Is Alcohol Consumption A Sin?
The logic isn’t sound. As Ghamidi Sahab gave an example, few people who break traffic laws end up in an accident, that does not mean we are going to forsake traffic laws. The general command will remain the same, especially in element that are addictive. The Hadith is historical information, it showed how the Prophet PBUH and Sahaba treated alcohol is ‘special’ kind of sin due to its intoxication. They may tolerate minor sins like approaching women with wrong intentions until zina was committed but they did not have same tolerance towards alcohol, so to limit it to just a ‘minor’ sin is not an accurate estimate. It’s not the worst sin but it is a major if you want to understand Ghamidi Sahab’s point of view. Even if you argue that alcohol has benefits, Allah has also shot down that argument in the Qur’an. They ask you about drinking and gambling. Say: There is great sin in both , they also have some benefits for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefits …….(Qur’an 2:219) Lastly the distinction is that drinking alcohol in small quantity might be argued to be the minor sin but getting drunk is the major sin as understood by Prophet PBUH, by Sahaba and the scholars, there is a consensus here. And while Allah has chosen to forgive minor sins as long as major sins are avoided, does not change that He does see minor sins as sins in verse 4:31, it’s just His mercy that He choose to forgive, this is not eliminate ‘sin’ status of an action. He was angry, but He choose to relent.