Alcohol – The Mother of All Evils

Wasim Kempson

Date:

Channel: Wasim Kempson

File Size: 11.82MB

Episode Notes

Share Page

Transcript ©

AI generated text may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn’t represent Muslim Central's views. Thus,no part of this transcript may be copied or referenced or transmitted in any way whatsoever.

00:00:00--> 00:00:04

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,

00:00:05--> 00:00:15

boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Yes. So I was saying earlier that I miss my bacon sandwiches.

00:00:17--> 00:00:36

And I like my pork scratchings. Although I don't drink beer now, except I'd have non alcoholic beer, which I don't think so pretty much the same. I don't drink alcohol. Yeah. And that was a big miss for me, because I used to deal in wine. And I used to have

00:00:37--> 00:00:41

the best malt whiskey, which I had to sell

00:00:42--> 00:00:45

when I converted, and

00:00:46--> 00:00:56

I missed that, because I never used abused it anyway. And I've never really understood why. But as a Christian, Jesus turned wine, water into wine.

00:00:58--> 00:00:59

And yet now,

00:01:00--> 00:01:07

the Muslim faith says, No alcohol at all. That's right. You know, Islam looks.

00:01:08--> 00:01:41

You know, moreover, that Allah, God wants us to preserve ourselves preserved our bodies to preserve our minds, make sure that's not corrupted in any way, shape, or form. So, you know, the pork issue is, you know, by avoiding that, we protect ourselves from any harm that may come in the form of toxins or poisons and things like that. And also the alcoholic alcohol issue, as well as drugs, that has an impact on us, in that we lose our minds. You know, when you know, when you lose your mind, and we see how people behave, it's very important that we have

00:01:42--> 00:02:15

a good character at all times. So for that reason, alcohol is one of the reasons why alcohol is prohibited, because it causes us to, you know, to lose our minds and say things and do things which are not befitting. Well, I've noticed since I've given it up completely, I mean, occasionally I miss it. But otherwise, I've noticed how people are so dependent on it, you know, they can't have a good time without alcohol, let's go out and have a drink. And then they snigger the thought of having a drink and having a good time. And I've never understood the association to the two.

00:02:17--> 00:02:19

And now I notice people

00:02:20--> 00:02:21

are almost

00:02:22--> 00:02:53

need a fix nine out of 10 crimes or wrongs or vices that happen. Alcohol is related to alcohol related someone's what we call the mother of all evils. Alcohol is the mother of all evils, because it causes so many harms, not only to the person directly, you know, it causes liver cirrhosis and causes so many problems to the brain over an extended period of time, even though that the person makes it well. I don't drink very much. I mean, even you know, latest advice from,

00:02:54--> 00:03:13

you know, doctors and consultants is that the amount of units that any male should have from one week has gone from 21. It's gone down to 14. Now, they've cut it down by a third. So they know the harms of alcohol. They're aware of that. And it's a difficult culture to change within the wines they used to

00:03:14--> 00:03:29

sell. Yeah, the alcoholic content was up 11 12%. Now it goes up to 1415. But then they've increased the alcoholic content. Yeah. Which I don't think he's necessarily it doesn't improve the flavor. It just makes it more dangerous. That's right. That's right.

00:03:31--> 00:03:32

But what about

00:03:33--> 00:03:46

for medicinal purposes? Because you know, when you're cold to have a little whiskey a total whiskey does warm you? Yeah. Things like that. I mean, if you want to warm yourself, you can have a cup of tea,

00:03:47--> 00:03:56

or a cup of coffee, if you want to warm yourself or a cup of cocoa. You don't have to go to that extent if you're using five people, don't they? Sometimes when they're sort of

00:03:57--> 00:04:01

suffering, they've had a shock? Yeah. And the little

00:04:02--> 00:04:04

sip of something.

00:04:05--> 00:04:06

They also say I'm a cup of tea, I mean,

00:04:07--> 00:04:45

or something which that they feel as a form of, because alcohol itself, if you drink enough of it, you'll forget yourself. Oh, and do you forget that problem temporarily. The problem doesn't go away, maybe that the idea behind that is, is to have the alcohol to try to go on the way to forget the problem or that you're not feeling that problem. Ultimately, you know, for medicinal purposes, or even shock purposes, you've gone through a calamity. Turning to that what you know, what God is prohibited is is something that we wouldn't, you know, you see, I've always didn't change. thought, Well, I'd say always I've come to believe from various talks I've had with Christian people and

00:04:45--> 00:04:48

teachers, that God gave us free will.

00:04:49--> 00:04:59

And if you give us free will, then that's one thing but to take it away again by saying you've got to do this because I don't trust you to be responsible. Sure.

00:05:00--> 00:05:09

I find is a contradiction, but that's part of the free will. Because part of the free will is that you have the choice at all times to do something or to leave it.

00:05:10--> 00:05:39

So, the fact that that God gives us commandments or prohibitions, and says, This is what, this is the choice I want you to make. I would like you to make this choice to do this, and abstain from that, that is involved in your freewill. Now, your freewill is important can we have an understanding of what we mean by free will, it's not absolute, in the sense that, on the one hand, that you have complete, complete freewill, I, it's got nothing to do with God. Because we say whatever you will, is God's will.

00:05:41--> 00:05:52

And on the other hand, we would say that you don't, you're not forced to do everything that you've got no choice over anything. So if a person commits a crime and says, Well, you know, this is God's decree, I didn't have any choice in the matter, we don't accept that.

00:05:53--> 00:06:14

So there's a middle ground, that you have a free choice, you're given these directions, you're given this guidance, this is what God wants from you. So I have that free will to make that choice. You know, when I'm driving a car, I abide by the speed limit. I could go faster if I wish. But these are the rules that are set to see. So this is the notion was the understanding of having free will. looks at it that way. Yeah.

00:06:15--> 00:06:16

See, I

00:06:18--> 00:06:35

I'm one of those irritating people, that's always sort of been a little reluctant to be told what to do. Sure. Have this instinct of being? I suppose you call it libertarian? Yeah. And therefore, if somebody tells you, you must do something, I have to know why. That's fair enough. And Islam?

00:06:36--> 00:07:11

Because I'm asking, no, no, no, you know, as a Muslim, or as Muslims that will have no problem with questions. If you know if you know, you know, issues about freewill, or issues about eating habits or drinking habits, or, you know, the praying habits, why do you do this? Why do you do that? You know, clothing habits. Why do women wear this? Why do women do that? Why don't we have no problem in Islam and people asking questions. It's not just blind faith, but just simply do and don't. It's very important we educate ourselves as to this is why we are Muslims. And this is why the why we do the things that we do, you know, things about halal, a lot of misconceptions about, you know, just

00:07:11--> 00:07:40

slaughtering animals, all animals are slaughtered. You know, how dare you slaughter animals in such a manner? Not knowing that all animals are slaughtered in that it's just the media. And it's the people who are ill informed or have ill intentions. Yeah, wanting to just divert the attention to Islam or Muslims to say, You know what, these wrong practices, you know, people suddenly saying, Well, I'm not gonna eat the burgers from that football stadium. Ever since I've converted, I've noticed how people immediately put me on a particular category. Yeah.

00:07:41--> 00:07:46

That's right. You know, they look at me. Yeah. I say, what is it? Because as white?

00:07:48--> 00:07:51

We're not all we're not all black or brown, you know? Yeah.

00:07:52--> 00:07:57

So when they say, Well, where are you from? So it was a very, very tiny place called England, yes.

00:08:00--> 00:08:01

Where they do react.

00:08:02--> 00:08:04

To them, it's always it's always a learning process.

00:08:05--> 00:08:08

You're learning and you're, you're benefiting from and,

00:08:09--> 00:08:22

you know, in terms of knowledge, no two days are the same. You always, you know, learning something new. Whether this increases your faith and my age, I find that I'm learning more now than I've ever done. And there's so much more to learn. Sure.

00:08:23--> 00:09:02

And whatever sacrifices that a person may make, they don't feel as though that they're losing out on anything, any sacrifice or anything that they you know, they have Stay, stay abstain from or stay away from, they feel better for it. And they don't feel that there's a loss at any time. Because there's always a substitute, which is better for you, and that you enjoy more. So, you know, Islam is not about depriving yourself of anything. But rather Islam is, in one way, liberating yourself, and letting yourself have or make the right choices, which are good for you, psychologically, physically, emotionally, on every level. You know, being a Muslim,

00:09:03--> 00:09:28

enables you to be happy, and all of these, all of these areas. So it's not as many people think that you're being restricted, and it's just a doer. And don't religion is far more greater than that. It's not as simplistic as to say that you just can't do this. And you can't do that. If that's what people have restricted it to, then they haven't understood the true message. Well, I appreciate that. It's, a lot of people have false assumptions about it. And of course, the press doesn't help

00:09:29--> 00:09:32

in the way the the talk about it.

00:09:33--> 00:09:34

But

00:09:35--> 00:09:59

as I say, I'm learning more and more exactly the logic behind it. You're being very helpful and explaining that for me. I'm sure that you know, your wife will educate you as you as you go on your journey. This was about freewill. I've never looked at it the way you've described it before. Sure, well, I mean, I guess we can relate on some level in that. It's something that we came into. It's not something we were born into.

00:10:00--> 00:10:03

So we our, our view of it might be a little bit different.

00:10:04--> 00:10:28

If a person is born into something, they look at things in a particular way that they never knew about certain things that it was never something they indulged in at any other time. So our challenge is to be a little bit different in that Well, I used to do that now why can't I do that? You see? So it's very important that we have answers for that. Well, I packed up smoking four and a half years ago, before I even converted. Anyway, so there was one thing I never had to

00:10:29--> 00:10:30

deal with.

00:10:31--> 00:10:39

But the alcohol, I immediately stopped and say, with pork and bacon, and so on.

00:10:41--> 00:10:45

And you'll feel so much better for it. Because you'll have control of all your assets.

00:10:46--> 00:10:52

Everything that God has given to you, you have control of it. Yes. So there'll be no, there's not No. Any regrets of the decisions that you're making?

00:10:55--> 00:11:01

We're just a couple of minutes away now. Oh, well, just you know, before you just jump out, I wanted to say to you that

00:11:03--> 00:11:13

it's very important that whenever you have any questions that pop into your mind that you'd go ahead and ask them. And it's very important also, that you ask the people who have the knowledge of that.

00:11:14--> 00:11:19

Because sometimes you find people have opinions. And their opinions aren't necessarily based upon

00:11:21--> 00:11:57

anything which is authentic, just from their own their own kind of notions, which may be incorrect. So any questions that you have, I'd advise you to go to people have knowledge, who studied them, so that they can give you the correct answers, so that you can be correctly informed. So if you if you adhere to that advice, you know, asking the people in Lodge, if you've got any questions, you will have taken a great step in any remaining steadfast when I found that a lot of brothers are prepared to help me and explained to me, particularly those related to the mosque, personal dream, I find that it's very helpful.

00:11:59--> 00:12:03

And I go to when I'm not working, I try and go to the

00:12:04--> 00:12:07

discovered Islam. sessions

00:12:08--> 00:12:10

on a Sunday have been

00:12:11--> 00:12:14

well, and I live local here so you never know what i might bump into you again.

00:12:15--> 00:12:18

My name is was seen by the way where it's been very interesting. Thank you.

00:12:21--> 00:12:23

I'll just drop you over here on the left hand side. All right.

00:12:26--> 00:12:30

Bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump,

00:12:31--> 00:12:34

bump, bump, bump, bump,

00:12:36--> 00:12:39

bump, bump, bada boom.