Pathway to Paradise — Page 92
92 A true Muslim places his reliance on Allah for the relief of hardship. When the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) proclaimed Allah’s commandment concerning intoxicants, his followers broke their pots and jugs of wine until the streets f lowed with it. This is the example for the new convert to Islam. Some hadith of the Holy Prophet about intoxicants are: 1. If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, (even) a small amount of it is forbidden. 2. An undutiful son, a gambler, one who casts up what he is given, and one who is addicted to wine will not enter paradise. 3. Tariq bin Suwaid asked the Holy Prophet about wine and he forbade him. When he told him that he used it only as medicine, the Holy Prophet replied, “It is not a medicine, but is a disease. ” Islam understands that it may not be easy for a person to break away from addiction, so it does not exclude or discourage the use of outside resources, such as counseling or rehabilitation. But the most potent tool is prayer and begging Allah’s mercy. ECONOMIC PROBLEMS There is no question that the world’s economic condition today is complex and far - reaching. It includes such issues as government and economy, poverty, welfare, homelessness and labor. This section looks at the Islamic viewpoint on welfare and labor specif ically with regard to a Muslim’s personal attitude