Intoxication: Root Cause of Various Evils in the Society

Since its inception,Islam has been a religion of balance,equilibrium, peace and serenity.It always strives to create such a society in which all people cutting across religion,caste,creed,color and region may amicably live together.Accordingly,to keep the society free from all sorts of evils,sins and villainies,Islam devices a host of precautionary measures.
To illustrate this point, let us think of the strategy of Islam,how it explicitly forbids intoxication.For all intoxicating substances such as wine,gin,whiskey drugs or beer have negative impacts on the behaviors and faculties of human beings.
Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) says,” Every drink that causes intoxication is forbidden”. He further says,”Every intoxicant is Khamr,and every Khamr is forbidden”.The term ” Khamr” refers to any intoxicating substance.He also says,” He who drank ( wine) in this world would be deprived of it in the Hereafter”.
We may easily guess the seriousness of intoxication from this saying of the Prophet.He says,” Intoxication is the root cause of all evils”.
“And as we know that intoxicants are one root cause for various evils in the society.It prevents the Universal Brotherhood from prevailing.And according to the statistics,it tells us that” In America,on an average everyday,more than one thousand nine hundred cases of rape take place and in most of the cases,either the victim or the rapist,is intoxicated.The statistics of America tell us that,” there is 8 ℅ of incest.That means,every 12th or 13th person you come across in America,has committed incest- that is ,having sexual relationship with close relatives- father and daughter,son and mother,brother and sister- and majority.Almost all the cases,it is committed under the state of intoxication.
AIDS is spreading in the world- one of the reasons is intoxicants.Therefore,
the Qur’an says,” Intoxicants and gambling is a Satan’s handiwork- abstain from this handiwork,that you may prosper.”If you abstain from these evil things,Universal Brotherhood will be helped in prevailing throughout the Universe.
Besides,backbiting and slandering are also two major sins which are considered the root cause different evils in the society.That is why Islam strictly prevents its adherents to keep away from these obnoxious activities.The Holy Qur’an says in Surah Israa,Ch.No.17: V.No.32 says,” nor come close to adultery,for it is a shameful deed-It is an evil,opening other roads to evil”. Islam is against adultery.The Glorious Qur’an says in Surah Hujrat,Ch.No.49: V.No.11 and 12 ” Oh ye who believe,let not some men among you laugh at the others- You may never know,that the latter may be better than the former.Let not some women among you,laugh at the other- you may never know,that the latter may be better than the former.Do not defame one another,nor be sarcastic or call each other with nicknames.Avoid suspicion,for in many cases suspicion is a sin.Do not spy on one another,do not backbite,do not speak ill of one another behind their backs.Are you ready to eat the dead meat of your of your brother? Here, the Qur’an elucidates that if you backbite, or if
you slander any one behind their backs,it is as though you are
eating the meat of your dead brother.And eating the meat of your dead brother is a double sin. Eating dead meat itself is prohibited. Eating meat of your dead brother is double crime.
Even the cannibals,who eat eat human beings,do not eat the flesh of their brother.So if you backbite, or if you speak ill about somebody else behind their back,it is a double crime- it is eating the meat of your dead brother.( Universal Brotherhood,p,17-18)
Noted Islamic scholar Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi says,” Islam has closed all the ways leading to sexual anarchy.But for satisfaction of man animality and propagation of human race it was inevitable that at least one door for sexual satisfaction must be kept open.This was done by giving permission for marriage.Islam ordained that the sexual desire must be satisfied,not by unlawful sexual liaison secretly or openly and immodestly,but through the prescribed course so that the whole society comes to know,and it is established beyond doubt,that such and such a man and woman are now meant for each other”.
To sum up,in Islam intoxication is totally prohibited and considered a serious sin.This prohibition stems from the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Hence,doing away with all sorts of intoxicants must be our bounden duty.
Besides,it must also be imperative to eradicate all types of evils and anti- social activities to create a decent ambiance in the society.
It is up to us to do righteous and virtuous deeds and call people towards the right path to achieve the desired goal. For we have been created for this noble cause.As the Holy Qur’an says,” You are the best of people,evolved for mankind.Enjoining what is right,forbidding what is wrong”.( S.3.V.110)