A Christian is asking why alcohol is emphatically prohibited in Islam?
Question

                When we ask the reason why alcohol is forbidden in Islam we are told that it robs us of our senses. But drinking a small cup of it every few months is not going to have any harmful effect, rather some scientists say that a little of it is good for the heart. So why is there this prohibition on drinking even a drop of it? Man has the sense to control his actions and to stop drinking before he becomes intoxicated, so why does Islam require Muslims to keep away from alcohol and pork in order for the religious commitment to be sound? Why not stop at pointing out their harmful effects and give people the choice?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: we welcome you to our site as a seeker of truth, and 
    we ask Allaah to make our answer clear and to show you, after you read it 
    and think about it, the fairness, wisdom and perfection of Islamic 
    sharee’ah, which will make you think for yourself and seek the truth and 
    follow it. 

    Secondly: it is affirmed by our Islamic sharee’ah that it 
    came to bring and increase good things, and to ward off and reduce harmful 
    things. Whatever is beneficial or mostly beneficial is permissible (halaal) 
    and whatever is harmful or mostly harmful is forbidden (haraam). Alcohol 
    undoubtedly falls into the second category. Allaah says (interpretation of 
    the meaning): 

    “They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and 
    gambling. Say: In them is a great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the 
    sin of them is greater than their benefit”

    [al-Baqarah 2:219]
The harmful and evil 
    effects of alcohol are well known to all people, to knowledgeable and 
    ignorant alike. Among the harmful effects of alcohol is that which was 
    mentioned by Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic 
    drinks), and gambling, and Al‑Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, 
    jinn, etc), and Al‑Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an 
    abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that 
    (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

    91. Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and 
    hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and 
    hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As‑Salaah (the prayer). 
    So, will you not then abstain?”

    [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]

    In these two verses Allaah emphatically forbids alcohol, when 
    He mentions it in conjunction with Al‑Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices 
    to idols, jinn, etc), and Al‑Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision), 
    which were symbols of shirk that were widespread in the Arabian peninsula 
    before Islam, and He describes it as being the Shaytaan’s handiwork, which 
    is immorality and evil. And Allaah commands us to avoid it and describes 
    that as being the means that leads to success. And He describes its 
    spiritual harm as hindering man from carrying out the obligations and duties 
    enjoined by sharee’ah, namely remembrance of Allaah (dhikr) and prayer.

    Alcohol leads to many harmful things, and deserves to be 
    called “the mother of all evils” – as it was described by our Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “Alcohol is the 
    mother of all evils.” A hasan hadeeth quoted by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah 
    al-Saheehah, 1854. And the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings 
    of Allaah be upon him) said: “Alcohol is the mother of all evils, the 
    greatest of major sins. Whoever drinks it may end up committing incest with 
    his mother, his maternal aunt and his paternal aunt.” This hadeeth is hasan 
    on the basis of corroborating evidence, as stated by al-Albaani in 
    al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1853. 
This is some of the 
    evidence of the truthfulness of our Prophet Muhammad  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him). And what he spoke of has indeed come to 
    pass. Have you not heard the news about that young man who came home drunk 
    and committed incest with his mother after imbibing intoxicants? He 
    threatened to kill himself if she did not do it, so she took pity on him and 
    did what he wanted. Then when he came to his senses and realized what had 
    happened, he killed himself. 
Look at how things ended 
    after he drank alcohol. He committed incest with his mother, then he killed 
    himself. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. 

    The Encyclopaedia Britannica states that most cases of 
    sexual assault against relatives such as sisters, mothers and daughters 
    happen under the influence of alcohol. 

    With regard to those who say that drinking a little alcohol 
    is good for the heart, the response to that is: 

    1 – Modern research has proven that what is said about the 
    benefits of alcohol for the heart and that it dilates the arteries, is a 
    serious mistake. Alcohol does not dilate the arteries that bring nutrition 
    to the heart, as was thought in the past, rather it dilates the veins that 
    lie beneath the skin, whilst at the same time constricting the arteries, 
    because of the accumulation of fats and cholesterol in them. This 
    contributes to blood clots in the heart and angina, especially when it is 
    accompanied by smoking, which contributes to congestion and narrowing of the 
    arteries.  

    Alcohol also affects the muscle of the heart itself, when it 
    becomes poisoned and dysfunctional, especially after drinking beer that 
    contains cobalt, as when the heart becomes inflamed as a result of 
    exhaustion when burning alcohol.  

    2 – These supposed benefits to the heart may be attained by 
    means of things other than alcohol, the sinfulness and harmful effects of 
    which outweigh any good it may do or benefits it may bring.   

    3 – It has also been said that the benefits that alcohol is 
    said to bring to the heart come from the fruits and other substances from 
    which alcohol is made, such as grapes, apples, etc. Based on this, these 
    benefits may be obtained from these foods in the forms in which Allaah has 
    permitted them, without making alcohol from them. 

    4 – We should weigh up those benefits to the heart – if they 
    are true – against the destructive effects that alcohol has on health, which 
    you can find out about by consulting any medical reference work that speaks 
    of addiction to alcohol and its destructive effects on man. 

    See for example: al-Idmaan al-Kuhooli by Dr Nabeel 
    Subhi al-Taweel, published by Mu’sasat al-Risaalah, Beirut.

    Abhaath wa A’maal al-Mu’tamar al-‘Aalami al-Thaalith 
    wa’l-Raabi’ ‘an al-Tibb al-Islami, published in 
    Kuwait, 1405 AH, 1407 AH. 
Because some people in 
    the past – like some of their counterparts nowadays – thought that wine had 
    some benefits, Taariq ibn Suwayd al-Ja’fi – one of the companions of the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – came and asked 
    him about alcohol, and he forbade it. He said: “We make it as a remedy”. He 
    said: “It is not a remedy, rather it is a disease.” Narrated by Muslim. This 
    is a sign that his Prophethood was true. 

    With regard to your saying that “Man has the sense to control 
    his actions and to stop drinking before he becomes intoxicated”, this pays 
    no attention to the ways of the accursed Shaytaan, who seeks to distance 
    people from the Lord of the Worlds. It is also the words of one who does not 
    know – or perhaps chooses to ignore – how a drinker’s relationship with 
    alcohol begins until he becomes drunk or addicted. 

    The Shaytaan gradually leads a person from a little to a lot, 
    from minor to major, from sin to kufr, as much as he can, step by step. This 
    is what the Lord of the Worlds refers to in Soorat al-Noor, where He says 
    (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O you who believe! 
    Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the 
    footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily, he commands Al‑Fahsha’ [i.e. to 
    commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and Al‑Munkar [disbelief and 
    polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do what is 
    forbidden in Islam)]. And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His 
    Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allaah 
    purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allaah is All‑Hearer, 
    All‑Knower”

    [al-Noor 24:21]

    The poet also referred to this when he said: 

    “A glance, then a smile, then a greeting, then words, then an 
    appointment, then a meeting.” 

    Although this is clear to everyone who understands how people 
    are and how the Shaytaan gets to them, it is more obvious in the case of 
    alcohol and those who drink it. 

    According to the eastern proverb, “In the beginning a man 
    takes a cup of wine… then the first cup takes a second, then the cup of wine 
    takes the man.” 

    The story begins with advice from a doctor or friend to have 
    a cup of wine to increase the appetite, or to help one relax, or it starts 
    by joining friends in a social gathering where cups of alcohol are being 
    passed around, or as part of a meal offered, or whatever. 

    Then gradually physical and psychological bonds are formed to 
    alcohol until it becomes part of a person’s life, and the drunkard becomes a 
    slave to intoxication and to alcohol, and he seeks it as a sick person seeks 
    medicine, as the poet said: 

    A cup that is drunk for pleasure, and a cup that is drunk as 
    a remedy for the first. 

    In the first cup he may have found some benefit, without 
    getting drunk, and some relaxation and pleasure without losing his mind, and 
    the second likewise, but now he is longing for the cup of yesterday. When 
    the body gets used to this alcoholic poison, it needs to increase the dose 
    of alcohol time after time, in order to enjoy the relaxation and pleasure 
    that it found in the first cup. Then the drunkard starts to drink more 
    regularly, and his desire for alcohol grows stronger. The only guarantee 
    against addiction is not to drink alcohol at all.  

    Hence we can see the wisdom of Islam in forbidding a little 
    or a lot of alcohol, because a little is the first step towards a lot, and a 
    little added to a little becomes a lot. 

    As the poet said: Do not think of a little as insignificant, 
    because even the mountains are formed of small pebbles. 

    With regard to your asking: why does Islam require the 
    Muslims to keep away from alcohol and pork in order for their religious 
    commitment to be sound? Why does it not just explain how harmful they are 
    and let people choose for themselves? 

    This is the flawed questioning of one who is trying to cheat 
    himself. It is well known that people are not all the same in their levels 
    of understanding of what is beneficial and what is harmful, and their levels 
    of will power are not the same either, when it comes to choosing what is 
    beneficial and avoiding what is harmful. The behaviour of individuals and 
    societies cannot be controlled if things are left to each person’s choice. 

    If things are left to people’s choice then the harm that 
    results from drinking alcohol is not limited only to the one who drinks, so 
    that he could be left to his own devices and choose whatever he wants for 
    himself. Rather the harmful results affect everyone. The diseases that 
    result from alcohol weaken society as a whole. The productivity of the 
    drunkard is decreased because of his drunkenness, which affects others. The 
    economy is affected as a result of the money spent on treating him, which 
    also affects others. Moreover there are crimes which result from this 
    addiction. In a World Health Organization report on violent crimes in 30 
    countries, including the US and the UK, it says that 86% of murders and 50% 
    of rapes are carried out under the influence of alcohol. There are many 
    similar, well-known statistics on such topics in various countries around 
    the world. 

    With regard to road accidents, the statistics are even more 
    well-known. In 1965 – for example – there were 49,000 deaths on roads in the 
    US, and 1,800,000 cases of permanent disability. Public health officials at 
    the time estimated that half of these deaths were caused by alcohol. The 
    losses resulting from these deaths in that year alone were valued at 8900 
    million dollars. 

    In Chile, in South America, 70% of traffic accidents in 1966 
    were caused by drunkenness. In Paris between 10 and 15 % of all accidents 
    were found to have been caused by alcohol. 

    Moreover, we may respond to this question by asking: 

    Why don’t we explain how evil it is to steal and then leave 
    people to make their own choice, with no force or punishment? The same could 
    be said of killing and bribery… But then society would become a dangerous 
    and barbaric place, governed by the law of the jungle. 

    This question itself may be directed against all the laws and 
    systems which people follow in their lives. 

    The main reason why people deviate from the religion of 
    Allaah, which was revealed from heaven, and go against the laws that He has 
    prescribed for His slaves, is this idea – the idea that people can be left 
    with no commands to follow or prohibitions to heed, even though adhering to 
    commands and prohibitions is what is meant by submission to Allaah 
    (‘uboodiyyah) in its simplest form. This is the pure right of the Creator 
    because He is the Creator, and it is the primary duty of the created being, 
    because he is created. The Lord of the Worlds says (interpretation of the 
    meaning): 
“Does man think that he 
    will be left neglected (without being punished or rewarded for the 
    obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord Allaah on him)?”

    [al-Qiyaamah 75:36].

    i.e., does man think that his Lord will leave him alone, with no obligations or commands or prohibitions, then He will ignore him in his grave with no resurrection, no gathering, no reckoning? What then would be the point of servitude to the Lord of the Worlds, if there were no commands or prohibitions, no reward or punishment? How then would anyone enter Paradise?.