The Most Precious Gift of Allah to Mankind is the Intellect (Part 1)

On Liquor

﴾O’ Ye who believe, intoxicants and gambling and dedication of stones and divination of arrows are abominations of Satan’s handiwork: keep away from such abominations﴿, (Qur’an, 5:90).

The most precious gift of Allah to mankind is the intellect. It is because of his reasoning power that man is called the best creation of God.

Intellect has two very strong enemies: Desire and Anger. These two rivals of intellect get reinforcement by alcoholic liquor. When alcoholic liquor enters the human body, the first victim is the highest cerebral centers which control such factors as judgment, sense of responsibility and moral integrity. When these higher factors are depressed, the lower instincts are released from captivity. Moral and social inhibitions become a dead thing. It is now that the intoxicated person becomes talkative, excited or even violent and aggressive. On lookers think that he is stimulated. In fact, it is not stimulation. What is often referred as alcoholic stimulation is the first sign of alcoholic depression. No amount of alcohol can stimulate intellectual functions.

Some people think that a small amount of alcohol can do no harm. But it is one of the myths which the scientific analysis has already exploded. Even such a tiny concentration of alcohol in blood as 0.15% (i.e. one-seventh of one percent) impairs the faculties so much that driving becomes extremely dangerous. Also, it requires a strong well-power to restrict a drinking person’s intake of alcohol. As the alcohol destroys the power of judgment, as it frees man from every inhibition, it is foolish to believe that once started a man can control his drinking habits. When the will-power is weakened by the effect of alcohol, drinking leads to drunkenness and finally to alcoholism. Islam does not want to tempt a man into this trap. It was for this reason that the Holy Prophet declared: “Anything which intoxicates when taken excessively, even a drop of it is forbidden to take”.

^{* Source: imamreza.net}