What are the benefits mentioned in this noble verse (They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and benefits for people...”)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, what are the benefits mentioned in this noble verse: [Al-Baqarah 2:219]?
The Shaykh : The benefits for people are what is obtained from trading in intoxicants and the gains from gambling, what is obtained from the intoxication and delight in intoxicants, what is obtained from the joy and happiness in the gains from gambling, and what is also obtained from the activity of the workers who engage in these jobs. However, even if these benefits are great and numerous, the sin is greater and larger than them, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:219].
And consider this noble verse where He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:219], mentioning the benefits in the form of the ultimate plural.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : which indicates abundance. And yet, their abundance is nothing compared to the great sin in them.
Intoxicants were lawful at the beginning of Islam, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nahl 16:67]. Then Allah the Exalted revealed the verse in al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah 2:219]. Then the verse in al-Nisa was revealed: [An-Nisa 4:43], so people refrained from drinking at the time of prayer, and this was a kind of weaning for them. Then the verse in al-Ma'idah was revealed, which was the last to be revealed regarding intoxicants and gambling, and Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:90-91]. So people stopped doing that, and the prohibition of intoxicants became established by the consensus of the Muslims, by the text of the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims. For this reason, the scholars said: whoever deems intoxicants lawful is a disbeliever, an apostate, and has exited Islam. And whoever drinks them while believing they are forbidden is a sinner and a transgressor against Allah and His Messenger. It is obligatory for the one in authority to impose upon him the punishment that came in the Sunnah and is authentic from the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them).
Some scholars held the view that the drinker of intoxicants, if he drinks and is then flogged, then drinks and is flogged, then drinks and is flogged, and then drinks the fourth time, he is to be killed, based on a hadith that came regarding this. And Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “He is killed if people do not stop without killing”, meaning that people became engrossed in it until a person among them would be flogged three times and not repent. In this case, he is killed because the benefit of killing him is better than the benefit of his remaining. However, the majority of the people of knowledge are of the view that he is not killed even if he is flogged three times, claiming that the hadith that came regarding this is either abrogated or weak.
In any case, it is obligatory for the Muslim to be a believer in Allah, to carry out the command of Allah, and to avoid these filthies, which, even if they have intoxication for an hour of time, have harm for days and months.
And intoxicants are the key to every evil and the mother of all abominations. How many a person got drunk and divorced his wife, and how many a person got drunk and committed unlawful sexual intercourse with his forbidden relatives, refuge is sought in Allah.
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah.
The Shaykh : And how many a person got drunk and killed a soul, and perhaps he kills himself.
So the conclusion is that it is obligatory for the believer to avoid such filthies, and to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic, and to praise Allah who has favored him over many of those He has created, with a great favor. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, honorable Shaykh. The listener is Egyptian and says in this question.
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِThe Shaykh : The benefits for people are what is obtained from trading in intoxicants and the gains from gambling, what is obtained from the intoxication and delight in intoxicants, what is obtained from the joy and happiness in the gains from gambling, and what is also obtained from the activity of the workers who engage in these jobs. However, even if these benefits are great and numerous, the sin is greater and larger than them, as Allah the Exalted said:
But their sin is greater than their benefit.
وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَاAnd consider this noble verse where He said:
In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people
قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : which indicates abundance. And yet, their abundance is nothing compared to the great sin in them.
Intoxicants were lawful at the beginning of Islam, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision
وَمِنْ ثَمَرَاتِ النَّخِيلِ وَالأَعْنَابِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًاThey ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit."
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَاO you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ(90) O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (91) Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنتَهُونَSome scholars held the view that the drinker of intoxicants, if he drinks and is then flogged, then drinks and is flogged, then drinks and is flogged, and then drinks the fourth time, he is to be killed, based on a hadith that came regarding this. And Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “He is killed if people do not stop without killing”, meaning that people became engrossed in it until a person among them would be flogged three times and not repent. In this case, he is killed because the benefit of killing him is better than the benefit of his remaining. However, the majority of the people of knowledge are of the view that he is not killed even if he is flogged three times, claiming that the hadith that came regarding this is either abrogated or weak.
In any case, it is obligatory for the Muslim to be a believer in Allah, to carry out the command of Allah, and to avoid these filthies, which, even if they have intoxication for an hour of time, have harm for days and months.
And intoxicants are the key to every evil and the mother of all abominations. How many a person got drunk and divorced his wife, and how many a person got drunk and committed unlawful sexual intercourse with his forbidden relatives, refuge is sought in Allah.
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah.
The Shaykh : And how many a person got drunk and killed a soul, and perhaps he kills himself.
So the conclusion is that it is obligatory for the believer to avoid such filthies, and to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic, and to praise Allah who has favored him over many of those He has created, with a great favor. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, honorable Shaykh. The listener is Egyptian and says in this question.