The reward of paradise contains rewards the like of which no eye has seen not has any ear heard not has ever occurred upon the hearts of humanity (Hadeeth Qudsi. Also read Al-Sajdah(32):17).
In the face of such bliss, how do you tell people what awaits them? You give them descriptive terms that bring the issues closer to their understanding. For example, Muhammad(47):15 describes the water of Heaven as never putrefying, the milk as never changing in taste (going sour), etc. In a similar fashion, the wine of Paradise does not contain the very ingredient which has made it prohibited in this life. Specifically, intoxicants. You can read the confirmation of this, for example, in Al-Saffat(37):45-47, or Al-Wakiah(56):19.
In the USA it is a crime to drink beer then drive. The wisdom behind
this law is that it impairs judgment. Does this mean that if one were to drink
"rootbeer" or "ginger ale" then the law will stand? Of course not.
Why? Because they are not "intoxicants." The prohibition in Islam is because of
the "intoxicating" action and not because of the name. If someone were to create
a new kind of beer and choose not to call it "beer" but to name it
"Zima," would this make it lawful to drink it then drive? No, the name has no
bearing on the law, it is only the intoxicating action which is at issue. If it is present
then it is unlawful, if it is not then it is lawful, regardless of the name. This is the
same as the law of Islam. In Islam the name does not matter, it is the intoxicants which
make it prohibited, be it named "beer," "wine," "alcohol,"
"heroin," "whiskey," "marijuana," or whatever.
Back to Responses to the so called "Contradictions" in the Noble Quran.