Does Quran have contradictions in rulings regarding wine?

Question

Can the following be considered as a contradiction regarding the ruling on wine?

• Ok to drink wine (4:43):

  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

  O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

• not Ok, it is from Satan (5:90-91):

  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

  O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.

  إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ

  Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?

Answer 1

these verses are as follows :

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it therefore that you may be successful (5:90)

إِنَّما يُريدُ الشَّيْطانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَکُمُ الْعَداوَةَ وَ الْبَغْضاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَ الْمَيْسِرِ وَ يَصُدَّکُمْ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللَّهِ وَ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنْتَهُونَ

The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist? (5:91)

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ أَنْتُمْ سُکارى‏ حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا ما تَقُولُونَ وَ لا جُنُباً إِلاَّ عابِري سَبيلٍ حَتَّى‏ تَغْتَسِلُوا وَ إِنْ کُنْتُمْ مَرْضى‏ أَوْ عَلى‏ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْکُمْ مِنَ الْغائِطِ أَوْ لامَسْتُمُ النِّساءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا ماءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِکُمْ وَ أَيْديکُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ کانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُوراً-

O you who believe, do not perform your service of prayer when you are intoxicated until you are sure of what you are saying, nor when in a state of seminal pollution, until you have taken a bath, except when you are travelling. But in case you are ill or are travelling, or you have relieved yourself of nature's call, or cohabited with a woman, and cannot find water, then take wholesome dust and pass it over your face and hands: God is benign and forgiving (4:43)

this is a good question. according to the opinions of Shiite Commentators of the Holy Quran, Islam has Special confrontation with forbidding and sanction of drinking wine among early Arabs. Arabs Were interested intensely in drinking wine. for the sake of this interesting , Quran has a special confrontation with them. this special confrontation was a kind of gradually forbidden and sanction. in other words the holy Quran has a special psychological stance about conditions and circumstances as this. therefore Quran first paved the way through referring to disadvantages and wine as bad drinking ,after that forbidden it. in better words the Holy Quran at once not order to leave drinking of wine but gradually announced it as something forbidden. the Holy Quran first introduced wine as bad drinking(Surah Nahl,verse 67), next sent the 43th verse of Surah Nasa. After that referred to disadvantages of drinking wine and finally Quran forbidden it.

for more reading you can refer to: Aytllah Qaraati, the commentary of Light( Tafsire Nour,), Ayatollah sheikh Naser Makarim Shirazi, Tafsire Nemouneh

Answer 2

Q4:43 "O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying"

Q5:90 "O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful."

I don't see how Q4:43 says it's okay to drink wine. Initially, alcohol wasn't completely banned and Q4:43 was revealed to regulate that. Later on, Q5:90 was revealed which completely prohibits alcohol. The Qur'an wasn't revealed at once, but as the need arises:

Q25:32 "And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur'an not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly."

More so, it's difficult for people to adjust to a sudden change of lifestyle (like drinking) at once. Change has to be gradual. It's just like a doctor trying to wean a patient off cigarettes and tells him to go from 20 sticks a day, to 5 sticks a day, does that mean he meant it's okay to smoke?

Although, Q5:90 abrogates Q4:43, both verses still apply. Were a Muslim to get himself drunk, Q4:43 still mandates he shouldn't pray in that condition, and if he does he has to repeat the prayer. Maybe you should ask your friend what his own religion has done to solve the alcohol problem..

Answer 3

ثبت العرش ثم انقش!!!

I can't understand how there could be any contradiction between these verses!! the first one prohibits people from approaching prayer when they're intoxicated while the second one states that wine is the abomination of Satan's doing, SO is there any sane person claiming that there is a contradiction between PROHIBITION and BEING THE ABOMINATION??!!!

The first one is talking about a completely different rule from the second one.

Moreover, In the first verse Allah is talking about the state of intoxication and prohibiting from offering prayer in this state. There is nothing in the first verse implying that Allah intends to make any statement about the wine itself. Therefore in verse 43 or Surah Nisa, Allah is not talking about WINE to pop up the question as to whether there is any contradiction between two verses.

Is there any contradiction between these two sentences:

The door is open.
The window is closed.

Answer 4

There is no contradiction in Quran.. Quran was sent progressively bit by bit and Allah has NEVER wished to give burden to human. Alcohol was allowed before but people used to go in prayer while drunk and pray saying what they don't know., praying beyong the limits and Allah forbid them from praying while they are drunk.. Later, people were missing prayer because of over drinking., fighting after drinking and neglecting families because they are busy always in drinking places. So Allah them totally forbid wine. Forexample : just like doctors take people off from alcohol and cigarette.. they don't stop you at once , but rather they reduce your consumption bit by bit till they say: No more alcohol now .

Answer 5

Both of these have the same meaning. The difference is this verse:

O you who believe, do not perform your service of prayer when you are intoxicated until you are sure of what you are saying, nor when in a state of seminal pollution, until you have taken a bath, except when you are travelling. But in case you are ill or are travelling, or you have relieved yourself of nature's call, or cohabited with a woman, and cannot find water, then take wholesome dust and pass it over your face and hands: God is benign and forgiving (4:43)

Came before the other. When the Quran came it was normal for people to drink wine, so few verses came and this one prevents the actual praying if someone has drunk wine. And then came the other one that prevents drinking in all cases just to clarify that drinking is prohibited in all cases and not just before wine.