Sarfraz Ahmad, Student, Jamia Ahmadiyya UK
With global irreligiousness and atheism on the rise, religion seems to be lagging in the race to keep up in the current, post-modern era. Whilst the realms of science, technology and education are constantly refining themselves to present a better, more accurate picture of our world, religion is stagnant.
However, there is ample evidence to say that there is one world religion about whom this observation is incorrect. Despite being unchanged for the past 1400 years, its teachings transcend the ebbs and flows of human civilisation and continue to act as a beacon of guidance for the whole world. That religion is the religion of Islam, and its teachings that are derived from the Holy Quran and the sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.
If the above words are true, then we must accept that the One and True God, who is fully acquainted with His creation, must have sent this teaching to all of mankind for its guidance. Thus, proving the truth and wisdom behind the teachings of Islam is automatic proof of the existence of an Omnipotent and Omniscient God.
We will delve into some of these examples below.
Alcohol
The prevailing use of alcohol around the world is one of the great issues of our time. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions and alcohol-related deaths account for 5.3% of global deaths. They go on to state that alcohol consumption causes ‘death and disability relatively early in life’ and that ‘in people aged 20–39 years, approximately 13.5% of total deaths are attributable to alcohol.’ (“Alcohol”, www.who.int )
It is perhaps the negative economic and social effects that are more concerning.
According to a report produced by the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), a group of medical royal colleges, charities and treatment service providers promoting “healthy” alcohol consumption, alcohol costs the British economy £7.3 billion every year ‘through the loss of working age people from the labour force, higher unemployment among heavy drinkers and higher rates of sickness absence due to alcohol consumption.’ (“Written evidence submitted by the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA) (PEG0228)”, committees.parliament.uk)
The social ills caused by alcohol are, also, not a matter of debate. Heavy drinkers often lose control over their senses and commit such acts, under their reduced inhibitions, that they would not dare to in sobriety. This means that alcohol use and abuse open ways towards crime. Regular drinkers negatively affect those around them.
In fact, Alcoholism and domestic abuse go together. According to WHO, roughly 55% of domestic abuse perpetrators are drunk at the time of abuse. Consequently, women who are abused are 15 times more likely to abuse alcohol themselves. (“Alcohol And Domestic Abuse”, www.alcoholrehabguide.org) Hence, alcohol can lead to a vicious cycle of domestic abuse in couples, leading to broken homes and severely neglected children.
The Holy Quran forbids alcohol in the following words:
يٰۤاَيُّہَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِنَّمَا الۡخَمۡرُ وَالۡمَيۡسِرُ وَالۡاَنۡصَابُ وَالۡاَزۡلَامُ رِجۡسٌ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ الشَّيۡطٰنِ فَاجۡتَنِبُوۡہُ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ اِنَّمَا يُرِيۡدُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ اَنۡ يُّوۡقِعَ بَيۡنَکُمُ الۡعَدَاوَةَ وَالۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِي الۡخَمۡرِ وَالۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّکُمۡ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِ اللّٰہِ وَعَنِ الصَّلٰوةِ ۚ فَہَلۡ اَنۡتُمۡ مُّنۡتَہُوۡنَ
That is to say: “O ye who believe! wine and the game of hazard and idols and divining arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So shun each one of them that you may prosper. Satan desires only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and the game of hazard, and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer. But will you keep back?” (Surah al-Maidah, Ch.5: V.91-92)
Whilst the first verse mentions four different vices, the second one, which addresses social issues, narrows the list to two: alcohol and gambling.
In a recent study, conducted in November 2022 and quoted widely in the most notable newspapers and media around the world, a group of scientists concluded that even a small amount of alcohol has a detrimental effect on health. In an article featured in The New York Times, we find:
“Risk starts to go up well below levels where people would think, ‘Oh, that person has an alcohol problem,’” said Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. “Alcohol is harmful to the health starting at very low levels.” (“Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health”, www.nytimes.com)
Having said that, the medicinal benefits of alcohol cannot be denied. It is a very effective treatment for several conditions like anorexia and vomiting. It is also a very effective antiseptic and disinfectant.
The Holy Quran also alludes to this in another place in the Holy Quran where it states:
يَسۡـَٔلُوۡنَکَ عَنِ الۡخَمۡرِ وَالۡمَيۡسِرِ ؕ قُلۡ فِيۡہِمَاۤ اِثۡمٌ کَبِيۡرٌ وَّمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ ۫ وَاِثۡمُہُمَاۤ اَکۡبَرُ مِنۡ نَّفۡعِہِمَا ؕ
“They ask thee concerning wine and the game of hazard. Say: ‘In both, there is great sin and also some advantages for men; but their sin is greater than their advantage.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.220)
In no way does the Holy Quran deny that alcohol holds benefits for mankind, but it is categorical in its prohibition because the harms and ills it causes in society outnumber its benefits – a principle that can be applied to other matters too.
Nowhere has the Quran prohibited its use for medical applications, in fact, it encourages us to do whatever it takes to save human life in the words:
“And whoso gave life to one, it shall be as if he had given life to all of mankind.” (Surah an-Nisa, Ch.5: V.33)
This shows that the teachings of Islam are moderate, appeal to human nature and protect us from ills and harms. The prohibition of alcohol acts as a prototype in understanding this concept.
Gambling
The verses of the Quran that prohibit the recreational use of alcohol also prohibit gambling, alluding to a connection between these two vices. This warrants the question: Can a relation be established between the two?
First, we must look at the verses of Surah al-Maidah quoted above. The social effect of alcohol and gambling is similar, in the sense that both affect the people around the addict. Just like alcohol, gambling leads to the unjust squandering of wealth; wealth whose primary recipients should be family members. The odds are often against the gambler, but the lust for acquiring wealth increases with every loss and can turn itself into a medically diagnosed addiction.
In a report submitted by the Congress of South African Trade Unions seeking to amend the National Gambling Amendment Bill in the South African parliament, we find:
“The social impact of gambling can range from productivity loss, bankruptcy, crime, suicide, illness, abuse, divorce and separation, social services, and treatment costs. The social impact of gambling is not confined to the problem gambler.” (“COSATU SUBMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GAMBLING AMENDMENT BILL”, static.pmg.org.za)
Similarly, gambling is more common among people with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). The relationship, though not proven yet scientifically, is easy to observe.
The Alcohol Rehab Guide, an American organisation committed to preventing Alcohol addiction provides the following take on alcohol and gambling addiction:
“Potentially due to the similar reactions consuming alcohol and gambling have on the brain, someone who is addicted to one has a greater risk of developing an addiction to the other. People who are addicted to gambling may turn to alcohol to settle their nerves while gambling […] Using alcohol to curb the negative effects of withdrawal can make them susceptible to heavy and problematic drinking, potentially leading to the development of alcoholism. Likewise, someone who suffers from alcoholism may seek comfort in casinos.” (“Alcoholism And Gambling Addiction”, www.alcoholrehabguide.org)
Hence, alcohol and gambling addictions act in conjunction to create a never-ending cycle of adverse effects on a person’s health, finances, and social life.
Gambling has adverse effects on the economy too. It leads to the transfer of wealth without any economic activity into the hands of a few, and most of those who take part in it lose out.
Interest
Another teaching that the Holy Quran has given is to avoid the use of interest in financial dealings. In fact, prohibition is worded so strongly that its use has been likened to waging war against Allah the Almighty and the Holy Prophetsa.
However, many people would argue that capitalism (which cannot operate without an interest-based financial system) has largely been a force for good. It has alleviated poverty, allowed countries to have large middle classes and allowed common people to make much larger purchases through financing and mortgages.
In this regard, it should be seen that Islamic teachings always look to identify the origins of any malpractice. Citing the exploitation of the poor to be the principal cause for the prohibition of interest, the verses read:
يٰۤاَيُّہَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَذَرُوۡا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبٰۤوا اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِيۡنَ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا فَاۡذَنُوۡا بِحَرۡبٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَرَسُوۡلِہٖ ۚ وَاِنۡ تُبۡتُمۡ فَلَکُمۡ رُءُوۡسُ اَمۡوَالِکُمۡ ۚ لَا تَظۡلِمُوۡنَ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُوۡنَ
That is to say: O ye who believe! fear Allah and relinquish what remains of interest, if you are believers. But if you do it not, then beware of war from Allah and His Messenger; and if you repent, then you shall have your original sums; thus, you shall not wrong, nor shall you be wronged. (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.279-280)
The reasoning is given in the words ‘you shall not wrong, nor shall you be wronged’. A loan is the transfer of wealth from someone richer to someone poorer. By attaching the obligation of paying back the loan at an interest, the richer person is profiting off the misery of the poorer person, hereby ignoring their Islamic and moral duty of assisting those who are less fortunate. Hence, Islam forbids interest on the premise that it is based on a crooked ideology. Any benefit derived from such a system can only be temporary and fleeting.
To say that the world has not witnessed the harrowing consequences of this system would be a grave injustice. With capitalism and interest came the rise of market economies, with the USA quickly dominating this style of economics. In 1929, the USA witnessed a crash of its market economy (popularly known as the Wall Street Crash), which meant that as the principal lender to world governments, the USA demanded back all its loans (at the interest that had been agreed) from its beneficiaries. This included Germany, a country that had barely recovered after a crushing defeat in WW1 due to crushing sanctions imposed on it by the victors. What ensued was extreme poverty and humiliation for the whole nation, and a desire to elect a government that promised German supremacy and restoration of honour. It was this economic strife that fuelled the rise of Adolf Hitler, and eventually led to WW2, which cost 65 million lives!
Capitalism’s link to global conflict is not a matter of opinion. In this regard, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh states in his book Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues:
“The warning about a war from God in the verses just cited means that the laws of nature governed by God would begin to punish the capitalist society when the factors which have been discussed earlier ultimately lead man to economic imbalance and warfare. Disorders, disturbances and wars always follow exploitation and usurpation of the rights of the poor. We warn you about a war with God and His Messenger means that the state, which thrives on interest, would inevitably end up in a situation where the nations will rise in arms against each other.” (p. 189)
War allows capitalist economies to spend more on their military budgets, making arms companies a crucial part of their industry. For the economy to function well, countries such as the USA are obliged to keep increasing military expenditure, so that those companies may continue to prosper, leading to dependency on the global arms trade and wars. The current Ukraine Crisis acts as an example of this. According to truthout a non-profit news organisation:
“Shares of military and security firms surged in the wake of the invasion. Two weeks into the conflict, shares of Raytheon were up 8 per cent, General Dynamics up 12 per cent, Lockheed Martin up 18 per cent and Northrop Grumman up 22 per cent, while war stocks in Europe, India, and elsewhere experienced similar surges in expectation of an exponential rise in global military spending. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the words of the managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, a Pentagon contractor, is ‘unquestionably the best F-35 salesman of all time,’ in reference to a spike in U.S. government funding for the Lockheed Martin jet fighter. One consultant to Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies said: ‘For the defense industry, happy days are here again. When the defense budget rises it tends to lift all boats in the industry.’”
When justice is overlooked, when the rights of people are ignored, when exploitation becomes the norm, then how can we expect peace in the world? Death and destruction will always be the ultimate result of such actions. This is the philosophy that underpins the prohibition of interest and the Quranic principle of لا تظلمون ولا تُظلَمون. Interest is the injustice of financial dealings that will always hold world peace at ransom.
To the perceptive reader, the question will naturally arise that does the Holy Quran merely criticise interest or does it provide an alternative system too? We must point out that the Holy Quran is a religious book, it is not obliged to teach us economics or the sciences. But being the perfect book that it most surely is, it does indeed provide an alternative.
The Holy Quran recognises that for a functioning economic system, it is necessary for the rich to spend their money and not hoard their wealth. Hence, an incentive to spend must exist. In a capitalistic system, the upper class is incentivised to spend through interest; their money can be used by poor people but is also protected in the sense that they are guaranteed a higher value once returned. The Holy Quran proposes the system of Zakat, whereby the wealthy are obliged to spend a portion of their wealth willingly and selflessly for the betterment of their poor brethren. This theory is directly taken from the Holy Quran, where it states:
وَمَاۤ اٰتَيۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ رِّبًا لِّيَرۡبُوَا۠ فِيۡۤ اَمۡوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرۡبُوۡا عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَمَاۤ اٰتَيۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ زَکٰوةٍ تُرِيۡدُوۡنَ وَجۡہَ اللّٰہِ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُضۡعِفُوۡنَ
“Whatever you pay as interest that it may increase the wealth of the people, it does not increase in the sight of Allah; but whatever you give in Zakat seeking the favour of Allah — it is these who will increase their wealth manifold.” (Surah ar-Rum, Ch.30: V.40)
Zakat is the antidote to interest, which can prevent the unjust hoarding of wealth by the few.
There are many such teachings of the Holy Quran that have been proven right time and time again through the science and logic of modern times, this article only provides a flavour. This goes to show that the Holy Quran is not reliant on the science and logic of modern times for its truthfulness, rather it originates from the God who is Omniscient. The Holy Quran is His word and science is His action. How could they ever be in opposition?