Real repentance from sin is backed by beliefs and values that one truly believes in. If a person really believes in Allah (swt) and the Day of Judgment and knows that he/she will see the outcome of his/her actions on the Day of Judgment and and doesn’t allow him/herself to forget such a fact, he/she will easily be able to stay away from sin. If one truly pays attention and understands how haram acts cause him/her to sink to low levels and darken his/her inside, it will be even easier. Drinking alcohol and other intoxicants is one of the haram acts in Islam. For information on the conditions of true repentance, see Questions: 3192 (website: 3444) and 370 (website: 379).

There are a few practical ways for putting alcohol aside:

1- First one must make a serious decision to do so in such a way that nothing can weaken the decision.

2- Try changing your mind about being with friends with those that might invite encourage you to commit this act.

3- If your drinking is contingent upon certain preliminary preperations, such as finding a place where no one can see you, try to stay away from them.

4- Try to think about how harmful alcohol can be for the body.

5- You can get help from religious and dependable doctors for solving this problem.

6- There are many hadiths on this subject; we will mention a few from Imam Sadiq (as):

The imam says: “Whosoever takes a sip of wine (or any other intoxicant), Allah (swt) and the angels and His messengers and the believers will curse him. If he drinks enough to become drunk, the spirit of faith will leave him…”[1] He also says: “Wine is the head of all sins.”[2] Also, he says: “Allah (swt) has appointed a lock for all badness; the key of that lock is wine (and any other intoxicant).”[3]