What Islam says about drinking alcohol

Allah, Most High says,

Spend in the way of Allah and do not put yourselves into destruction, and do good. Of course, Allah loves those who do good. (Qur’an  2:195)

O you who believe! Wine, gambling, altars and divining arrows are filth, made up by Satan (devil). Therefore, refrain from it, so that you may be successful.

Satan (devil) wishes only to plant enmity and malice between you through wine and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salah (prayer). Would you, then, abstain? (Qur’an  5:90-91)

They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In both there is great sin, and some benefits for people. And their sin is greater than their benefit.”(Qur’an  2:219)

O you who believe! Do not go near Salah (Prayer) when you are intoxicated, until you know what you say, nor in a state of major impurity’“...(Qur’an  4:43)

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It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah was asked about Al-Bit' (mead). He said: 'Every drink that intoxicates is Harâm."(Muslim 5211) 

The Messenger of Allah said: "Everything that detains (a person) from As-salat (prayer) is haram." (Muslim 5215)

It was narrated from Jabir that a man came from Jaishan - and Jaishan is in Yemen - and asked the Prophet about a drink that they used to drink in their land, which was made of corn and was called Al-Mizr. The Prophet said: "Is it an intoxicant?" He said: "Yes." The Messenger of Allah said: "Every intoxicant is Haram. Allah has made a covenant that whoever drinks intoxicants, He will give him to drink of the mud of Al-Khabal." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the mud of Al Khabal?" He said: "The sweat of the people of Hell, or the juice of the people of Hell."( Muslim : 5217) 

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Every intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is Haram. Whoever drinks Khamr in this world and dies when he is addicted to it and has not repented, will not drink it in the Hereafter." (Muslim : 5218)

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever drinks Khamr in this world will be denied it in the Hereafter." (Muslim : 5222)

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever drinks Khamr in this world will not drink it in the Hereafter, unless he repents." ( Muslim : 5224) 

It was narrated that Yaliya bin 'Umar Al-Nakha'I said: "Some people asked Ibn 'Abbâs about buying and selling Khamr and dealing in it. He said: 'Are you Muslims?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'It is not permissible to buy it, sell it or deal in it.' They asked him about NabIdh and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah went Out on a journey, then he came back and some of his Companions had made Nabidh in Al-Hantam, An-Naqir and gourds. He ordered that it be spilled out, then he ordered that raisins and water be put in a skin overnight. The next day he drank from it, and the following night, and the next day until evening came. He drank from it and gave it to others to drink, and the following morning he poured away whatever was left of it." ( Muslim :5230)

Thus, Allah the Exalted forbids wine and warns us of approaching it.The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Avoid wine, it is the mother of abomination. " (An-Nasa'i and AI-Baihaqi)

Allah the Almighty says, But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits will be admitted to a fire, to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating punishment. (An-Nisai)

Ibn 'Abbas related that, "When the wine was forbidden, the companions (of the Prophet) met each other and said, The wine was forbidden and became equal to polytheism (Shirk)." (AI-Mustadrak)

'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr held that, "Wine is the worst of the major sins.”(AI-Mustadrak)

Undoubtedly, wine is the core of abominations. Moreover, he who drinks it was cursed in various hadiths.

"Every intoxicant is wine and every wine is unlawful. Whoever it in the world and dies addictive to it without repentance, he will not drink it in the Hereafter."( Muslim, Abu Dawud)

"Whoever drinks wine in this world it shall be forbidden for them in the next.”( Al-Bukhari, An-Nisa'i)

"A drunkard is like a worshiper of an idol."( Ibn Majah) 

"He who shows disrespect to his parents and the drunkard will not enter Paradise.”

"Three people, Allah will deprive them of Paradise; the drunkard, the one who shows disrespect to his parents and the pimp who admits what his family do of abomination”.( An-Nasa'i and AI-Hakim.)

Further, Allah does not accept the good deeds of a drunkard. Jabir Ibn ' Abdullah relates that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "There are Three people from whom Allah does not accept their Prayer nor do their good deeds rise up to heaven: the fleeing slave until he returns to his masters and surrends to them, the woman who annoys her husband until he is pleased with her, and the drunkard until he becomes conscious” (Al-Baihaqi)

The Arabic word Khamr is what befogs the mind in whatever form: soft, solid, edible or beverage.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudari related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah does not accept the Prayers from him who drinks wine so long as there is still something of it in his body” (An-Nasa'i) 

"Whoever drinks wine Allah never accepts what he does: Whoever is intoxicated by drinking it will not have his Prayers accepted for forty morning (days). If he repents but drinks again, Allah will make him drink from the molten brass of the Hell-fire.”( Ibn Majah and An-Nasa'i) 

"Whoever drinks wine without being intoxicated, Allah rejects him for forty nights. If he dies during this period, he dies as an idol worshiper.”( AI-Zawa'id)

'Abdullah Ibn Awfa said, "Whoever dies a drunkard will die as the worshiper of AI-Lat and AI-'Uzza (two idols). It is said, Do you think that the drunkard is the one who drinks it constantly? He answered, "But he drinks it whenever he finds it even after years.”( AI-Matalb)

Whoever drinks wine is not considered a believer at the time of drinking. Abu Hurayrah related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "A thief is not a believer at the time of committing a theft. A fornicator is not a believer at the time of committing fornication, and a drunkard also is not a believer at the time of drinking as long as they have the opportunity to repent”  "Whoever fornicates or drinks wine, Allah takes his faith from him as a man takes a shirt off over his head.”

"The scent of Paradise is smelt five hundred years away but is not sensed by whomever shows disrespect to his parents, he who reminds of his charity to them, a drunkard or an idol worshiper.” (AI-Zawa'id)

Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari that the Prophet said, "A drunkard, a believer in sorcery or he who severs his family ties will not enter Paradise. Whoever dies while drinking wine, Allah will make him drink from the river of Ghuta which is the water flowing from the genitals of the wenches. The odor of their genitals hurt all the people of the Hell-Fire.” (Ai-Hakim and Ai-Baihaqi)

"Allah sent me as a mercy and guidance to the worlds. I was sent to do away with musical instruments, flutes, and the affairs of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance and idols. My Lord the Almighty swore by His Majesty that if one of my servants drinks a dosage of wine, I would make him drink the like of it in the Hell-Fire. But whoever gave up it out of fear from Me, I would give him drink from the yards of the shrine with the best fellow of drinking.”

As for those who are cursed because of drinking wine, Abu Dawud reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Allah has cursed wine, and whoever drinks it, pours it, buys it, presses it for another, presses it for himself, carries it or accept its delivery.” (Ahmad and Tabarani) 

Ahmad reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Gabriel came to me and said, "O  Muhammad, Allah has cursed wine, and whoever presses it for another, presses it for himself, drinks it, carries it, accepts its delivery, sells it buys it, pours it for another or pours it for himself. ( Tabarani) 

It is unlawful to visit a drunkard when he is ill so is greeting him. `Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn AI-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do not visit the drunkard when being ill."( Al-Mustadrak) 

AI-Bukhari and Ibn 'Umar said, "Do not greet the drunkard."

The Prophet said, "Do not sit with the drunkard, visit their sick or attend their funerals. On the Day of Judgement the drunkard will be brought with a black face, and his tongue dangling on his chest, flowing with saliva. Whoever sees him knowing that he is a drunkard will disgust him.”

A scholar said, they are forbidden to be visited and be greeted because the drunkards are cursed and rebellious. Allah and His Messenger cursed them as mentioned before. Allah cursed wine and he who drinks it. If they buy and press it they will be cursed twice and if they pour it for another they will be cursed three times. Therefore, it is for bidden to visit or greet them unless they repent to Allah. Whoever repents to Allah. He will accept his repentance.

Wine is forbidden as a medicine. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) related, "Once, one of my daughters was ill, so I made wine in a container for her. Then, the Prophet entered while it was boiling. He asked, "What is this, Umm Salamah?" She replied, "It is just a medicine for my daughter."  The Prophet, then, said, "Allah has not made a cure for you in what He has prohibited to you."

Miscellaneous hadiths narrated about wine: Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "A cask of wine was brought to the Prophet (pbuh) who said, Throw it against the wall, it is the drink of those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day.”

"Whoever memorizes a verse (Ayah) from Allah's Book and pours wine on it every letter of this Ayah will drag him from his forehead, make him stand before Allah Most Blessed and Exalted. Then, it argues with him, and whoever is argued with by the Qur'an will be treated as an opponent. Woe to whomever is argued by the Qur'an on the Day of Judgement.”

"If a group of people gather together to have an intoxicant in this world, Allah will gather them together in the Hell-Fire. They will turn to and blame one another by saying, O such and such may Allah not bless you. You brought me here."

"Whoever drinks wine in this world, Allah will make him drink from the poison of Asawid. One sip of this poison will make the flesh of his face fall in the goblet before he drinks it. Having drunk it, his flesh and skin will fall off, and it will bring pain to the people of the Hell-Fire. Behold, whoever drinks it, presses it for another, presses it for himself; carries it, accepts its delivery or eats its price are alike in entailing its sin. Allah does not accept their Prayer, Fasting or Pilgrimage until they repent. But if they die before doing repentance, Allah will make them drink pus of the Hell-Fire for every dosage they drank in this world. Beware, every intoxicant is wine, and every win is unlawful.”

The Prophet's statement "Every intoxicant is wine" included also hashish (marijuana) as will be shown later. It is narrated that "When the drunkards are brought to the bridge on the Fire (Sirat) they will be kidnapped by the angels of punishment to the river of Khabal. There they will drink for every glass of wine they have drunk a sip from the river of Khabal. Such a sip is so hot that if poured on to heaven, it will be burnt."