Prohibition of Alcohol

Intoxicants mentioned in the Qur'an are not defined by ingredients or fermentation methods, but by their effect on the mind. This includes a wide range of substances, both legal and illegal, which alter mood, perception, or behaviour in ways similar to alcohol.

Rather than issuing a single isolated ruling, the Qur'an presents a cohesive legal and spiritual framework. Multiple verses work together to define intoxicants as a major sin, reveal their deeper dangers, and outline both the consequences and the path to mercy. What emerges is not a gradual prohibition, but an immediate ruling embedded within a complete system of spiritual protection.

We discuss gradual prohibition here.

Sin is already prohibited

Before the Qur'an names intoxicants specifically, it establishes a universal legal command: sin must be abandoned entirely both publicly and privately. This instruction is not ambiguous; it is direct, binding, and all-encompassing.

6:120 

And leave alone, publicly and privately, that which is a sin; those who earn sin will be punished for what they have taken.

This verse sets the legal foundation. Once any act is identified as sinful, the Qur'an's command to avoid it is already in force. There is no room for delay, reinterpretation, or partial allowance. The message is plain: sin must be completely abandoned, and those who persist face divine punishment.

Intoxicants are sinful

The Qur'an addresses intoxicants directly, acknowledging their dual nature. It says that in intoxicants and also gambling "...is much sin, and a benefit for the people; but their sin is greater than their benefit" (2:219). People may perceive a benefit such as for socialising or relaxation, but the Qur'an immediately establishes that the sins will always outweigh any perceived benefits. And the verse makes it clear that "...those who earn sin will be punished..." (6:120).

What's notable here is the Qur'an's legal precision. It had already commanded believers to abandon "...publicly and privately, that which is a sin..." (6:120). So when intoxicants are named as containing "...much sin..." (2:219), the ruling is immediate. This isn't a minor sin or a doubtful matter. It is a major sin and persistence in it subject to divine punishment.

Work of the devil

The Qur'an does not stop at naming intoxicants as a major sin. It reveals a deeper layer by identifying the source of this sin. Intoxicants are not described as just a bad habit but they are labelled as "...made foul by the work of the satan..." (5:90).

The verse then explicitly commands believers to "...avoid him so that you may be successful" (5:90). Allah then exposes satan's motives which is "...to cause strife between you..." and, more critically "...to turn you away from remembering Allah and from the salat..." (5:91).

Intoxication sabotages worship

Intoxication is such a grave sin that it introduces the concept of compounding sin. The initial act of consuming an intoxicant is one sin, but it acts as a gateway that guarantees a second, more severe sin: the failure to perform salat correctly or at its prescribed time. The Qur'an explicitly warns to "...not come near the salat while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying…” (4:43). This instruction safeguards the clarity and sincerity of salat, making it incompatible with any state of mental impairment. 

The Qur'an warns not only against missing salat due to intoxication, but also against performing it heedlessly. Allah curses "...those who to salat, but to their salat they are absent minded, they only want to be seen" (107:4–6). This reinforces the danger of intoxication. It doesn't just risk missing or delaying salat but it risks making salat devoid of any benefit. The mind is dulled, sincerity is lost, and the connection with Allah is compromised.

Intoxication, directly fulfils the satan's stated goal which is "...to turn you away from remembering Allah and from the salat..." (5:91) making it a perfect tool for sabotage.

Conclusion

When all relevant verses are viewed together, the Qur'an presents a decisive and cohesive ruling on intoxicants. They are not merely discouraged but they are defined as a major sin, whose sin outweighs any perceived benefit. 

The Qur'an had already commanded the abandonment of all sin, publicly and privately, before naming intoxicants explicitly and therefore they must be avoided at all costs if a believer wants to be successful.