An Analytical Study on the Prohibition of Alcohol in Light of Maulana Gohar Rahman's Audio Commentary

Abstract

Maulana Gohar Rahman, in his commentary, presents a detailed analysis on the prohibition of alcohol in light of verse 219 of Surah Al-Baqarah from the Holy Qur'an. In this verse, Allah responds to people's questions about alcohol and gambling, stating that while both contain some temporary benefits, their sin is far greater than their benefit. Maulana provides both the linguistic and technical definitions of the word "khamr" (alcohol). Linguistically, "khamr" means to cover or veil something, while in technical terms, it refers to any drink that causes intoxication. He cites multiple hadiths to explain this, including the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is prohibited." According to Maulana Gohar Rahman, anything that intoxicates in large quantities is also prohibited in small amounts. The reasons for the prohibition of alcohol include its physical, mental, and spiritual harms, such as clouding one's judgment, causing enmity and hatred, and leading to neglect of worship. Similarly, gambling distances a person from hard work and distracts from the remembrance of Allah. Maulana also references the views of the four Imams (Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Imam Abu Hanifa), all of whom agree that any intoxicating drink, regardless of its source, is forbidden. However, Imam Abu Hanifa holds that while not all intoxicants are termed as "khamr," they are still considered haram.While acknowledging the temporary benefits of alcohol, Maulana explains that the harms far outweigh these benefits, which is why it has been declared haram by Islamic law