Emphasis on the Unlawfulness of Wine and Gambling

           Firstly, Allah the Exalted, has laid great emphasis on the unlawfulness of wine and gambling in the Verse embodying the words :”Will ye then (not) desist”      (5:91).      Here the imperative verb intiha has been used in the sense of negative interrogative form, a highly eloquent mode of expression.  It is just like saying:  “All the calamities entailed in wine have been recited to you and you have been warned against all its dangers.  Will you then, with all this information, not desist from it?  Or will you follow the same path which you tread in the past s if you have been admonished and you have not been warned against its repercussions?”

Secondly, Allah has termed it as rijs (an abomination) of the handiwork of Satan.  Gambling has been so named that one should desist from all forms of wickedness.   That si why the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  has said about wine, ”It is the root-cause of all vices.”

Thirdly, Allah has made a mention of wine and gambling along with the stone-altars and divining arrows which are acts of heathens and absurdities of the polytheists.  That is why the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said:

   “An alcoholic is like a worshipper of the idol.”

Ibn Maja has reported Hadrat Abn Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) as saying : “One who plays chess, indeed, disobeys Allah and His Messenger.”  (Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud,& Ibn Maja)

Fourthly, Allah, the Exalted has declared both wine and gambling as diabolic acts because they cause corruption, injustice and invite the wrath of Merciful Lord.

Fifthly, Allah has made abstention from wine and gambling as a means of success and betterment of the affairs and properties of people and eschewing wine and gambling preserves both health and security of life as well as dignity and nobility.

Sixthly, Allah has declared them a fountain-head of enmity, hatred and grudge which are most abnoxious mischiefs fro which stem out most of the sins pertaining to wealth, respect and person of a man.

Seventhly, both the acts hinder people from the remembrance of Allah and from His worship which are the essence and pillars of the religion(Din) and which promote and perfect religion.

Eighthly, the sins entailed in them are more serious than their benefits and Allah has made the sin  haram in the following Verse :

 “Say (O’Prophet): Verily, my Lord hath forbidden indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin...”   (7:33)

The evil effects of wine and gambling, to which the humanity was not aware in the past, are now becoming manifest and testifying the fact laid down by our Lord in His words :  “And the sin thereof is greater than the benefits thereof”  and “it is an abomination of the handiwork of Satan.”  Bit the promptings of the baser self, the urge of self-gratification and the Satan have made the sons of Adam to indulge themselves in these unlawful pursuits and thus suffer loss of their wealth and health.   The Holy Qur’an says :

 “And Satan indeed found his calculation true concerning them, for they follow him.” (34:20)

“They have hearts wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not.  These are as the cattle-nay, but they are worse!  These are the unmindful.” (7:179)