Quran 16:67
Are wine and alcohol are forbidden in Islam? Does the Qur’an permit strong drink (intoxicants)?
Here are a few translations of the meaning of Quran 16:67:
- And of the fruits of the palms and the grapes– you obtain from them intoxication and goodly provision; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who ponder. (Shakir)
- And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason. (Sahih International)
- And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you derive strong drink (this was before the order of the prohibition of the alcoholic drinks) and a goodly provision. Verily, therein is indeed a sign for people who have wisdom. (Muhsin Khan)
- And of the products of the palms and the vineyards you take to yourselves there from an intoxicant and a fair provision. Surely in that is indeed a sign for a people who consider. (Dr. Ghali)
This verse about the strong drink (sakar) that comes from dates and grapes is in the context of other good things that Allah gives:
- rain from the sky (Quran 16:65)
- drink from livestock (Quran 16:66)
- bees and honey from the honeycomb (Quran 16:68)
It seems from the above that strong drink is permitted by the Qur’an 16:67. According to the Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, “Islamic jurisprudence generally understands the qurʾānic ban of intoxicants to have developed in stages.”
Quran 2:219 and wine
![An image of the text of Quran 2:219 in Arabic, which paraphrased in English says, "They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs].” Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. "](https://bible-quran.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Quran-2-219-Arabic-Text-Only.jpg)
However, Quran 2:219 appears to prohibit wine and other intoxicants.
Here are several translations of Quran 2:219:
- They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs].” Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. (Sahih International)
- They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: “That which is beyond your needs.” Thus Allah makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought.” (Muhsin Khan)
- They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say: In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness. And they ask thee what they ought to spend. Say: that which is superfluous. Thus Allah maketh plain to you (His) revelations, that haply ye may reflect. (Pickthall)
- They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: “In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.” They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: “What is beyond your needs.” Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider- (Yusuf Ali)
- They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men, and their sin is greater than their profit. And they ask you as to what they should spend. Say: What you can spare. Thus does Allah make clear to you the communications, that you may ponder (Shakir)
- They ask you concerning wine and games of chance. Say, “In (both) is great vice, and profits for mankind; and the vice in them is greater than the profit.” And they ask you (concerning) what (things) they should expend. Say, “Liberality.” (Or: clemency) Thus, Allah makes evident the signs to you, that possibly you would meditate (Dr. Ghali)
Quran 5:90-91 identifies wine and alcohol with the defilement of Satan
Quran 5:90-91 identifies alcohol with a defilement of Satan putting it on the same level as idolatry and divination,
- O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist? (Sahih International)
- O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed. Satan seeketh only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance, and to turn you from remembrance of Allah and from (His) worship. Will ye then have done? (Pickthall)
- O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan’s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaitan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salat (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain? (Muhsin Khan)
- O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan’s handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper. Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain? (Yusuf Ali)
- O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan’s work; shun it therefore that you may be successful. The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist? (Shakir)
- O you who have believed, surely wine and games of chance, and altars (for idols) and divining (i.e., divination by arrows or in any other way) are only an abomination of Ash-Shaytan’s (The all-vicious, the Devil) doing, so avoid it, that possibly you would prosper. Surely Ash- Shaytan’s (The all-vicious, the Devil) would only (like) to excite enmity and abhorrence among you by means of wine and games of chance, (Literally: in wine and games of chance) and to bar you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer. Will you then be refraining? (Dr. Ghali)
The Quran’s treatment of strong drink and wine, according to some sources, changed over time. 1“The Qurʾān’s ambivalent treatment of wine was resolved by early exegetes, who determined the historical “occasion” upon which God revealed each wine passage. By examining such passages sequentially, qurʾānic commentators noted a gradual diminution in tolerance toward wine consumption. Al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923; Tafsīr, v, 58) records how God allowed humans to enjoy his gift until they proved incapable of drinking responsibly. After a series of such atrocities, like the Prophet’s uncle mutilating ʿAlī’s camel in a fit of drunkenness, God finally prohibited wine.”
Source: Kueny, Kathryn, “Wine”, in: Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, General Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC. Initially, Muhammad spoke about wine alongside other good things Allah gives to mankind: water, milk, and honey. Several years later it sounds like Muhammad changed his mind identifying alcohol with the devil and no longer Allah’s good gift to mankind. 2“Hadith has many utterances regarding this theme. Wine, is the key of all evil (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, v. 238; Ibn Madja, Ashriba, bab i). Who drinks wine in this world without repenting it, shall not drink it in the other world (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab i; Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 73, 76-78, etc.). Cursed is he who drinks, buys, sells wine or causes others to drink it (Abu Da’ud, Ashriba, bab 2; Ibn Madja, Ashriba, bab 6; Ahmad b. Hanbal, i. 316; ii. 25, 69, 71, 97, 128, etc.). Who drinks a draught of wine on purpose shall have to drink pus on doomsday (Tayalisi, No. 1134). Prayer of him who drinks wine is not accepted by Allah (Nasa’i, Ashriba, bab. 43; Darimi, Ashriba, bab 3), and faith is incompatible with drinking it (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab i; Nasa’i, Ashriba bab 42, 44). It is even inadvisable to use it as medicine (Muslim, Ashriba, trad. 12; Ahmad b. Hanbal iv. 311, 317 bis etc.); and it is prohibited to use wine for manufacturing vinegar (Tirmidhi, Buyu’, bab. 59; Ahmad b. Hanbal iii. 119, 260 bis). But times will be even worse and there will be people who declare wine allowed (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab 1; Nasa’i, Ashriba, bab. 41, etc.) and so it will be drunk by the generation of the last days (Bukhari, Ashriba, bab i, Ahmad b. Hanbal, iii 176, 202, 213 sq)” (“Khamr” in Encyclopaedia of Islam)
Why was wine permitted to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:26; Psalm 104:14-15)? Why did Jesus change water into wine (John 2:1-11) and include it in the Lord’s Supper?
You may also be interested in:
What every Muslim should know about the Bible
Are you thinking about converting to Islam?
References
Wow, I mean, your interpretation is off the hook. In 16:67, there is no wine involved. AT ALL. Its what you interpret it to be…. What you want it to be. and the second verse, yes, Allah said there is some benefit in wine but more evil. Taht is so clear. He is telling you, there is benefit in it, but the harm is greater so stay away from it. How does this say its ok to drink it??? I was born and raised Christians. I am very happy I left it. There is no verses in the Bible about Trinity, none about Jesus saying worship him, but plenty saying not to. Many verses about having a lot of wives though Islam just limited it to 4 instead of 50 or more people used to have. I mean seriously… there is no compulsion in religion….but the truth is seen from the lies.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
It is true that the word “wine” is not found in Quran 16:67. But wouldn’t you agree that wine is meant by the reference to the intoxicant taken from grapevines? Don’t other Muslim interpreters understand this to be wine?
As for the issue of Christian doctrine and the Trinity, I would encourage you to start first with the Christian understanding of history and the death of Jesus on the cross.
Sincerely,
Aaron
Allah bless you brother
I too am converted to Islam
Christianity doesn’t tell you anything about the bible and trinity .. Its all made up and they call it study of bible ..If this is true, then why cant I do my own studies?
Lets see
2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan is God .. It mention The God in Greek which is God almighty
Psalm 2:7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you..
So David is the begotten son of God according to God in the bible
So we should say in the name of the father, two sons, Satan and holy spirit, they are not five Gods but one God .. Lets call it fiverity …
my brother you just miss quote 2 corinthians 4:4 or you do not understand it at all and do not speak what you do not know…….it says the god of this world….. catch that phrase….god of this world. now you said you once where a christian so i take it you can say ‘our lords prayer’ if you know the phrases there it say ……thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven… now ‘thy kingdom come’ shows that Gods kingdom has not yet come on earth in otherwords God is only ruling in heaven, for now He is not ruling the earth but satan. going back to 2 corinthians 4:4 it says god of this world which is satan so don’t say satan is God.
Now going to the Psalms you quoted yes David is Gods son as a matter of fact every person that believe in God is Gods son.
you have the right to believe what you want to believe or follow whichever path you want to but do not go quoting or saying things you do not know. thanks and God bless
2 Corinthians 4:4
“For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.”
Amplified Bible offline
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The Bible is very clear so when you try to read the Bible, please ask the Holy Spirit to give you revelation about what the words of the Bible mean. Don’t just read it as any other book.
As you can see that verse you have quote saying that satan is God well, you have to differentiate between God and god, and try to understand that when satan was hurled down from heaven, his kingdom is here on the world, and because he knows his time is over, he is busy harvesting souls to his kingdom; those who doubt the word of God and those who live according to their evil sinful desires of the flesh (body ). And that’s why we should live far from the body and walk in spirit.
“Surely my people perish for lack of knowledge “
Far, far too late to respond to this confused individual, but it’s possible someone someday may read this and understand. There are certainly verses in the Bible that state the Trinity (look up “Trinity in scripture” online and a couple dozen will pop up). However, looking to, or for, any ONE verse for a basis of opinion in ANY religious text is fool hearty at best. Contextual reading of scripture is not only practiced in all faiths, it is essential for accurate understanding. When this website, the Bible – Qu’ran, likens passages in the Qu’ran which speak about the effects of alcohol to the passages concerning enjoyment one got from eating honey or drinking milk, I assume they are speaking contextually. I must be honest, I am Christian, and I am reading these particular passages from the Qu’ran for the very first time. And my first personal interpretation of what I believe the author of verse 16:67 is saying is that because the fruit of the grape has the ability to intoxicate, it is wise to keep this in mind while, or more importantly before, imbibing. In other words, when dealing with fermented dates and grapes, moderation is the answer to a mind that can see. As Dr. Ghali renders it – “Surely, in that is indeed a SIGN for a people who consider”. Others say ponder, or basically know what you’re getting into.. use wisdom and moderation when dealing with fruits of the vine. I could be completely wrong, but that’s what I understand it to mean. I see it as a verse that speaks to the fine line between imbibing for enjoyment vs. the dangers of drinking to get drunk. It seems as time went on Muhammed erased the line of wisdom in choice that was left entirely to the individual. He later makes it clear that alcohol is not only not to be drunk, but in some cases not to be used at ALL. I understand this to mean that as time passed Muhammed saw the dangers alcohol posed to his followers and banned it outright. Possibly because he felt he could not trust his believers to use moderation in the face of temptation. So he simply removed the object of their temptation. Or at the very least, he made the faith’s climate so uncomfortable for those who did use or abuse alcohol that they were encouraged to cease and desist. I have much yet to learn about the Qu’ran and the words of Muhammed, but what I take from this article is that over time, for whatever reason, personal or social, Muhammed lost trust in his followers to make wise decisions regarding alcohol… so he banned it. End of story. Personally, I find the similarities and differences in similarities between the Bible and the Qu’ran fascinating. Not enough to leave my faith, but is it not also wise to consider what our fellow brothers and sisters believe? It is unfortunate that so many today cannot understand that it is OK to agree to disagree and still be amiable and friendly. That fact that we learn most from those with whom we disagree needs support and encouragement now more than ever.
There is averse (5:93) in the Qur’an, which conceivably came down after the prohibition verse (5:91) whick closes the debate. God will not take people to task for what they ate or drank as llong as they remain committed to good deeds and taqwa. Thus from the Qur’anic perspective, drink is a fair prosion, has some good but more of evil, causes disorientation so one should not approach prayer as he would’nt know what he is saying, it is a handiwork of satan as drunkenness causes rift in family and a lot of social problems, but God is afterall not going to judge people on whether or not they drank. It is upto the reader to think whether Muhammad cooked it up or it all fits in beautifully. Theer is no compulsion in religion.If he was cooking up the revelations, why couldn’t his learned companions who later became great conquerers and admininstrators of thier era and changed the course of history catch him. Anyway, he is dead 14 centuries ago and if some or a lot of peopl think he was an imposter, it is not amazing as may of the Meccans in Muhammad’s era thought so.
…
Well, if you still think he was an imposter, no harm. God will not judge you on what you think of Muhammad but on what you do. Be a good Christian. Dont hate Muslims – though you may hate Islam and Prophet for there is no punishment on harboring evil thoughts about the Prophet or Islam as long as you have faith in God, do good and keep from gross appetites of life and do not hate fellow humans.
Muhammad Yunnus
Read it in Arabic. It is clear not only was the original verse about wine but it refered to being drunk. I don’t think M knows his religion very well.
Dear Br. Abdullah,
As a Muslim I believe in the divinity of the Bible. The incongruities that you have pointed is inevitably the result of translation from Hebrew to Aramic to Latin to English, and the long span of its compilation by different saints and scholars dating from Moses’ era, and its recurring editing over time.
I welcome you as a convert but warn you that a good christian may stand ahead of a bad Muslim in the divine court.
@muhammad yunus
Translation from Hebrew to Amareic to Latin to English?
Why not from the original hebrew and greek to english directly?
The latin version was not the basis for any modern english translation.
The textual critics (which is a science) say the Bible is the most well preserved collection of ancient texts since we have tens of thousands of 1st and 2nd century manuscripts. Independently, jews and christians have memorized and copied the Torah and Tanakh and New Testament for centuries and NO proof of corruption was ever produced, except grammatical variants which dissappear once you look at the whole.
Muslims have never offered proof of what the “original non-corrupted” Bible was supposed to say and what it says now. It’s just wishful thinking because if it confirms the Quran they accept it and if it contradicts the Quran they say it’s corrupted.
@Abdullah: it doesn’t say “Satan is God”. It says Satan is A god (common name: same as ilah) to this age, to the people of the earth. All pagan worship goes to Satan through his many aliases, Hubal, Samiramis, Arachman, Allah…
As for Psalm 2:7 you may not understand it but it does contradict the Quran where it says Allah is a father to noone.
yes, ilah means god but allah (al ilah) means the god.
Could be because Islam was invented after Christianity existed and therefore contained some scripts from it.
It seems to me that koran has a lot of contradictions. Don’t get me wrong, I too have read the so called ‘101 contradictions in the Bible’. But did you know what i found? Most of the time, the author was in wrong. You can’t just read by only a fraction of the verse. Bible is like a book of history. Old testament and new testament may look contrasting each other because old testament is about history and Torah while new testament is about Jesus and Christianity.
I know that salvation is like everyone for themselves, but I trully want people to be saved. Try reading Bible and discover true salvation by yourself.
After all, if Islam is the true path, why is the sentence of turning back on it is death? What is it afraid of? Don’t you think it once again contradicts itself being touted as religion of peace?
dear hans,
‘why is the sentence of turning back on it is death?’
which chapter & verse no, pls
Firstly, u have to give out the verse that says turning back from islam is a death. And mind you, If you are unable to produce that verse, take this verses from the bible. 1samuel chapter 15 vs 3, where Saul has been commanded to go to the city of amalekite to killed and destroyed everything, even not to spare anything. And 2chronicle chapter 15 vs 13 which says he who does not seek the God of Israel must be put to death, from small to big.
You should know about mansukh and nasikh verse sentences ….before wine is halal when it’s cause all mess it up during solat (praying) and cause fighting,adultery it’s become haram …you should learn asbab nuzul (history every verse sentences)
thank you brother for making them understand.. this is how the misinterpret the Quran to people just read with no understanding .as a matter of fact the term God is just a title it is used in many ways so learn something please God blessed you