If I would drink alcohol but don't because of lack of access, is it a sin?

Question

I know drinking alcohol is a sin, but what if I don't have access to alcohol, but if I had access, I would drink it?

For example I didn't have the money to buy it, or nobody sells alcohol in the area. But you know deep down inside that if you had access to it, you would do it and sin.

So is there anything about something like this in the Quran, and would Allah hate you for that? Because you would be the same as the people who go to parties and party while drinking etc. But because you don't have any access to it, you can't do it at that point in time.

Answer 1

No it isn't sin until to do it.

When a persons think about Thawāb then it will be counted as 1 Thawāb just for thinking but it will be counted as 10 Thawābs if you do.
ON THE OTHER SIDE
If you think about sin it is not counted as sin but good thing is if you commit a sin it will be counted as just one sin.

Answer 2

The Prophet, salahu alayhi wa-salam said in hadith that the one who intends good and acts on it is rewarded, as is the one who does not. Like wise, the one who intends evil and sin but does not act on it is rewarded.

There is no stipulation in this hadith that the inaction of a bad deed must be due to willpower or somesuch, alone and not partly your circumstances.

You are quite able to steal money to afford alcohol, and able to run away to a country that does sell alcohol, if it were to mean that much to you. I recommend neither of these, but I bring it up as it highlights you have chosen this course of action, it is just that Allah has given you help in resisting this terrible temptation. Allah has undeniably given you the means to sin, albeit with difficulty, and you have said "No, I will not go that far. That is a line I will not cross! ". MashAllah.

Remember, Allah does not challenge a soul with anything beyond it's means, and this is a perfect example of Allah making the resisting of sin easy on you. It is shaytan who has placed the concept that you would sin given the chance, into your heart, subtly twisting the situation until you lose (he hopes) imaan over it. He wants you to think less of your self, become depressed over the thoughts of sinning and become closer to sinning.

Ask Allah for forgiveness when you feel the urge to sin (astaghfirullah ), and protection from the shaytan (aAAothu bilihi minashaytani rajim/I seek protection from the accursed shaytan). Allah will hear you:

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.

Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 186