Alcohol was permissible in the early days of Islam, then Allah prohibited it to the believers when they went to pray, then He prohibited it in all situations and at all times. It was narrated that `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on khamr (wine), then the verse which is in Surat al-Baqarah was revealed: { They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin …} [al-Baqarah 2:219]. ‘Umar was summoned and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on wine, and the verse which is in Surat al-Nisa’ was revealed: {O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated} [al-Nisa’ 4:43]. When the iqamah for prayer was given, the caller of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would call out: Do not approach the prayer drunk. ‘Umar was summoned and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on wine, and this verse was revealed: {So will you not desist?} [Al-Ma'idah 5:91].
The verse { O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated} [al-Nisa’ 4:43] was abrogated by the verses:
{O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.
Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allāh and from prayer. So will you not desist?}[Al-Ma’idah 5:90-91].
See: Tafsir at-Tabari (4/332).
As-Sa`di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This verse was abrogated by the complete prohibition of intoxicants. In the beginning, intoxicants were not prohibited, then Allah (st) hinted to His slaves that they would be prohibited, as He said:
{They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, “In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.” …}[Al-Baqarah 2:219]
Then He forbade being intoxicated when attending prayers, as in this verse. Then He forbade intoxicants altogether, at all times, as He said:
{O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to other than Allāh], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful}.(Tafsir as-Sa`di p. 197).
Alcohol is the mother of all evils, and whoever consumes it is subject to a severe punishment. It was narrated that `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever drinks alcohol, Allah will not accept any prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. Then if he goes back to it, Allah will not accept any prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. Then if he goes back to it, Allah will not accept any prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. Then if he goes back to it a fourth time, Allah will not accept any prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents, Allah will not accept his repentance and He will cause him to drink from the river of al-Khabal (in Hell).” It was said: O Abu `Abd ar-Rahman, what is the river of al-Khabal? He said: A river of the pus of the people of Hell. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1862); classed as authentic by al-Albani in Sahih at-Tirmidhi.
The ruling on drugs is the same as the ruling on alcohol, and Allah has forbidden alcohol to His slaves, in both small and large amounts.
Abu Dawud (3781) narrated that Jabir ibn `Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whatever intoxicates in large amounts, a small amount of it is haram.” Al-Albani classed it as authentic in Irwa’ al-Ghalil, 2375.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What is meant by the Prophet’s words “Whatever intoxicates in large amounts, a small amount of it is haram” is: if something only intoxicates in large amounts, then a small amount of it that does not intoxicate is prohibited. For example, if we assume that if you drink ten bottles of this drink you will get drunk, and if you drink one bottle you will not get drunk, then this one bottle – even though it will not make you drunk – is prohibited. This is what is meant by “Whatever intoxicates in large amounts, a small amount of it is haram.”(Fatawa Nur `ala ad-Darb, 122/17).
Al-Manawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
A drop of an intoxicant is prohibited, even if it does not have any effect.(Fayd al-Qadir, 3/82).
Undoubtedly all drugs come under the heading of khamr (intoxicants) and are prohibited, such as hashish, opium, cocaine and so on. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 66227.
Conclusion:
It is not permissible for the Muslim to drink alcohol or consume any amount of drugs, even if it is so small that it does not cause intoxication.
One of the punishments of the one who does that is that Allah, may He be Exalted, will not accept any prayer from him for forty days as a punishment for this abhorrent major sin. After that, how can a Muslim consume alcohol or drugs, then get up to stand before Allah, may He be Exalted, claiming that he is sober and not intoxicated, when he knows that Allah will not accept this prayer until he repents from drinking alcohol.
We ask Allah, may He be Exalted, to rectify the condition of the Muslims.
And Allah knows best.
