A newspaper reported a story of a man who was not on good terms with his wife. One day, one of his evil friends gave him some cigarettes to smoke. After smoked the cigars, he left his house and wandered the streets until he became tired and so he rented a hotel room and spent the night there. The next morning, he surrendered himself to the police confessing to the murder of his step-father. However, when the police investigated the case and discovered that he had not killed anyone, rather, the effect of the cigarettes he smoked late night had made him in this illusory psychosis situation of that he committed the above mentioned crime! Because those cigarettes contained the dangerous hashish!

Substance abuse is a problem that affects not just the abusers but also their families and friends. People with addictions are often multiply diagnosed with mental and physical health problems, from obsessive compulsive disorder to HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse counselors work closely with them to identify reasons for their behavior and to take immediate steps to change and remedy it.

Given the prevalence of drug abuse, everyone ought to have some basic information about drug abuse and addiction.

What are Drugs and what are their Types?

Drugs in general are plants or chemical substances that affect the body and mind of anyone who consumes them. It makes the body lethargic, paralyzes its energy, slows the brain and is addictive to the extent that if deprived from taking it, one becomes enraged and distressed, and may even resort to stealing and killing. Furthermore, it may lead to an absolute psychological disorder.

Generally, drugs are divided into three types: Natural drugs, chemical drugs and the mixture of natural and chemical.

Natural drugs: These are plant products, taken and used in the same form without any variation, like opium, hashish, Qat and marijuana.

Chemical drugs: These are manufactured drugs that have the same effect as anesthetic substances. They are more harmful than the mixed kind. Some examples are L.S.D., thinner, mescaline and others.

Mixture of natural and chemical drugs: These are prepared by mixing some natural and chemical materials, like morphine, heroin and cocaine.

Why Do People Take Drugs?

There are many reasons why people take drugs:

• Weakness of faith, and not turning to Allah The Almighty during hardship.

• Having superfluous wealth and spare time.

• Bad company.

• Satellite channels that broadcast and promote various immoral movies and programs which glamorize and propagate the use of drugs.

• The use of tranquilizers, painkillers and sedatives without consulting a physician, which results in addiction unknowingly.

• The misconception that drugs increase sexual performance and potency, while the truth is contrary to this.

• The desire to be able to stay up late to work or study.

• The notion that drugs are not prohibited in Islam.

• Imitation of some celebrities who use drugs.

• Negligence by parents while raising the child.

How can We Save the Generation from this Malicious Tendency?

There are many ways to cure this dangerous phenomenon:

• Raising youth with strong religious values, sound morals and virtues.

• Increasing public awareness regarding the danger of drugs and their evil consequences on individuals and the community.

• Keeping the door open for addicts who want to repent and stop the use of drugs and help in their rehabilitation because this could help them refrain from this evil habit.

• Filling free time with useful activities like reciting the Quran, Thikr (mentioning and remembering Allah The Almighty), and occupying himself in permissible things like trade, agriculture, or enrolling in study circles.

• Becoming aware of the Islamic ruling regarding drugs, and that the prohibition covers all types of drugs.

• Knowing the harm and ill effects of drugs.

• The media should launch campaigns aiming towards spreading awareness regarding the danger of drugs.

• Strict supervision on all media programs to prevent any program which might encourage or glamorize, in any way, the use of drugs.

• Government should prevent the plantation, import and smuggling of drugs.

• Having severe punishments for those who are caught smuggling or dealing in drugs.

• Making more people aware of the ways to cure addiction so that the family can help the addict.

 

The objectives of Islam include preserving the religion and the human soul, honor, mind and wealth. Any substance or act that harms any of these five matters is considered unlawful in Islam.

The enemies of Islam and humanity have fought against this religion, and have attempted to distance Muslims from their religion using different means. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islamic calendar). Say, `Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing.' And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever – for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter....} [Quran 2:217]

The enemies of Islam and humanity fully recognise the fact that the sole source of the Muslims' strength lies in their commitment to Islam. Thus, they use the most evil and lowly means in order to control and corrupt the Muslim nation. They realize that the quickest means to destroy the Muslim youth is by using the weapon of desires: seductive women, alcohol and drugs.

The worst, and most effective, of these has been the weapon of drugs, because it is directed at the heart of the Muslim nation and its protective shield, the youth who shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Muslim nation and advancing it on the path to progress. When the youth are destroyed, the entire nation heads to destruction, and it becomes easy pickings for anyone to eat from and devour its resources and wealth.

Islam prohibits the use of all types of intoxicants, whether in the form of a drink, pills, drops, inhaled substances, needles, etc. The evidences for the prohibition are as follows:

- Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) whom they find written with them in the Tawraat (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John, xiv 16), ـ he commands them for Al-Ma`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibaat (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabaa'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allah's Covenant with the Children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Quran) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.} [Quran 7:157] and there is no doubt that drugs come under the definition of Khabaa’ith.

- Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you.} [Quran 4:29] It has been proven scientifically that consuming drugs eventually leads to death.

- Umm Salamah  narrated, “The Prophet  prohibited anything which makes a person drunk or feeble (or causes numbness to the brain).” [Ahmad]

Muslim scholars over centuries have also condemned the use of intoxicating and hallucinogenic substances.

- Ibn Taymiyyah  said, "Hashish is prohibited whether it causes a person to lose control over his mind or not; it is worthier in being prohibited than alcohol because its harm is more than that of alcohol."

- Shaykh Muhammad Aal Ash-Shaykh  said, "Ibn Hajar conveyed the statements of all four Imams of jurisprudence who prohibited drugs."

- Shaykh Jaad Al-Haqq, the grand Mufti of Egypt, said on 4/5/1399 A.H., "It is the consensus of all Muslim scholars that producing all types of drugs, planting them, trading in them or using them is prohibited, and that the one who does any of that should be punished."