“Alcohol is not mentioned in Holy Quran:” Hassan Nisar criticises ban on alcohol in Pakistan

Senior journalist Hassan Nisar sparked criticism online with his remarks on alcohol, stating that the Holy Quran does not mention the word “sharaab” as it is a Persian term. He said that today’s intoxicants are far more harmful than alcohol, adding that if a child drinks alcohol, its smell can easily alert others.

Responding to a question about alcohol, Nisar criticised former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for imposing a ban on it, calling it one of Bhutto’s worst decisions and accusing him of being a drinker himself.

“I only know about alcohol, whiskey, and charas, but the intoxicants people use today are killers,” he said.

“There is no Arabic word ‘sharaab’ mentioned in the Holy Quran; it is actually a Persian word,” he added. Nisar further said that the Quran mentions ‘khumar’, which implies that everything that clouds one’s reasoning, whether power, fame, or wealth, is haraam (prohibited), as it can lead a person astray.

He added that society is already plagued with ills such as corruption and bribery. Nisar also referred to an incident involving Hazrat Umar (RA), who once dismissed the punishment of a person accused of drinking because he showed no signs of intoxication.

Nisar went on to speak about the “benefits” of alcohol, claiming it does not render a person unconscious and that children who drink could be easily detected by smell. He argued that alcohol is not harmful and even described it as “the soul of Urdu.”

He also stated that clerics remain silent on the matter because they know the word alcohol is not explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran. However, many people disagreed with Nisar and cited multiple verses and Hadith references that clearly mention alcohol or khumar.