Wine is the Head of all Sins and Evil

سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ شَرٌّ أَمْ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَ وَ تَدْرِي لِمَ ذَاكَ قَالَ لَا قَالَ لِأَنَّهُ يَصِيرُ فِي حَالٍ لَا يَعْرِفُ مَعَهَا رَبَّهُ.

“Once a man asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, is drinking wine more evil or not performing Salat (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Drinking wine is more evil.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Do you know why?’ The man said, ‘No, I do not know.’ He (the Imam) said,

قَالا إِنَّ الْخَمْرَ رَأْسُ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, and abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have made it clear that wine is the head of all sins.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ الْخَمْرَ رَأْسُ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ.

‘Wine is the head of all sins.’”

الشُّرْبُ مِفْتَاحُ كُلِّ شَرٍّ وَ مُدْمِنُ الْخَمْرِ كَعَابِدِ وَثَنٍ وَ إِنَّ الْخَمْرَ رَأْسُ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ وَ شَارِبَهَا مُكَذِّبٌ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَوْ صَدَّقَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ حَرَّمَ حَرَامَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Drinking wine is the key to all evil and a wine addict is like an idol worshipper. Wine is the head of all sins and a wine drinker is a rejecter of the book of Allah, most High; had he accepted the book of Allah he would consider what it declares unlawful as unlawful.’”

قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ لِلشَّرِّ أَقْفَالًا وَ جَعَلَ مَفَاتِيحَهَا أَوْ قَالَ مَفَاتِيحَ تِلْكَ الْأَقْفَالِ الشَّرَابَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made for every evil thing a lock and He has made its keys’ or he (the Imam) said, ‘the keys to those locks to be wine.’”

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ لِلْمَعْصِيَةِ بَيْتاً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ لِلْبَيْتِ بَاباً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ لِلْبَابِ غَلَقاً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ لِلْغَلَقِ مِفْتَاحاً فَمِفْتَاحُ الْمَعْصِيَةِ الْخَمْرُ.

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made a house for sins. For this house He has made a door, for the door He has made a lock and for the lock He has made a key, the key to disobedience is wine.’”

مَا عُصِيَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ أَشَدَّ مِنْ شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ لَيَدَعُ الصَّلَاةَ الْفَرِيضَةَ وَ يَثِبُ عَلَى أُمِّهِ وَ أُخْتِهِ وَ ابْنَتِهِ وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْقِلُ.

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah is not disobeyed by anything more severely than by drinking wine. One of them may neglect obligatory Salat (prayer), fall on his mother, sister or daughter when drunk and be devoid of reason.’”

قِيلَ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع إِنَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ شُرْبَ الْخَمْرِ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الزِّنَا وَ السَّرِقَةِ فَقَالَ ع نَعَمْ إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الزِّنَا لَعَلَّهُ‌[1] لَا يَعْدُوهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ وَ إِنَّ شَارِبَ الْخَمْرِ إِذَا شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ زَنَى وَ سَرَقَ وَ قَتَلَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ.

“It was said to ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), ‘You think that drinking wine is a sin which is more serious than fornication and theft.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, because a fornicator perhaps does not extend it to other sins but a wine drinker when he drinks, fornicates, steals and murders a soul which Allah, most Majestic,

شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ مِفْتَاحُ كُلِّ شَرٍّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Drinking wine is the key to all evil.’”