Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
When we compare the deen of Islam to the previous religions, we find that Islam did not only declare sinful actions and evil deeds to be haraam, but also declared the pathways that lead to sin and evil as haraam. This has been done in order to protect a person and secure him from falling into sin.
Consider the example of wine which was permissible in the previous religions, but has been declared impermissible in Islam. The reason for Islam declaring wine as haraam is that the harms of wine outweigh the benefits, and it is a means which leads one to committing many other sins.
Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Quraan Majeed:
يَسـَٔلونَكَ عَنِ الخَمرِ وَالمَيسِرِ قُل فيهِما إِثمٌ كَبيرٌ وَمَنٰفِعُ لِلنّاسِ وَإِثمُهُما أَكبَرُ مِن نَفعِهِما
They ask you (O Rasulullah [sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam]) regarding wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and some benefit for people, and their sin is greater than their benefit.” (Surah Baqarah: 219)
The Root of All Evils
The Hadith has mentioned that wine is the mother (root) of all sins and evils. Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned, “Abstain from wine, for it is the mother of all evils and immoralities.” (Sunan Nasaai #5666)
The reason for the Hadith considering wine to be the mother of all sins and evils is that once a person drinks wine, he will become intoxicated, and in the state of intoxication, he will commit the vilest of crimes and most heinous of sins.
Incident of a Man from the Previous Nations
In regard to wine opening the door to all sins and evils, Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports the following incident. He says:
There was a man from the nations before you who had devoted himself to worshipping Allah Ta‘ala. However, an unchaste and immoral woman had fallen in love with him.
Hence, one day, she sent her slave girl to him saying, “We request you to come to us so that you may bear testimony to some of our affairs.” The man obliged and thus set out with the slave girl, proceeding to the woman’s home.
On coming to the woman’s home and entering, the slave girl locked the door behind him. Thereafter, he was taken further into the home, and whenever he passed through a door, she locked it behind him.
Finally, he arrived in the presence of the woman and saw that she was beautiful and attractive. He also saw that she had with her a young boy and a utensil filled with wine.
The woman addressed him saying, “By Allah! I did not call you here for the purpose of bearing testimony. Rather, I called you here so that you may commit zina with me, or drink one glass of wine from this utensil, or kill this young boy.”
Forced to choose between these three evils, the man said, “Give me a glass of this wine to drink.” The woman thus gave him a glass to drink.
However, after drinking it, he asked for another glass, and continued drinking in this manner until he (became drunk and intoxicated, and in this state, he) also committed zina with the woman and killed the young boy.
After narrating this incident, Hazrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “Abstain from wine, for by Allah, if Imaan and the addiction to wine are combined in a person, then one will certainly cause the person to come out from the other (i.e. either Imaan will cause him to leave the wine, or the wine will cause him to leave Imaan).”
Intoxicants – The Destructive Weapon of Iblees
It is reported that Hazrat Abu Moosa Ash’ari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned that every morning, Iblees dispatches his armies throughout the earth. At the time of dispatching them, he announces, “The one who leads a Muslim most astray – I will place a crown upon his head.”
Thereafter, the various shayaateen return to Iblees and report to him their accomplishments for the day. One shaitaan says to him, “I continued to misguide so-and-so, until he eventually divorced his wife.” Hearing this, Iblees is not very impressed and says, “Soon, he will remarry.”
Another shaitaan comes forward and says, “I continued to misguide so-and-so until he became disobedient to his parents.” Hearing this, Iblees merely responds, “Soon, he will begin to obey them once again.”
Yet another shaitaan then comes forward and says, “I continued to mislead so-and-so until he committed zina.” When Iblees hears this, he becomes pleased and says, “You are the one who has accomplished something great!”
A fourth shaitaan then presents himself before Iblees and says, “I continued to make an effort on so-and-so until he began to drink wine.” On hearing this, Iblees becomes extremely happy and says, “You are the one who has really achieved something!”
Finally, a fifth shaitaan comes to Iblees and says, “I continued to lead so-and-so astray until he committed murder.” Hearing this, Iblees is most pleased and exclaims, “You are the one! You are the one who has achieved the greatest accomplishment!” (Makaaid-ush-Shaytaan #36)
From this Hadith, we understand the evil consequence of consuming liquor as well as getting involved in all intoxicants – that it is the root cause for one committing major sins and disobeying Allah Ta‘ala.
In fact, in the Mubaarak Hadith, it is mentioned that the one who consumes wine or liquor, it is as though his Imaan leaves him for that moment.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one committing zina is not a mu’min at the time when he is committing zina. The one consuming wine is not a mu’min at the time when he is consuming wine. The thief is not a mu’min at the time when he is stealing.” (Saheeh Bukhaari #5578)
May Allah Ta‘ala save the ummah from falling into this destructive sin of consuming wine, drugs and all other intoxicants.
