Page 6 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 11 Page 7 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 11 IslamandAlcoholicDrinks Alcoholic drinks are the only poison that is licensed in many countries. However, Islam took a clear attitude towards alcoholic drinks more than 1400 years ago. Islam prohibits such drinks. Any drink that causes drunkenness is prohibited in Islam regardless of the matter it is made from and regardless of the quantity. According to Islam, if too much of a drink causes drunkenness, then any small quantity of this drink is prohibited, because all alcoholics start with small quantities, then they become the slaves of alcohol. Following is a detailed study of some of the misconceptions about the curative powers of alcohol and the many problems associated with alcohol consumption. Alcohol andGeneralHealth Alcoholic drinks, which are prohibited by Islam, have a destructive effect on the nervous system through the direct toxic effect. Besides, alcohol may lead to alcoholism with its psychological and mental troubles such as convulsion and hallucination. Further, alcohol leads to malnutrition caused by inflammations in the digestive system, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, and bad absorption in the digestive system. The alcoholic becomes careless, selfish, easily provoked, and suspicious. He may suffer paranoia. The alcoholic may end up being hated by his wife and children. He suffers from melancholy. He may then end up committing suicide for he has no reason to live for. An alcoholic may suffer from hallucination: he may think he sees unreal ghosts or hear unreal voices or smell unreal scents. Alcohol causes decay in the cells of the brain and the cortex. This may cause alcoholic psychosis and loss of memory. In this stage, the alcoholic loses the ability to distinguish the concrete from the abstract and the real from the unreal. He cannot even know the day or the place. The alcoholic loses the ability to calculate, to add, or subtract the easiest numbers. The alcoholic cannot remember the most recent incidents in his life. The alcoholic may become unable to stand up without losing his balance. When he walks, he staggers. When he speaks, he slurs. Scientists and governments now do their best to solve the problem of drunkenness and alcoholic drinks, but in vain. In contrast, Islam solved this problem by means of one single verse in the Holy Quran, where alcoholic drinks were prohibited fourteen centuries ago. Once you believe in Allah, you accept and submit to His orders and all your problems are solved. Islam prohibited all kinds of alcoholic drinks 1400 years ago. Islam did not wait for scientific research to prove the destructive effects of alcohol on human body and human mind. In Islam, the principle is simple, clear, and logical: prevention is better than cure. In other civilizations, alcoholic drinks are allowed and then problems occur. It is then that doctors, psychologists, and sociologists start trying to solve the problems caused by alcohol. Islam does not only prohibit drinking alcoholic drinks, but also prohibits making them. Islam also prohibits carrying, selling, or buying such drinks. According to Islam, if something is prohibited, all means to it are also prohibited. Also according to Islam it is no use to forbid something and allow means leading to it at the same time. If alcoholic drinks are prohibited, all means to them are prohibited; Islam prohibits the making, transporting, importing, exporting, buying, and selling of such drinks. In Islam, alcohol is not allowed and problems are not given the chance to occur. Alcohol and the Stomach It was believed that alcoholic drinks function as appetizers, but this is against facts. Alcoholic drinks function as appetizers for the first week or month only, then soon the stomach and other parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Infections and ulcers begin to show up; vomiting starts; all appetite is lost. The gastroscope shows that any small quantity of alcohol causes an inflammation in the innermembraneof the stomach. Somepeoplebelieve that a little alcohol has no harm, but this is scientifically not true. Further, as we know, all alcoholics started with small quantities, then they found themselves chronic cases of alcoholism. A person who drinks occasionally may become an alcoholic under the pressure of any psychological shock or emotional problemor social crisis. This shows us thewisdomof Allah; in Islamall alcoholic drinks are prohibited nomatter how small the quantity is. Alcohol, if drunk repeatedly, causes stomach inflammations and the death of stomach cells. As a result, stomach acids decrease and result in bad digestion. Further, many microbes pass without being destroyed by the acid, which is destroyed by alcohol itself. The decrease of the stomach acid leads to a decrease in vitamin B 12 and causes severe anemia. This chronic inflammation of the stomach is accompaniedwith paleness, fast pulse, and heart failure. Further, this stomach inflammation may develop a probable ulcer, and then a probable stomach cancer. All these troubles are caused by alcohol. Alcohol and FalseWarmth It was also believed that alcoholic drinks cause warmth in the human body. But facts prove that it is only a false warmth caused by the widening of outer blood vessels. But if the drunkard is exposed to cold weather, he loses all his warmth and energy and may die of cold thinking he is enjoying warmth. Alcohol and theBrain Alcohol hits the brainmercilessly. Firstly, alcohol has a direct destructive anesthetic effect on the brain. Secondly, the brain is damaged by the lack of blood that reaches it owing to the hardening of blood vessels and heart failure. Thirdly, the brain suffers the anemia that accompanies alcoholism. If the brain is damaged, all problems begin to arise, one after the other. Alcohol has a tremendous effect on the brain, the cortex, and the nervous system in general. The cortex cells are in charge of controlling ma n muscles and systems in the human body. If a driver is drunk, he cannot control his speed or react to emergency cases or avoid accidents. When a man is drunk, he cannot observe, judge, or react well. A drunken person loses much of his mental and physical efficiency, no matter how small the drunken quantity of alcohol. Even if a person is accustomed to alcohol, his abilities fall off when he drinks alcohol. A person who has drunk alcohol loses some of his abilities and senses: he cannot see, taste, or smell as a normal person does. His comprehension ability and muscular balance fall off too. Research has shown that 50% of death cases in some countries are caused directly or indirectly by alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks have a very bad influence on the most valuable organ in the human body, i.e., the brain. Besides, alcohol increases the secretion of stomach acids, which will later on cause stomach inflammation and stomach ulcer. If a person has already got an ulcer in his stomach, one glass of wine is enough to cause bleeding in the stomach or a hole in that poor organ. Alcohol and the SexualDrive Continuous drinking of alcohol drinks ends up with sexual impotency. This shows us the wisdom of prohibiting alcohol in Islam. To add, some bad alcohols may cause complete blindness and heart failure owing to their severe toxiy. Alcohol Leading toMoreAlcohol The danger of alcoholic drinks, which are prohibited by Islam, is that alcohol leads to more alcohol. The sons of an alcoholic tend to be alcoholics too. In other words, alcohol may easily push its drinker to the catastrophe of alcoholism, which is a fatal blow to both the mind and the body. In these days, countries that allow alcohol are suffering from it and the number of alcoholics is increasing rapidly. In the U.S.A., for example, the number of alcoholics has increased from 4,000,000 in the 1960’s to 10,000,000 in the 70’s. TheAlcoholic ’ sMouth The alcoholic may develop some infections in the mouth, which are severely painful to the alcoholic. Further, some microbes may attack the throat of the alcoholic and cause a severe infection there. This throat infection makes swallowing and breathing extremely difficult for the alcoholic. TheAlcoholic ’ sAppetite At the beginning alcohol motivates appetite. But soon later, most of the digestive organs become inflamed; the stomach acid decreases; the digestive process slows down; appetite for food disappears. Some people in some countries think that wine and other alcoholic drinks are appetizers and are served with almost all meals. But this is nothing more than a common mistake. Alcohol functions as an appetizer for a few meals only. Later, alcohol becomes a killer of appetite and a destroyer of the digestive system starting from the mouth until the rectum. TheAlcoholic ’ sHead The alcoholic usually has a headache. So he takes a great deal of aspirin and its derivatives. Besides, the alcoholic usually smokes. So aspirin plus cigarettes plus anxiety plus the toxity of alcohol itself pushes him into a vicious circle of emotional anxiety. TheAlcoholic ’ s Liver Alcohol has a destructive effect on the liver also. A person who drinks alcoholic for ten years will most probably have problems in his liver. By means of the electron microscope, the examiner of the liver can easily discover the effect of alcohol on the liver in twenty-four hours after drinking. In the liver, the alcohol hits the nucleus of the cells there first. When the nuclei of the liver cells die, the cells die and cease to multiply. Besides, the liver fails to oxidize fats, which therefore gather in and around the liver. The gathering of these fats around the liver will end up with the complete failure of the liver. Because of alcohol, the liver cannot transform carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Because of alcohol, the liver fails to remove poisons from the body. This will cause the increase of the ration of poisons in the blood. These poisons affect the activity of the brain and disturb the drunkard’s emotions, behavior, and mental abilities. He/she soon fails to write well; his/her hand shakes; his breathing becomes difficult; his belly swells; and his temperature rises. Some people think that some alcoholic drinks are less dangerous than others. But the fact is that all alcoholic drinks are equally dangerous, because if the alcohol percentage is small in a drink, the glass of that drink is made large. This means that the quantity of alcohol is the same in each glass of drink. That is why Islam prohibits all types of drinks and prohibits drinking any small quantities. Islam prohibits the drinking of even a drop of any alcoholic drink, because problems always start this way; a small glass on a social occasion, then another glass on another social occasion, then eventually buying alcoholic drinks to consume at mealtime, then getting drunk, and then becoming an alcoholic with all his pains, his sufferings, his diseases, and problems he creates for his wife, children, and family. In conclusion, alcoholic drinks effect and damage all systems of the body. Alcohol damages the nervous system, the digestive system, and the blood system directly and it damages all other systems indirectly. What kind of life will a person lead if he has infections, inflammation, ulcers, and cancers everywhere in his body? Also, what kind of life is it when a person loses memory, loses appetite, loses mental abilities, and has hallucinations? Islam has saved humanity from all this torture by guiding us to the right way. Because of our religion, Muslims know the right way from the wrong way and Allah has given us the mind with which we have to choose and bear responsibility. All thanks is due to Allah, who gave us the Holy Quran in which to follow and lead us on the right path of Islam. VitelloTonnato (Servings for 6 people) Ingredients: - 2 lbs. roast beef - 2 cans tuna fish - 12 capers - 4 anchovies - 4 cups mayonnaise - 1 tablespoon French mustard - 1 onion - 1 carrot - 1 celery stalk Preparation: Fill a large pot with water. Add the meat, onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Boil till meat is tender. When meat is tender, transfer to tray and allow to cool. (The extra broth may be kept refrigerated and used for future use as the liquid for your rice or pasta). Now slice the beef into thin slices and arrange on platter; keep aside. Put the tuna, capers, anchovies, mayonnaise, mustard, and 3 tablespoons of cold water in the blender for 1minute and blend till smooth. Pour the tuna mixture over the meat so that the meat is totally covered with sauce. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Delizioso & Buon Appetito!!
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