Jum'ah Journal-"Unwholesome food"

 My old blog excerpt here (copied for you)

Monday, September 24, 2007

Step-by-step prohibition

Chapter 16, Verse 67 (Al-Qur'an)
"And from the fruits of datepalm and the vine, ye get out STRONG DRINK and WHOLESOME FOOD; behold in this there is a sign for those who are wise."
Ch. II, Verse 219,
"They ask thee concerning wine and gambling, say, "in them there is sin and some profit but the sin is greater than profit"
Ch.IV, Verse 43
"O ye who believe, approach not prayers in a state of intoxication, until ye understand what ye say......"
Ch. V, Verse 90:                                                                          -----------------------------------
"O ye who believe, intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork, eschew such abomination that ye may prosper."
  
I have highlighted the part I wish to talk about. Just bear with me, as I have a lot to tell
First I want to tell you my own experience with Alcohol as a child (Oh! not drinking). I was in my village where some people used to come for shopping and FUN. There was a room, not far from our home where they would get together for cards and GAMBLING. Many Hindus (for they had more money) and some Muslims (only some who had money) would play for money and fun. That may be followed by DRINKING, which was seen as uncommon in Muslims. Because of their 'garrulousness' and misbehavior, I was frightened of them. Indeed one time there was altercation leading up to physical assaulting with axe and one fellow had a thumb almost cut off. (Our village had a dispensary also where there was a Sikh Doctor). Some more accidental confrontation with another "drunk" made me more frightened.
  So, when I was in college and heard some 'advanced' students 'drinking' I was surprised. I had indeed grown up considering drinking not only prohibition but also 'abominable' as it would cause a grown man to behave silly, childish and unbecoming. The persons with such behavior did not have good reputation.
When I came to the West you can guess my surprise when I saw in parties doctors including consultants (England) behaving funny and childish etc. and it was quite acceptable in the society, because these 'persons' would be back in their serious roles without even with some hinting at the "unbecoming' behavior of theirs.
 I could then understand the meanings of this part of the verse, "UNTIL YE UNDERSTAND WHAT YE SAY". Anyway I want to throw some more light on this. I know that the physicians are familiar with the effects of alcohol on the human mind as we learnt in our pharmacology classes-- the first effect (mild) would be "dizzy and delightful feeling" and then confusion will begin etc. etc. But what the first effects do; are that natural inhibitions are relaxed, what the man has learnt to control gets erased and the results are--that kind of behavior. (Many youngmen try to get he young women they are 'dating' for their sexual advances and such behavior of 'taking advantage' of the drunk girls is considered somewhat acceptable/OK or usual). What our old friend Baba Ghalib was saying:
ہم سے کھل جاءو بوقت مے پرستی ایک دن
ورنہ ہم چھیڑیں گے رکھ کے عذر مستی ایک دن
(You can see the whole poem on my Urdu blog)
 Ghalib is telling his "girl friend that--open up with me when I am drinking otherwise , I will"tease you" someday under the pretense of being drunk"
 
 Anyway, let me continue on that subject. Wake County Physician's Magazine (July ,10) gives some "news" about HOPS BEER (may be more popular in Australia?) Some scientific observations (In Canada) are noted in a research' report of Uri A. Girly, Ph D that there is significant (and perhaps 'harmful') amount of "Phyto-estrogens" in the hops beer. Let me write down the summery of observations after drinking 6-8 schooners in one hour.
 Anyway what Dr Girly (Concentrate on the name first) is saying about  phystoestrogens('fighto-estrogens")
 is that persons taking large amounts of this beer:
1. Argued over nothing
2.Refused to apologize when obviously wrong
3.Talked excessively
4. Became overly emotional
6.Could not drive
7. Failed to think rationally
8 Had to sit down while urinating (again concentrate on the 'girly' and fighto-estrogens)
    Of course nothing new for the physicians (except for the sitting down position for micturition) but for your amusement I have made my own 'additions'.  (Have I digressed from the aya quoted above too much?.)
 Well, the doctor with the name Girly has cautioned the men drinking such beer about the possible 'feminizing effects'. (Please do not get alarmed, but these phyto (from plant) estrogens can act like and/or fight the effects of body estrogens because of their close similarity with the chemical structure of estrogens. These are seen in many leguminous plants and are present in soy beans too, so it may be better for males-especially male children- to avoid 'vegetable protein' processed foods)

Please visit my Urdu blog at http://saugoreebsc.blogspot.com/ and my Hindi blog at http://wahajuana.blogspot.com/