Another point of interest, the scholars usually label alcohol as the 'Mother of all Evils'.
Also, here's a short (hopefully it's not too long) about the history of alcohol in Islam. Hope you enjoy it!
History of Alcohol in Islam: During the early days of Islam, consumption of liquor, just like other ills and evils of society, was also prevalent. When Prophet Muhammad migrated from Makkah to Madinah he found that the people of Madina were also indulged in drinking. The masses were so attracted by the superficial and deceptive benefits offered by drinking that their minds became oblivious of the harmful effects and the evils lurking within these addictions.
Our Prophet was the finest model who set the best example of his sublime characteristic, so much that whatever was yet to be declared prohibited His habit and nature made him detest it from the very outset. Besides Prophet Muhammad, other companions of the Prophet also refrained from consuming alcoholic beverages even when these were permitted.
On Reaching Madinah, some of companions of Prophet realized the evil in liquor. So, Umar Farooq, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal, and some of the other companions approached Prophet Muhammad and questioned him regarding alcohol and gambling, which they thought was ruining not only man’s intellect but also his wealth.
In response to this query, the above verse (2:219) -that's the verse I quoted in my first message -was revealed and it constituted the first of a series of revelations leading to the final and conclusive verse, which prohibited and declared prohibited (haram) both gambling and liquor.
Although the above verse dose not prohibit alcohol clearly but it clearly indicates the harms of alcohol and also the fact that it not liked by ALLAH. At least this verse presents an advice for abstaining from the usage of alcohol. This is why some of the companions after hearing this verse immediately stopped consuming alcohol and accepted this advice.
On the other hand, some of the other companions resumed that this verse did not declare alcohol prohibited, so they declared that it overtakes full precaution and law, that a mediate consumption of alcohol would not be
harmful. However, shortly an incident occurred which brought about a sudden change in the situation. One day, Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf had invited some of his companions, and as was the custom of the Arabs they had consumed alcohol after their needs. Thereafter, while still in a state of intoxication, the Maghrib Prayer was performed. The leader of congregation (Imam) who was also drunk made an error in his recitation of Surah Kafiroon. Upon this, the second step was taken to prevent the consumption of alcohol, by the revelation of the following verse:
O you who believe! do not go near prayer when you are Intoxicated until you know (well) what you say(SURAH NISA 4:43) This verse now declared alcohol prohibited in clear-cut terms but the consumption was for the duration of prayer times, and at other periods, it was still permissible. With this second warning many more of the companions of the Prophet refrained completely from drinking Alcohol, reasoning that what good can there be in something that deprives one from Prayer.
There were others however, who drank liquor during the intervening periods of prayer until the following incident took place: Uthmaan Ibn Maalik invited a few companions for a meal. After the meal, as was customary liquor was served. Thereafter, they became involved in another Arab custom, reciting poetry praising oneself, family and clan and simultaneously teasing and belittling others who didn’t belong to that group. During this gathering, Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas (R.A) recited a few lines of poetry in which he criticized and
belittled the Ansars of Madinah. Hearing this, an Ansari (R.A) youth became enraged and threw a bone at him, which inflicted a severe wound on the head of Saad Ibn Waqqas (R.A).
He then complained against the youngster to Prophet Muhammad after which he made dua’a to Allah: “O Allah! Grant us a clear cut for regarding alcohol.” In response to this the 3rd and 4th verses concerning the complete prohibition of alcohol, were revealed as part of Surah Ma’idah: O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by)arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it therefore that you may be successful. The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?(SURAH MAIDA 5:90-91)
Allah in his wisdom, firstly disclosed the evils in alcohol, then prohibited it at prayer times and finally declared it absolutelyPro h ib ited. In the verse under discussion, ALLAH says that there is much harm in alcohol and that is the reason for its prohibition. As a rule, we see that ALLAH has prohibited those things for us, which are harmful for us, and this is what medical science is telling us nowadays. Like we saw in the case of pork meat, blood and dead meat under (2:173).
