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

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)
 
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/Didyouhearyes/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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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)".
 
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I know from my own experiences what alcohol can do to you. I also know how hard it is to give it up.
 
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.
 
In Turkey they even sell it in grocery stores, it's everywhere.
 
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.
 
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 .
 
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 !!
 
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.
 
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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 :)
 
Well when you put it like that, sister Fatima, I'm not sure I want to drink anymore.
 
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.
 
^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.
 
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.
 
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.
 

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