Was Alcohol Prohibited Gradually?

[IslamHayati]

Questions & Answers: Was Alcohol Prohibited Gradually ?

No! Alcohol was not prohibited gradually.
Many Muslim people today believe that alcohol was prohibited in a gradual process, many go even further, and say that this prohibition was in three stages.

They claim that the first stage came with the Quranic verse:

"THEY ASK CONCERNING WINE AND GAMBLING, SAY: 'IN THEM IS GREAT SIN AND SOME PROFIT FOR MEN, BUT THEIR SIN IS GREATER THAN THE PROFIT.' THEY ASK THEE HOW MUCH THEY ARE TO SPEND, SAY: 'THAT WHICH IS SUPERFLUOUS.’ THUS DOTH GOD MAKETH CLEAR TO YOU HIS SIGNS, IN ORDER THAT YE MAY CONSIDER." (Al Baqara 2:219)

The second stage with the verse:

"0 YE WHO BELIEVE! APPROACH NOT PRAYERS WHEN YE ARE DRUNKEN, UNTIL YE CAN UNDERSTAND ALL THAT YE SAY, NOR IN A STATE OF CEREMONIAL IMPURITY EXCEPT WHEN TRAVELLING ON THE ROAD". (Al Nisa 4:43)

And the third with the verse:

"0 YE WHO BELIEVE, INTOXICANTS AND GAMBLING, DEDICATION OF STONES, AND DEVINATION BY ARROWS, ARE AN ABOMINATION OF SATAN'S HANDIWORK ESCHEW SUCH ABOMINATION THAT YE MAY PROSPER." (AI-Maida 5:90)

In fact this understanding is incorrect because of the following reasons:

1. There is no such thing as gradual Prohibition in Islam. It is either Halal (permissible) or Haram (prohibited), moreover there is no half or quarter of a Haram. Of course there is under the category of Halal - the recommended (Mandub,) and the disliked (Makruh). The matter is therefore 'Halal' or 'Haram', there is no third in between.

2. W e do not say that those ahkam (rulings) which were abrogated by others were cancelled in a gradual manner. This is because the new over-riding rule completely cancelled the previous one. This process is simply an exchange of rules and shows no sign of graduation. The question of abrogation and why Allah (S.W.T) chose not to reveal the overriding rule straight away is left to Him (S.W.T). He did not tell us why and we are not to question His acts. If Allah chooses to inform us of a reason, we accept it. If He does not inform us, we must not allow our short sighted minds to try to understand His wisdom. So we must accept such abrogations as they came.

3. The first and second verses do not show, as some have understood, any progression in the prohibition. The first verse talks about the harmful effects of wine and its benefits. It merely states a specific fact which indicates that there is more harm than good in wine. In the first verse, the meaning behind the word sin i.e. 'ithm' is harmfulness as opposed to benefit and not the sin which is punishable in the hereafter.

The verse states:

"SAY: IN THEM IS GREAT SIN AND SOME PROFIT FOR MEN, BUT THEIR SIN IS GREATER THAN THE PROFIT."

Hence the element which is opposite to profit is harm. Furthermore, it has not been narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.), nor the companions (r.a.) had derived from this verse any meaning of prohibition 'tahreem'. Had the word ‘sin’ been understood to mean the sin which is punishable they would have stopped drinking it immediately and the Prophet (s.a.w.) would have banned it immediately. But there is evidence that some of them carried on drinking after the revelation of this verse and the Prophet did not stop them.

In the second verse:

“0 YE WHO BELIEVE, APPROACH NOT PRAYER WHEN YE ARE DRUNK...”

There is no prohibition of wine at the time of prayer, but the prohibition is praying when intoxicated which is clearly apparent from the rest of the verse:

"...UNTIL YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ALL THAT YE SAY."

This verse is plain in its prohibition of prayer 'salat' when under a state of intoxication. Today, a man who drinks wine and prays commits two sins not one, first the sin of drinking and second, the sin of praying under the state of intoxication. Before the prohibition of wines, on the other hand, the said man would have only committed one sin, namely that of performing prayer under a state of intoxication. Some of the companions again carried on drinking after this revelation of the second verse. The Prophet (s.a.w.) did not stop them, and it is well known that the Prophet (s.a.w.) would not agree to a sin (haram).

5. Islam, in fact, offers a remedy to the problems of society so as to eliminate the cause of the problem right from its roots. Islam deals with people as human beings, so it prepares the atmosphere for the people to accept this prohibition. Wine drinking was an attachment to them but the Muslims were in a state of uncertainty after the revelation of the first two verses, that they prayed to Allah to explain explicitly on this matter. This is what happened when Allah revealed its complete prohibition.

6. The abolition of wine came as a complete prohibition to drinking it, selling it, making it... No time limit was given to the people of Madina to consume what they had rightly and regitimately acquired. It has been narrated that the streets of Madina flowed with spilt wine, as the companions (r.a.) obeyed and acted immediately by getting rid of every drop. The Prophet (s.a.w.) did not take any gradual steps what so ever in getting rid of it, whether by selling or dealing with it in any way. It was thrown away because its ownership became illegal as soon as it was made haram, and therefore it had to be disposed of.

We must point out here that some Muslims who reside in European and Western countries, sell alcohol in their shops convincing themselves that it is permitted to sell to non-Muslims. The Islamic Sharia (legal rules) is very clear and straight forward that whether drinking it, selling it, making it carrying it or even sitting with someone who is drinking it is prohibited as narrated in many Hadiths. It is also the mother of sins as narrated in others. To be more general all things which Allah (S.W.T) forbade us to eat or drink through a legitimate evidence or text are automatically forbidden for us to sell (as its profit is haram).

On this basis Islam forbade wine in one stroke and did not take any steps to achieve this, and therefore it is unacceptable to use the method of prohibiting wine to legitemise a certain method which engages the gradual or softly-softly approach in the implementation of Islam. Every legitimate rule was transmitted to the Prophet (s.a.w.) in one revelation and the Prophet applied it immediately. It was common that a legitimate rule would be revealed to give a solution to a particular incident and this rule would be applied immediately, even though the companions had not heard of it before.

It is very dangerous to apply the notion of the gradual approach to legitimate rules it certainly leads to the weakening and destruction of the fundamentals of Islam. This could lead for instance to Muslims neglecting prayer arguing that prayer was enjoined on Muslims in the 10th year of Prophethood i.e. on the night of Isra' and Miraj.

This could also lead to Muslims selling alcohol on the basis that wine was only made haram in Madina. This could drastically lead to Muslims taking usury or ‘riba’' disputing that the rules of its prohibition were towards the end of the Quranic era, and that the Muslims are not living under Islamic rule when taking riba.

All this of course is haram and it must not be entertained by any Muslim. The Islamic state and Muslims are required to put the Islamic legislation into practice completely and totally. There is no place for the ruler or governor to implement the rules in steps. To do this or to partake some of these rules and apply a joint decision means combining Islamic rules with non-Islamic 'kufr' rules and this is absolutely forbidden.

What is the meaning of obedience and disobedience to parents?

Obedience to the parents is to obey them in their allowed matters. Disobedience to them is not obeying them in their allowed matters. Consequently, if one parent or both, order the son or daughter in a matter related to the parents affairs their obedience is compulsory providing the favour is within their ability. If it is within their ability and they disobey this disobedience will be a sin.

However, obedience to parents in matters not of the parents affairs is recommended, because obedience to the parents and increasing favour to them, is an approachment to Allah and not obligatory. For example, if one or both parents order the son to marry a certain woman, or prohibit him to marry a certain woman, or order him to divorce his wife, it is recommended that he should obey them. But this is not obligatory and he will not be considered disobedient if he did not obey them in this although obeying them in these matters would be extremely meritous.

The evidence that their obedience in such matters is recommended and not compulsory is the story of Abdullah-b-Umar and his father, Umar-b-Khattab. Abdullah had a wife whom he loved but whom his father, Umar, disliked. Umar told Abdullah to divorce her but Abdullah refused. So Umar went to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and mentioned the affair to him. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said to Abdullah "0 Abdullah, divorce her" but without the phrase of obligation. Accordingly, Abdullah understood that it was not compulsory for him to divorce her but that it was recommended. Therefore he did not divorce her and kept her as his wife. If it was compulsory for him to divorce her, the Prophet (s.a.w.) would not have allowed him to remain married to her.

Words of Wisdom.

"0 people! Islam is a mighty fortress and a sturdy gate. The fortress of Islam is justice and its gate is truth. If you destroy the fortress and demolish the gate you would undermine the defences of this religion. ...Islam will remain strong so long as the Sultan or central authority is strong. The strength of the Sultan neither comes from flogging with the whip, nor killing with the sword but from ruling with justice and holding fast to truth."

Umayr ibn Sa'd al-Ansari, companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.), addressing the people of Homs upon being appointed as their Wali (governor) by Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Al-Fajr Magazine, December 1985