Shahadah.

Relax and leave it up to Allaah(swt) your desire for alcohol will leave. Just have sabr and continue to avoid it. It is a greater blessing for you to leave it as in your case you have to make a conscious effort to do so.

[DippedinJannah]

One of the reason we have so much drunk driving in the US vs. Europe is that we have so many drivers period.

If it's 2am and you're drunk in most cities, the only option is a cab ($$$) or to drive. In places like New York City, there is less drunk driving because people take public transit, etc. In a lot of US cities, the public transit is limited or it only runs until a certain time.

Fortunately, I don't drink :-) Or smoke...and given the taxes on both, I couldn't afford to even if I wanted to :-)

[Who Am I?]

One of the reason we have so much drunk driving in the US vs. Europe is that we have so many drivers period.

If it's 2am and you're drunk in most cities, the only option is a cab ($$$) or to drive. In places like New York City, there is less drunk driving because people take public transit, etc. In a lot of US cities, the public transit is limited or it only runs until a certain time.

Fortunately, I don't drink :-) Or smoke...and given the taxes on both, I couldn't afford to even if I wanted to :-)

I've always been surprised that for an industrial nation, the USA really does not have a well developed mass transit system compared to Europe and Australia.

I guess we love our cars here.