Why Does Islam Ban Alcohol?!

You think Islam is being picky by banning alcohol altogether?
“I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.” William Shakespeare
You might have seen from time to time, that wet-blanket Muslims refuse to drink wine when at the table or on other occasions! Of course, we know that getting drunk is also forbidden in the Bible:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians, 5:18)
Not to mention that many people seem to have misunderstood the word “Spirit” in this verse!! But, a little bit of it is fun, and doesn’t really hurt anyone, does it? So, why is it on all counts banned in Islam?
For starters, we should say that this ban is not exclusive to alcohol, rather every drink or drug that dispels sobriety is prohibited.
God didn’t ban wine according to its name, rather because of its evil consequences. So, everything with the same consequences is also forbidden in Islam.
I should think you agree with me that alcohol, as well as all other intoxicants, does serious harm to our body and soul, and also paves the way for quite a few of social problems. And we know just too well that the only way to stop all these harms is to entirely ban drugs and alcohol.
Think of it this way; maybe taking a little bit of cocaine, and that for once in a while, is not much more harmful than having a little alcohol. How come it is utterly illegalized, then? Simply because, were it not forbidden, we couldn’t help it being misused by many people in the society, just as is the case with alcohol!
Also mind that Islam didn’t place a total ban on alcohol from the beginning, but it happened through a mindful step by step process! Islamic culture was trying to throw mud at alcohol and lessen its consumption in the Islamic society a long time before a legal sentence was issued against it, as we see that the first Quranic verse about alcohol was:
‘O you who have faith! Do not approach prayer when you are intoxicated, [not] until you know what you are saying…’ (4:43)
Now, let’s see what sorts of problems alcohol might lead to:
Health Issues
Drinking badly harms your body in the long term. While studies show that even moderate drinking could be dangerous for people, [1] binge drinking and heavy drinking seriously damage almost all parts of the body, from the brain, heart, lungs, and liver to your bones and skin! [2]
Just go to a random hospital and see how many alcohol-related admissions you find in there! According to Prophet Muhammad, God will reward even those who stop drinking out of concern for their own health! It is also narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib that:
Spiritual Damages
Intellect and reason is one of the greatest divine blessings for us. It is quite natural, then, that God should expect us to honor His blessing and not willingly throw it away! It’s like, you give a precious gift to a friend of yours, and then, he or she kindly puts it into the trash can before your very eyes! Ali ibn Abi Talib said:
God has demanded abstinence from drinking wine for protection of the wits.
Prophet Muhammad also said that, as a person drinks wine, God will not accept his prayers for forty days!
Social Wounds
The worst thing is that, as we drink alcohol, not only are we damaging ourselves bodily and spiritually, but it also goes far beyond those limits. God knows how many fruitful relationships have ended up with fight and split because of alcohol! A person consciously drinks wine, but they are not conscious of what they do afterwards! Many Islamic narrations refer to this aspect of intoxicants, such as:
Drinking is the key to all indecencies.
And I think this saying is well confirmed by the following list, which is but a handful of the actual list:
– According to a study completed by the NCADD, 15% of robberies in America (about 197,000) were committed by offenders who had been using alcohol.
– 37% of rapes and sexual assaults (about 149,000) were committed by offenders who had been using alcohol.
– Federal research shows that 40% of convicted murderers used alcohol before or during the homicide.
– Nearly 10,000 people are killed annually on U.S. roadways due to alcohol-related accidents, while hundreds of thousands more are at least injured.
The list is of course endless! [3] It’s simply mind-blowing to imagine that banning alcohol could stop all that! Now, seeing all these conspicuous virtues, do you still think that Islam has been picky by banning alcohol?

[1] www.verywell.com
[2] www.knowyourlimits.info
[3] www.alcoholrehabguide.org