Hey there!
I am by no means a knowledgeable in the Arabic language, my interests are mainly with ancient Greek.
So I will have to depend on the translations available and the comments in this thread to comment specifically on one of your points.
Literal:
They ask/question you about the intoxicants/substances affecting the brain and the gambling , say: "In them (B) (is a) great sin/crime and benefits/uses to the people and their (B's) sin/crime (is) bigger/greater from (than) their (B's) benefit/use, and they ask/question you what they (should) spend, say: "The excess over expense/goodness ." Like that God clarifies for you the signs/verses/evidences, maybe you think.
Free_Minds:
They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say: "In them is great harm, and a benefit for the people; but their harm is greater than their benefit." And they ask you how much are they to give, say: "The excess." It is thus that God clarifies for you the revelations that you may think.
Khalifa:
They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, "In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit." They also ask you what to give to charity: say, "The excess." GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect,
Yusuf_Ali:
They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider-
Shakir:
They ask you about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them there is a great sin and means of profit for men, and their sin is greater than their profit. And they ask you as to what they should spend. Say: What you can spare. Thus does Allah make clear to you the communications, that you may ponder
Pickthal:
They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say: In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness. And they ask thee what they ought to spend. Say: that which is superfluous. Thus Allah maketh plain to you (His) revelations, that haply ye may reflect.
Arberry:
They will question thee concerning wine, and arrow-shuffling. Say: 'In both is heinous sin; and uses for men, but the sin in them is more heinous than the usefulness.' They will question thee concerning what they should expend. Say: 'The abundance.' So God makes clear His signs to you; haply you will reflect;
George_Sale:
They will ask thee concerning wine and lots: Answer, in both there is great sin, and also some things of use unto men; but there sinfulness is greater than their use. They will ask thee also what they shall bestow in alms: Answer, what ye have to spare. Thus God sheweth his signs unto you, that peradventure ye might seriously think
Hilali_Khan:
They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: "That which is beyond your needs." Thus Allah makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought."
Malik:
They ask you about drinking and gambling. Tell them: "There is great sin in both, although they may have some benefit for men; but the sin is greater than the benefit." They ask you what they should spend; tell them: "Whatever you can." Thus Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may reflect upon
Maulana_Ali:
They ask thee about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: In both of them is a great sin and (some) advantage for men, and their sin is greater than their advantage. And they ask thee as to what they should spend. Say: What you can spare. Thus does Allah make clear to you the messages that you may ponder,
QXP:
They ask you (O Messenger), concerning alcohol, intoxicants, gambling, and easy money. Say, "There is great loss for men and women in these things and a little momentary gain. Their damage far outweighs their benefit. They drag down individual and collective potentials of people." And they ask you what they should spend on others. Tell them, "All that is beyond your needs." Thus Allah makes plain to you His Revelations, that you may reflect and understand the Wisdom behind each Command.
Those are all the translations I could find in a hurry.
1. If you read the verse point blank it is not limited to alcohol. Just look at the wide variation of translations and it should become clear that the meaning of that Arabic word can probably be equally applied to other 'mind altering substances'. Someone more knowledgeable in Arabic can confirm or correct this statement. I am just going by what I read in the various translations here.
2. I read every single translation here and it appears to me the passage is pretty much saying 'Mind altering substances (Including alcohol) have benefits, but I (God) am warning you that the benefit you will get is not worth the risk/problem/harm it can get you into.' There is not a strict prohibition being stated here. There is a strong warning being stated here. I'm sure many of us here have heard the proposed contradiction between this verse and another verse in the quran about drinking and praying. That contradiction only presents itself to a person who is not reading what is plainly being stated, but rather reading it from an angle of their liking. Read some of the translations and you will see this quite clearly by how far some of the translations deviate from what the literal words are alleged to say, going to the point of embellishing the verse with presumptuous added wording. I am not saying the verse here is saying to go drink and it is fine, but on the same token it is not saying to not drink at all 100% either. It is simply striking a proper balance on a touchy issue that drinking and other mind altering substances can help some, but that if someone chooses to take on this risk they should at the very least do so under great caution.
At least that is my take on this specific point.
I mean look...I will agree with you that some rules in certain faiths are questionable. But this one is just not one of them from my point of view. Often times the way people follow the law is quite contrary to the way it is plainly stated. They follow the way it was taught to them, not the way it is stated.
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