.. or does this Islamic thinking on alcohol seem pointless?

[DefinitelyMaybePossibly]

A group of us from work went out for lunch today. One of our group asked if we were drinking alcohol, because if we were, our Muslim colleague couldn't come. It wasn't an issue because none of us were. Since we went to a restaurant where all customers, even if in separate groups sit around the same long tables, other customers on our table were consuming alcohol. AIBU to think it's a bit pointless theologically to make a point of only coming if your group don't drink alcohol when others sitting as close or even closer are drinking?

I have been out with other muslim friends and alcohol consumption hasn't been an issue. So perhaps someone with an Islamic background can explain the theological thinking here.

My friend does this. She won't come to work socials if they are in a pub or wine bar. Even if it's a pub which is mostly a restaurant, she won't come. But if we are staying in a hotel with a bar, she will sit with us and just drink water, so it seems inconsistent. It can be difficult trying to be inclusive and find somewhere that suits her, but it doesn't feel right leaving her out.

I have never met a single Muslim who does this. Some of them would be a bit if they saw me drinking/eating pork/saw it in my house but that's mostly because they can't seem to get it into their heads that I've chosen not to be Muslim afterall (kind of awkward to out yourself as an apostate so my fault I guess).

I also work with a lot of Muslims and they've always been out with us for meals, Christmas celebrations etc. And yes, I have known the occasional Muslim who drinks (apparently it's open to interpretation whether they're not allowed to drink at all or just not to excess).

I've never heard one saying anyone else shouldn't drink, I think that's either Daily Mail BS or maybe just the occasional person who takes things a bit too literally. A ban, Hoho , really?

Just because you don’t have experience of it doesn’t make it daily mail bs. All religions have fundamentalists that expect their views to be put above & before the views of others, Islam is not immune to this.

I didn't know Muslims weren't allowed to go out with folk who drink alcohol. I think it's up to them if they disapprove of alcohol and don't want to be in a place where it is consumed. But I don't think they should enforce a ban on a night out. I don't know any Muslim person who would do that.

This link above is correct

We can't sell .. we can't consume and we shouldn't be around it

As a muslim it seems rather silly to ban alcohol for an occasion we do not celebrate

Every. Single. Fucking. Christmas. Someone posts this bullshit on MN.

Why? Just why?

I vote next year we pretend a vegan work colleague insists everyone orders a nut roast only, or they'll be reported to HR and sent a written warning.

Who's with me?

I would put it down to the individual rather than Islam.
In Islam, in an Islamic country, non Muslims should be allowed to be free.
Of course modern days, politicians, world rulers and what not have made it to be very different in those very countries and elsewhere but that's with most things nowadays.

I guess OP has her answer though. It's not Islam or Muslims but the colleague who happens to be Muslim trying to be controlling.

My Dad's a muslim and v fond of a glass of red wine or a whisky. All my Dad's family are in fact muslim by upbringing and many of them are not averse to a bacon sandwich either (and wine, whisky etc). Most of them don't bother with halal at all, though many don't like the idea of pork. They're not all exactly the same, you know. Like those weirdy Christian fundamentalists in the USA aren't quite on the same page as the C of E.

WorraLiberty: Thanks for the warning lol! Thought I could be helpful and reply but seems like people should just Google to find the old zombie threads :)

Never met a sanctimonious judgemental Christian teetotaller then?
Stop with the islamaphobia

I am not Muslim, but do audit various establishments against a halal standard. At the stricter end of the scale a restaurant that serves alcohol should have separate crockery and glasses etc. Alcohol sanitisers etc shouldn't be used.
But most Muslims would be OK with a vegetarian meal and not drinking alcohol themselves.

I'm not Muslim and prefer not to go out to socials where others are drinking. DP is the same and skips work gatherings at pubs; they're just not fun at all (we're not terrifically social in the first place). Wouldn't dream of telling others not to drink though. Have at it. Just adding this point of view as an alternate take on the purely religiously-mandated angle as many people who don't drink due to their faith may find such gatherings similarly difficult to enjoy.

You'll get used to it soon enough babba

In other news those nasty Muslims are insisting Christmas is re-named Winterville

Except despite living in a massively predominantly muslim area (second only to my dad's area) none of us have ever met these permanently offended beings

Perhaps they're all hiding from us.

Yorkshire I have visions of you tugging on your coil strings and setting it on the table before saying grace!

I think the key here is that Muslims, like any group, are individuals and therefore will not all think and behave in the same way.
One of DH's friends came to our house, I didn't know he was Muslim, I had put out nibbles including salami etc and pork main course, he made out that he wasn't very hungry but then said he wouldn't eat it for religious reasons, he had a mix of other food from the fridge washed down with a bottle of red.

At another friend's wedding there was a side room off the main area with a bar for anyone to have alcohol but they had to stay in there to drink it.

If it's a work lunch we're not supposed to have alcohol anyway, at a dinner I would want a glass of wine but could cope without.

I think Religious rules/norms/etiquette are so tied up with cultural and social issues as well as personal experiences that it becomes impossible to have one black and white set of behaviours that are adhered to by all.

I don't know any Muslims but I do know quite a few very conservative evangelical Christians - mostly friends in Brazil.

One of these friends once got quite upset with me over a facebook picture at a wedding where I had a glass of champagne in my hand. At first I was quite angry and couldn't understand why he didn't appreciate that it was my choice and didn't make me less 'right' than him. But when I put his feelings into context it makes sense - take a Biblical belief that 'drunkenness and debauchery' is sinful and a society where alcohol and drugs have caused and maintained social inequality, hideous poverty, violence, gang warfare and death and his viewpoint suddenly seems more rational. He grew up in a favela. A champagne toast at a wedding was not his experience of alcohol.

Dont be ridiculous, where on earth is the islamaphobia. But that sounds very Christianaphobe.

WorraLiberty

I think the mixed messages don't help either to be honest.
If you don't eat pork, you don't drink wine.
No wonder people are confused!

That was to missiingstreetlife

Formerly of agree and in fact so many Muslim drink, smoke pot etc, eat what they want.

"I think the mixed messages don't help either to be honest.
If you don't eat pork, you don't drink wine. "

What do you mean? I know lots of Muslims whose sole concession to the religion is not eating pork. They still take class A drugs & drink. But pork is I think the easiest concession.

But this is not in the UK. Perhaps UK Muslims different as far more pork on sale compared to Muslim countries where Muslims are fairly effectively shielded from pork.

manicinsomniac your friend is very intolerant and has no right to get upset at how other people choose to enjoy themselves.

I hope you pointed this out?

The world and the people in it are not there to 'conform' to his ideals, no matter what his experiences are.

If he chooses to open a social media account, he needs to learn that quick smart.

Extra, extra, read all about it! "Ancient religious rules make little sense in modern world"! Newsflash!

Babba : WorraLiberty: Thanks for the warning lol!

AS is a wonderful thing for at times