Medical Miracles of Qur'an

7.HARM of ALCOHOL

Quran and alcohol

When prophet Mohame(s.a.w) migrated to Al Madina, he found that the people there were also indulging in drinking.
Our prophet(s.a.w) was the finest model that set the best example of his sublime characteristic, so much that whatever was yet to be declared HARAM, his habit and nature made him detest from the very outset. Besides the prophet(s.a.w), other companions also refrained from consuming alcoholic beverages.
Some of them went to prophet Mohamed(s.a.w) asking him regarding alcohol and gambling which they thought were ruining not only man's intelligence but also his wealth. One of these was Moaz Ibn Gabal. In response to this query the Quran stated:   
 
"They ask you regarding wine and gambling. Say' in both of them is major sin, and there is also, benefit for men, but the sin of them is far greater than benefits ".
"Surat Al Baqara, verse 319"

    Some of the companions after hearing this verse immediately stopped consuming alcohol, but others declared that it overtakes full precautious and law, that immediate consumption of alcohol would not be harmful. 

However, shortly an accident occur which brought a sudden change in the situation. One day, Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf had invited some of the companions and offered wine after the meal, then the Maghreb prayer was performed and the Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb who was drunk made an error in his recitation of Surat Al Kaferoon. Upon this, the second step was taken to prevent the consumption of alcohol during the prayer times by the revelation of the following verse:

 
"O Believers' do not approach Al Salah while intoxicated ".
"Surat Al Nisaa', verse 241"

While the second warning many more of the companions retrained completely from drinking, reasoning that what good can there be in something that deprives one from Salah.

    Then the following incident took place: Othman Ibn Malek invited a few companions for a meal, and after it, wine was served. During this gathering, Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas recited a few line of poetry in which he criticized and belittled the Ansars (this type of poetry was very often applied at this time and also accepted from everyone). Hearing this drunken, Ansari youth became enraged and throw a bone at him which inflicted a severe wound in the head of Saad. He then complained against the youngster to the Prophet(s.a.w), and in response of this, the following verses concerning the complete prohibition of alcohol were revealed as part of Surat Al Maeida':

 
"O You who believe! Intoxicants,  gambling , idolatry and arrows (for seeking help on decision) one an abomination of order that you may be successful. Satan seeks only to cast amongst you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from his worship, will you then not refrain?   ".
"Surat Al Maeida', verse 90"

Allah in his wisdom declared alcohol Haram not in one step but in three stages because as any addicted substance couldn't be stopped at once and time had to be given to the people to decrease wine amount in their blood gradually.

Medical harms of alcohol

1.    Through alcohol, stomach gradually loses its ability to function properly.
2.    Causes loss of appetite.
3.    It spoils ones facial features.
4.    Makes one age quicker.
5.    Weakness and reduces the ability to think and speak properly.
6.    Causes heart failure.
7.    The progeny of alcohol are weaker.
8.    Creates fights and enmity between people.
9.    Leads towards grave sins often adultery and murder are the direct results of drinking.
10.  Thousands of people are wasted in this vise.

Wine and gastrointestinal tract

    The most chief complaint of the esophagus is heartburn, caused by welling up of acid material from the stomach. Two major determinants are the quantity of acid secreted by the stomach and the propulsion of the stomach acid the wrong way, upward in to the esophagus instead of downward into the intestine. Wine may stimulate heartburns it stimulates acid production by the stomach.

    Alcohol, however especially in heavy dose may close relax the low esophageal valve that is supposed to seal of the esophagus and disorder motility, thereby promoting reflux.

    Cirrhoses of liver is often complicated by formation of the esophageal varies, dilation of veins of the lower esophagus, a distinct risk of life threatening hemorrhage. The stomach is both a key actor and a target in the life of ingested alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenize, the enzyme that the first metabolizes alcohol, so neutralizing it, is secreted by the gastric mucosa, the lining of the stomach. When ample alcohol slows the emptying of the stomach, alcohol dehydrogenize has more time to attack the alcohol.

    Women's stomachs contain about 60 percent as much dehydrogenize as do men's, which is likely the main reason for the long observed lesser tolerance of women for alcohol.

    The muscular motility of the intestine may be reduced in alcoholics, thereby respectably altering function and allowing toxic bacterial overgrowth.

    Alcohol increases the absorption of iron, which is an advantage for some cases of anemia. For others excessive iron content in the body is a load on the both kidney and liver. Excessive drinking often leads to diarrhea.

    Chronic heavy drinking, particularly accompanied by abuse of tobacco, is associated, in the gastro-intestinal tract, with increased cancer risk in the: mouth, throat, esophagus, and upper stomach. In some reports there is also an increase in risk of cancer of the pancreas.

Positives of wine

A number of studies have demonstrated that wine posses several properties that would tend to prevent or inhibit cancer through the actions of its antioxidant compounds.
Epidemiologic research has revealed substantial reduction of the risk of cancers of the esophagus and upper stomach and colon and rectum in wine drinkers as compared to non-drinkers.
They said whether wine is a poison, a medicine or nourishment is a matter of dosage.

The price of drinking alcohol:

But recently, at the American society of Addiction Medicines recent annual meeting,
researchers showed the effect caused by drinking just two drinks a day:
They include an increased risk of gastrointestinal and other cancers, deficiencies in vitamin A, foliate and other key nutrients in cell metabolism, and the development of a fatty liver or even cirrhosis.

The research further showed that the heart benefits to drinking wine are not clearly established. Helmut Seitz, a professor of medicine at the University of Heidelberg in Germany who proofed that if wine helped the heart, this is the case with people over 50 having already heart diseases.

At the end of his talk he stated:
Even if you drink small amount of wine it could be addiction, liver disease or cancer. The best condition is not to drink at all.




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