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yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū ʾinnamā l-khamru wa-l-maysiru wa-l-ʾanṣābu wa-l-ʾazlāmu rijsun min ʿamali sh-shayṭāni fa-jtanibūhu laʿallakum tufliḥūna
O you who have faith! Indeed wine, gambling, idols, and the divining arrows are abominations of Satan’s doing, so avoid them, so that you may be felicitous.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Ma’idah, Verse 90
90. "O' you who have Faith! Verily wine, gambling, idols, and (dividing by) arrows are an abomination of the Satan's work, so avoid it, that you may be prosperous."
At the time of the advent of Islam, the Arabs customarily were intensively interested in poetry, wine, and fighting. The Divine revelations concerning the prohibition of wine were gradually conveyed. At first, there revealed a verse stating that provision is supplied from date and grapes either, from which you can obtain intoxication, too8. This indication of intoxication implies the statement of its badness.
The Qur'an, then, has referred to the benefits of gambling and wine (and also that their containing sin is greater than their benefits9. After that the Divine verse was revealed enjoining not to establish prayer at the state of being intoxicated10. And, finally, the above verse was revealed which considered wine as an abomination, a Satanic action, and ordained that it is unlawful.11 The Arabic term /xamr/ (wine) is derived from the same root as the Arabic word /xumur/ (cover) is. In Arabic, the veil of a woman is called /ximar/; since it covers the hairs. Similarly, wine covers the wisdom.
The Arabic term /maysir/ is derived from /yusr/ with the meaning of easiness, since, in gambling, players sometimes earn money by that play without tolerating any trouble. The Qur'anic term /'azlam/ means a kind of lottery done with some sticks of arrows. It used to be performed before Islam, at the Age of Ignorance.
Explanations
1. In Islam, having Faith and drinking wine do not agree with each other.
2. Drinking wine and gambling are in the same row with idolatry.
3. The Islamic commandments and prohibitions have been ordained reasonably and wisely.
4. The verse enjoins to avoid not only drinking wine, but also approaching it. The reason of this ordinance is that a sound nutrition is effective in the prosperity of human beings. Therefore, it enjoins to avoid intoxication, so that you may be prosperous. The verse says:
Any kind of cooperation concerning wine, including its production, distribution and consumption, prohibited. Imam Baqir (as) has narrated from the Holy Prophet (S) that he cursed ten groups of people who are concerned somehow with drinking wine. They are as follows:
"Its planter, its guardian, its maker, its drinker, its cupbearer, its bearer, its receiver, its seller, its purchaser, and anyone who, in a way, devours from its income." 13
Footnotes