Friday Sermon: West Turns to Islam: Use of Alcohol

The Central Theme of the Sermon:

Lord Shahid Aziz introduced the sermon by arguing that increasing numbers of people in Western society had begun to adopt, in practice, Islam’s position on alcohol by choosing not to drink. He said that he would compare the guidance of the Holy Quran with a message issued by the National Health Service in England and with a recent feature published in The Times.

His purpose had been to show that teachings sometimes regarded as restrictive or outdated had increasingly been supported by modern health evidence. He treated the growing recognition of alcohol-related harm as an example of society gradually moving towards principles revealed by Allah long before contemporary scientific research.

The Holy Quran’s Assessment of Intoxicants:

The first passage discussed had been Holy Quran 2:219. Lord Shahid Aziz explained that it had acknowledged that intoxicants and games of chance might contain some advantage, but had declared their sin and harm to be greater than any benefit. The verse had therefore presented a balanced assessment while directing attention to the overall consequences.

He stressed that the word used had referred broadly to intoxicants rather than only to wine or one particular alcoholic drink. In his explanation, the teaching had covered substances that impaired judgement and consciousness, making the principle wider than a rule tied to one product or one historical culture.

The Final Prohibition in Holy Quran 5:90–91:

Lord Shahid Aziz then referred to Holy Quran 5:90–91, which had grouped intoxicants and games of chance with practices described as unclean and as works associated with evil. Believers had been instructed to shun them in order to succeed.

He explained that the passage had identified several reasons for the prohibition. Intoxicants could create hostility and resentment, interfere with remembrance of Allah and distract people from prayer. Their harm had therefore extended beyond the individual body into relationships, society and spiritual life.

The Gradual Method of Reform:

The speaker observed that the prohibition had been introduced gradually. Holy Quran 2:219 had first warned that the harm outweighed the benefit. Holy Quran 4:43 had then prohibited approaching prayer while intoxicated, and Holy Quran 5:90–91 had finally required complete avoidance.

He presented this sequence as a measured process of moral education. The Holy Quran had first developed awareness of the problem, then restricted conduct and finally established the full rule. The stages had prepared the early Muslim community to abandon a deeply rooted social habit.

Moral, Social and Spiritual Harm:

Lord Shahid Aziz explained that the Holy Quran had not based its teaching only upon physical health. It had also addressed damaged judgement, conflict between people, neglect of worship and weakening of moral restraint. Any temporary pleasure or social advantage had been outweighed by these broader effects.

The prohibition had therefore protected several dimensions of human life at once. It had guarded personal responsibility, family and social relations, clarity of mind and the believer’s connection with Allah. Modern health evidence had added further detail to harms already encompassed by the Holy Quran’s general principle.

Growing Abstinence in England:

The speaker referred to a National Health Service message which had stated that approximately one quarter of people in England did not drink alcohol. He interpreted this as evidence that abstinence had become a significant voluntary choice rather than a practice confined to Muslims.

He noted that Muslims formed only a small minority of the United Kingdom’s population and reasoned that most of those abstaining must therefore have been non-Muslims. In his view, this trend showed people adopting an Islamic practice because experience and research had made its wisdom increasingly apparent.

The Changing View of a Daily Drink:

Lord Shahid Aziz read from a two-page feature in The Times dated 24 January 2026. He explained that small daily amounts of alcohol had once been promoted as beneficial, particularly through claims about red wine and heart health. The article had described a substantial change in medical opinion.

He reported that newer evidence had challenged the assumption that a routine daily drink was harmless. Public-health statements and recent studies had instead associated even low-level, regular consumption with health risks. He used this reversal to illustrate how scientific understanding had moved closer to the caution expressed by the Holy Quran.

Evidence Concerning Cancer Risk:

The newspaper material cited in the sermon had described alcohol as a recognised carcinogenic substance and had associated it with several forms of cancer. Lord Shahid Aziz highlighted research which had reported increased risk among people who drank regularly, including those whose consumption might commonly have been regarded as moderate.

He also repeated the article’s explanation that alcohol first contacted tissues in the mouth and could weaken protective barriers, increasing vulnerability to other harmful substances. His larger point had been that serious risks were not confined only to visibly excessive drinking.

Effects on the Brain and Daily Functioning:

The speaker referred to research involving many thousands of adults which had linked frequent alcohol consumption with changes in brain volume and faster age-related decline. He presented this evidence as another challenge to the belief that small, regular amounts were automatically harmless.

The reports cited had also connected alcohol use with poorer sleep, reduced concentration and weaker daily functioning. Lord Shahid Aziz explained that these effects supported the Holy Quran’s concern with clarity, responsibility and protection of the faculties required for moral and spiritual life.

Appearance and Physical Wellbeing:

The article had further discussed visible physical effects associated with regular drinking, including changes caused by widened surface blood vessels and accelerated signs of ageing. Lord Shahid Aziz recalled that these explanations had clarified observations he had made after coming to Britain.

He used this material only as one part of a much wider case. The main issue had not been appearance by itself, but the accumulation of effects across the body, mind, relationships and everyday performance.

Temporary Pleasure and Worsening Mood:

Lord Shahid Aziz noted that alcohol had often been consumed in the expectation that it would make people feel happier or more relaxed. The medical explanation he cited had described a short-lived chemical reward, followed by adaptation when regular use encouraged the body to rely upon that external stimulus.

He reported that habitual use could then contribute to poorer mood, stress and anxiety rather than lasting happiness. This contrast had reinforced his argument that a temporary advantage could conceal deeper harm, exactly as Holy Quran 2:219 had warned.

Risks to the Heart and General Health:

The sermon also referred to studies linking regular alcohol consumption with irregular heart rhythm, raised blood pressure and increased risk of serious cardiovascular illness. Lord Shahid Aziz said that the newspaper feature had continued through a long list of possible effects rather than identifying only one isolated concern.

He summarised the overall picture as damage affecting health, sleep, concentration and the ability to function well. The breadth of these findings had supported his central claim that the harm was greater than the supposed benefit.

Modern Evidence and the Holy Quran’s Principle:

Returning to the opening verse, Lord Shahid Aziz said that doctors, public-health bodies and scientific studies had increasingly documented the extensive harm caused by alcohol. Even where some limited benefit had once been claimed, the accumulated risks had proved much greater.

He contrasted the changing history of medical advice with the stable principle of the Holy Quran. Scientific investigation had required centuries of observation and modern research methods, whereas revelation had warned humanity about intoxicants from the beginning of Islam.

The Argument for Divine Revelation:

In conclusion, Lord Shahid Aziz asked how the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), living in seventh-century Arabia, could independently have known the full wisdom of avoiding intoxicants when heavy drinking had often been treated as a sign of social status or personal ability.

He argued that the Holy Quran’s teaching had come from Allah rather than being authored by the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The growing choice of abstinence in Western society and the expanding scientific evidence about alcohol-related harm had, in his view, confirmed the practical wisdom of divine revelation.