It is defined that alcoholic drinks, gambling, and foretelling are a loathsome evil of Satans doing in Quran. What do they have to do with Satan?

Alcoholic drinks, gambling, and to hope for help from foretelling are considered Satans excrement. Quran states on this matter as follows:

O you who believe! Intoxicants, games of chance, sacrifices to (anything serving the function of) idols (and at places consecrated for offerings to other than God), and (the pagan practice of) divination by arrows (and similar practices) are a loathsome evil of Satans doing; so turn wholly away from it so that you may prosper (in both worlds). Satan only seeks to provoke enmity and hatred among you by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to bar you from the remembrance of God and from Prayer. So, then, will you abstain? (Al-Maidah Surah, 5:90, 91)

In a hadith narrated by Hazrath Aisha, Messenger of God (pbuh) states, All drinks that intoxicate are unlawful (to drink)." (1) And anything, which is done, while consuming alcohol is prohibited. Anas Bin Malik narrated, Messenger of God cursed ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought. (2)

Companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) took it so seriously that they even considered drinking alcoholic drinks equal to idolatry. Abu Musa, on this matter used to say, "It is all the same to me whether I drink wine or worship this pillar instead of God." (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3660)

However, just because the complete prohibition of alcohol came with time and progress; and when we know that there were drunken people among the companions even in the time of Uhud and Badr wars; it should not be so harsh on people who have weaknesses for alcohol and they should not be excluded from society. As a matter of fact, once a drunk was brought to the Prophet Muhammad. Some of the companions beat him with their hands, and some with their shoes and some with their garments (twisted in the form of a lash). Messenger of God acted with a different manner and said, "Do not help Satan against your (Muslim) brother." (3) Therefore, he warned his companions how evil intention is to disincline someone from belief, Muslims, and Islam.


(1) Sahih Bukhari,
(2) Tirmidhî,
(3) Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 81, number 772