Intoxicants 5:91

Satan's Scheme Satan wants to and likes to create dislike and hatred between you by means of alcoholic beverages and other intoxicants and different types of gambling. He hinders and prevents you from invoking the remembrance of Allah in your hearts with reflection and from the lawful worship of Allah by words and actions. Are you of those who respond to prohibition? Satan uses various kinds of intoxicants including alcohol and various kinds of gambling including the lottery to create hatred and division among the people. Here in America both of these are readily available and many of them are deemed to be legal. Some may contend that there is profit or benefit in intoxicants and gambling. This is true. However, Allah says in the Qur'an that in them is great sin and some benefits for mankind, but their sin is greater than their benefit. He also commands mankind to avoid or keep away from them in order to have a successful life. Intoxicants act as a covering to prevent and distort rational thinking, and they both act to prevent moral consciousness. If a person loses his moral and rational consciousness because of getting drunk or getting high or gambling, he risks losing or wasting his family's precious resources. This can cause hard feelings, loss of respect, and in some cases poverty. In America intoxication and gambling produce big money so that greed becomes more Important than moral sensitivity, rational behavior, and family cohesion. What a sad state of affairs.