Khamr

Simon.d

If the general consensus is that khamr refers to anything that disturbs khamara (the mind), what are muslims prohibited from taking?

Should this extend to things like anti-depressants, morphine, caffeine? Alcohol is often a vital constituent of many medicines owing to its solvent properties, would such formulations be okay in the eyes of islam?

Also with regard to alcohol as a beverage, is it not okay to drink it, so long as you don't get drunk? Like having a small glass of wine with dinner? As per Sura 16:67 where khamr is hailed as a miraculous gift from God..

Hero Of College

Simon.d wrote: »

If the general consensus is that khamr refers to anything that disturbs khamara (the mind), what are muslims prohibited from taking?

Should this extend to things like anti-depressants, morphine, caffeine? Alcohol is often a vital constituent of many medicines owing to its solvent properties, would such formulations be okay in the eyes of islam?

Also with regard to alcohol as a beverage, is it not okay to drink it, so long as you don't get drunk? Like having a small glass of wine with dinner? As per Sura 16:67 where khamr is hailed as a miraculous gift from God..

Well as is so often preached, Islam is the modern father of medicine {if you ignore the Ancient Greeks and the Hospital Knights and the general Hospitaller movement} so it seems certain that Islam would have come into contact with Alcohol at some point as means of treating wounds and infection. It seems unlikely that people given to the maintenance of gardens and libraries could have remained ignorant to its usefulness or healing properties.

Personally, I think Islam prohibits the use of alcohol for recreational purposes.

the_new_mr

The main principle to abide by is that "If a large amount of it intoxicates then a small amount of it is forbidden" provided that this large amount is physically possible.

The following link discusses the matter in great detail:
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/showme2.cfm?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=561

Keeping the above principle in mind, having a glass of wine with your dinner wouldn't be okay but having it in medicine is fine as far as I know.

//Edit
Verse 67 of Sura 16 mentions the intoxicating effect as well as the blessed properties.

Also, the main problem with something like alcohol or drugs like weed of cocaine is that they cloud the mind to such an extent that you lose control over your own mind and body and may make decisions you wouldn't normally make under regular conditions. I don't think that something like this applies to caffeine although I know that there are some Muslims that refuse to take anything with caffeine in it but a vast majority of scholars say it's okay as far as I know.

philologos

There are huge warnings in the Bible about defiling the Temple (which is your soul) of God, and there are huge warnings about falling to debauchery and drunkeness. Warnings in relation to drugs probably weren't around due to the time it was written in. However Christianity in itself is not a teetotal religion, where Islam is. However personally it's probably best to abstain totally if you are poor of self control.

Simon.d

the_new_mr wrote: »

Also, the main problem with something like alcohol or drugs like weed of cocaine is that they cloud the mind to such an extent that you lose control over your own mind and body and may make decisions you wouldn't normally make under regular conditions.

But what about theraputic drugs like morphine, Prozac, anti-depressants, sleeping tablets etc.. All of these affect the mind very significantly.. Does the same not apply to them? What's the difference?