seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 5:87. O you who believe! Do not prohibit the good things God has permitted for you, and do not commit aggression. God does not love the aggressors.
88. And eat of the lawful and good things God has provided for you; and be conscious of God, in Whom you are believers.
89. God does not hold you accountable for your unintended oaths, but He holds you accountable for your binding oaths. The atonement for it is by feeding ten needy people from the average of what you feed your families, or by clothing them, or by freeing a slave. Anyone who lacks the means shall fast for three days. That is the atonement for breaking your oaths when you have sworn them. So keep your oaths. Thus God makes clear His Revelations to you, that you may be grateful.
90. O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination are abominations of Satan’s doing. Avoid them, so that you may prosper.
91. Satan wants to provoke strife and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer. Will you not desist?
92. Obey God and obey the Messenger, and be cautious. If you turn away—know that the duty of Our Messenger is clear communication.
93. Those who believe and do righteous deeds will not be blamed for what they may have eaten, provided they obey, and believe, and do good deeds, then maintain piety and faith, then remain righteous and charitable. God loves the charitable.
Well the commentary worked enough so that I could copy and paste this.These words not only denounce such self-denying practices as those adopted by the Christian monks, spoken of in the last section, but also the act of depriving oneself of Divine blessings by falling into evil and slothful habits. Thus, while the Muslims are told on the one hand not to follow the self-imposed restrictions of the Christians, they are at the same time warned that they can enjoy Divine blessings only so long as they strive arduously for them.
It is wrong to suppose that this verse sanctions the expiation of all kinds of oaths. Reading it along with the previous verses shows that the oaths referred to are in relation to vows, etc., by which one forbids oneself what is otherwise lawful. The injunction at the end of this verse, keep your oaths, also shows that oaths cannot be violated generally, and therefore expiation is only allowed in the case of oaths by which a man deprives himself of some lawful thing or of an occasion of virtue, as in 2:226. It is further evident that the Book which lays stress upon the faithful performance of all kinds of engagements could not allow the violating of agreements which had been confirmed with oaths.
The phrase i√fa˚∂ aimåna-kum bears two interpretations. It means keep your oaths, i.e. be true to your oaths when you take them; and it also means guard your oaths, i.e. do not take oaths unless there is an urgent need.
This verse totally prohibits all intoxicants and games of chance; and besides, by classing them with sacrifices to stones set up for idols and dividing by arrows, subjects them to the prohibition of v. 3. It is related that when this verse was revealed a crier proclaimed in the streets of Madßnah that wine was prohibited, and in response to this every jar of wine in a Muslim house was emptied, so that wine flowed in the streets (B. 46:20). Never in the history of the world was such a deep-rooted evil as drink so suddenly yet so completely eradicated.
I've loved a couple of alcoholics. I've loved a couple of drug addicts. I've been drunk, myself, and done some things I am still ashamed of. I've had to wean myself off of drugs that were prescribed by doctors with no exit plan. I also had to quit smoking after 52 years.
My grandmother told me stories about having to go get my granddad out of the bars during the Great Depression. My granddad also told me about some really addictive drugs he use to play around with while riding the rails like a hobo while looking for work. They both told me how really really hard some things are to stop. Pouring out the booze, flushing the pills and powders.... as the Muslims describe in theses verses.... is a very hard thing to do. It's also very expensive.
Finding good water in the desert is a very very hard thing to do. In the years around 600 CE there weren't any Hoover Dams or desalinization plants. There were plumbing projects beyond belief, but the water ran through pipes that did nothing for the quality of the water. The desert is the desert because of the hard water. The salt and minerals left after the water evaporates is disgusting to drink. So people use to mix a little wine in the water.... turn the water into wine.... so it would be easier to drink. They had to have the water.... but they couldn't stand the taste.... so they had to have the wine to counteract the salts and minerals. However, the more they drank... the more wine they took in.... and they liked it.... and the cycle began.
Now that I've survived cancer.... there are a list of things I can no longer play around with. Popcorn, nuts, alcohol and now..... cherries in my ice cream. Those things just tear me up. Do you have any idea what it's like to give up an addiction..... pop a bag of popcorn..... but don't eat one kernel. Taste the air.... that's all you get. Here's another one.... want to know how hard it is to be an addict..... some people are addicted to food. Humans require food to survive.... but obese people are predisposed to eating because they love food and they are quietly addicted to it. Dieting for some people is like being a sober barmaid.
One way to get rid of those things that have you addicted.... is to give them away.... pour them out.... but they will come back. If you are addicted to something and you throw it out.... it causes an empty spot in you.... and humans don't like empty spots.... so they look for something to fill it.... sometimes a worse addiction comes along.... sometimes they get lucky and a diversion comes along.
The Quran says.... if you are going to pour out your wine.... then do something to keep yourself busy. Feed the poor, do something good for someone... it does wonders for the soul. If you can't afford to feed the poor, then fast..... fasting is a real brain teaser.... as my mom.
Don't swear you are going to do something you know you don't want to, are afraid to, or simply don't intend to do. If you say you want to quit drinking, drugging, or even gambling.... don't just swear you will.... Pour it out, flush it or change venues. Do something about it... don't just swear you will.... because swearing, or making an oath... is worthless.
The point is.... don't swear you're going to do something if you are in doubt.
Don't swear you are going to do something.... Just do it.
Don't swear.... Just do it.
