Islam and Addiction: You Only Live Once

 

In the name of Allah, The Most beneficent, The Most Merciful.

"O Allah! Every moment and in every breath, bestow complete and the best blessings and perfect peace which is endless on Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, our master, and on his descendants and his Companions, and may, for His Sake, all our troubles and tortures be over, calamities ended, and all our needs fulfilled, all our cherished desires attained, and good ends vouch-saved, and clouds are laden with water through the glorious countenance of Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. The perfect blessings and peace on the Prophet's House, his Family and his Companions every instance in number equal to the count of all things in Thy Knowledge"

There is no doubt that taking drugs is haraam, including hashish, opium, cocaine, morphine, and so on. The young Muslims of today are facing an ever-increasing number of dilemmas. One of these is drugs. What does Islam have to say about it? How should Muslims regard drugs? To understand this we have to see what the Qur’an and Ahaadith say regarding intoxicants i.e. narcotics. 

 Allah states in the Holy Quran:

Holy Qur’an - Chapter: 05 Verse: 90

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلاَمُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ◌

•      O Believers! Wine (intoxicants) and gambling and idols mounted (for worship) and divining arrows (for seeking luck, all) are filthy works of Satan. So turn away from them (completely) so that you may prosper.

Allah Ta’ala has described intoxicants amongst other things as being appalling, despicable and hateful acts of Satan and he has commanded us to abstain from them, Allah thereafter states in the next verse:

Holy Qur’an - Chapter: 05 Verse: 91

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ◌

•      Satan seeks only to breed enmity and spite among you by means of wine (intoxicants) and gambling and hinder you from remembering Allah and observing Prayer. Will you abstain (from these evil-generating temptations)?

This Aayah tells us how it is a detestable act of Satan, because intoxicants apart from sowing the seeds of enmity also stop you from the sole purpose of having been sent to the world, namely the remembrance of Allah. 

The first declaration made by the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) concerning this matter was that not only is Khamr (wine or alcohol) prohibited but that the definition of Khamr extends to any substance that intoxicates, in whatever form or under whatever name it may appear.

 And Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم Said:

کُلُّ شَرَابٍ أَسَکَرَ فَہُوَحَرَامٌ  ۔

·         All drinks (or Intoxicants) that intoxicate (is Khamr) are unlawful (haraam).  (Sahih Bukhari)

·         “Every intoxicant is Khamr, and every Khamr is haram. (Sahih Muslim)

 And Hazrat Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) declared from the pulpit of the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) that

 “Khamr is that which befogs the mind.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants, regardless of whether the amount is little or much. If an individual is permitted to take but a single step along this road, other steps follow; he starts walking and then running, and does not stop at any stage. That is why the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said,

“Of that which intoxicates in a large amount, a small amount is haram.”Ahmad AbuDawud & At-Tirmidhi)

And again,

“If a bucketful intoxicates, a sip of it is haram.”(Ahmad, AbuDawud & At-Tirmidhi.)

  What Is Drug Addiction & Abuse?

The word “addiction” brings to mind different images for different people. It can be difficult for someone suffering with an addiction or potential addiction to identify with the term “addict.” And it can be especially trying for a young person.

Teens commonly associate addiction with movie images, or people they’ve seen at the absolute lowest, worst point of their addiction. Many have ideas about what an addict looks like: desperate, homeless, suicidal, criminal. With these ideas in mind, it’s hard for them to understand how their drug or alcohol use is a problem — after all, their consequences seem less extreme.

It’s true; the external effects of someone using at tender age are often much less severe or obvious. They might get in trouble at school, get grounded by their parents, fight with their friends or lose relationships. And they’ll often write off these consequences as other people’s problems, not seeing how their own behavior is a direct result of their substance use. They often say things such as: “My parents are freaking out. If they would just chill out, everything would be fine,” “Everyone else is doing the same thing; I just got caught,” “I haven’t been using for that long,” or “I can stop whenever I want.” Combine false assumptions about addiction and placing blame on parents and other adults — and they have a ready-made excuse to distract them from taking an honest look at themselves and how their substance use is affecting their lives.

Just as teens do, parents have their own images of what someone with a drug problem looks like, and it can be as extreme as the child’s view. These preconceived notions help parents stay in denial of a potential problem. Plus, they lead to false measurement tools. Parents think, “If my kid had a problem, she’d be getting bad grades” or” Clean-cut polite kids don’t use drugs.” Parents can easily fall victim to the false belief that if their child is not behaving in a way the parent associates with addiction, then there is not a problem.

With parents, kids and others sharing this stigma about addiction, many drug problems slip through the cracks, and that allows for worst-case scenario circumstances to develop when the warning signs might have been there years earlier.

What does this all add up to? Addiction or not, drug or alcohol abuse is worthy of scrutiny by both the person using and his or her family. Worst-case scenarios are often avoidable by looking past preconceived ideas of addiction and looking honestly at the effects of substance abuse on the user’s life.

If you or a loved one has been abusing drugs or alcohol, there is no need to wait until you are absolutely positive there is an addiction present to seek help or to stop using. Addicts are not the only people who benefit when they quit using drugs or drinking. So let us discuss in details about Addiction, Abuse, Causes and other correlated consequences.

Addiction is a disease that affects your brain and behavior. When you’re addicted to drugs, you can’t resist the urge to use them, no matter how much harm the drugs may cause.

In other words we can say, drug addiction is a Psychological & Physiological dependence on Drugs of Abuse that affects the central nervous system in such a way that withdrawal symptoms are experienced when the substance is discontinued.

Drug addiction isn’t about just heroin, cocaine, or other illegal drugs. You can get addicted to alcohol, nicotine, opioid painkillers, and other legal substances.

At first, you may choose to take a drug because you like the way it makes you feel. You may think you can control how much and how often you use it. But over time, drugs change how your brain works. These physical changes can last a long time. They make you lose self-control and can lead you to damaging behaviors.

Addiction vs Abuse

Drug Abuse is when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldn’t. You might take more than the regular dose of pills or use someone else’s prescription. You may abuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or avoid reality. But usually, you’re able to change your unhealthy habits or stop using altogether.

Addiction is when you can’t stop. Not when it puts your health in danger. Not when it causes financial, emotional, and other problems for you or your loved ones. That urge to get and use drugs can fill up every minute of the day, even if you want to quit. Simply, it is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. 

Effect on Your Brain

·         Your brain is wired to make you want to repeat experiences that make you feel good. So you’re motivated to do them again and again.

 The drugs that may be addictive target your brain’s reward system. They flood your brain with a chemical called dopamine. This triggers a feeling of intense pleasure. So you keep taking the drug to chase that high.

 Over time, your brain gets used to the extra dopamine. So you might need to take more of the drug to get the same good feeling. And other things you enjoyed, like food and hanging out with family, may give you less pleasure.

 When you use drugs for a long time, it can cause changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. They can hurt your:

                  –     Judgment

–     Decision making

–     Memory

–     Ability to learn

 Together, these brain changes can drive you to seek out and take drugs in ways that are beyond your control.

Who’s Most Likely to Become Addicted?

Each person’s body and brain is different. People also react differently to drugs. Some love the feeling the first time they try it and want more. Others hate it and never try again. Not everyone who uses drugs becomes addicted. But it can happen to anyone and at any age. Some things may raise your chances of addiction, including:

•      Curiosity: When out of curiosity or driven by curiosity you give a try to some sort of drug.

•      Frustration and Depression: If you’re depressed, have trouble paying attention, or worry constantly, you have a higher chance of addiction. You may turn to drugs as a way to try to feel better.

•      Gateway Drug: A drug which supposedly leads the user on to more addictive or dangerous drugs.

•      Social/Peer Pressure: When yours friends or Peers are already into it and may pressure or impulse you to give it a try, may raise your chances of addiction

•      Environment: Individuals born into homes/societies in which addiction runs rampant are more likely to grow to develop a substance abuse disorder. Additionally, those who begin to abuse substances at an early age are more likely to develop an addiction later in life.

•      Family History: Your genes are responsible for about half of your odds. If your parents or siblings have problems with alcohol or drugs, you’re more likely as well. Women and men are equally likely to become addicted.

     •      Early Drug Use: Children’s brains are still growing, and drug use can change that. So taking drugs           at an early age may make you more likely to get addicted when you get older.

 Signs of Addiction

You may have one or more of these warning signs:

• An urge to use the drug every day, or many times a day.
• You take more drugs than you want to, and for longer than you thought you would.
• You always have the drug with you, and you buy it even if you can’t afford it.
• You keep using drugs even if it causes you trouble at work or makes you lash out at family and friends.
• You spend more time alone.
• You don’t take care of yourself or care how you look.
• You steal, lie, or do dangerous things like driving while high or involved in adulteration and fornication.
• You spend most of your time getting, using, or recovering from the effects of the drug.
• You feel sick when you try to quit.

Facts and Figures

We know what can and needs to be done to help reduce the burden of psychoactive substance use. Therefore, WHO (World Health Organization) is committed to assisting countries in the development, organization, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and other services?

• The harmful use of alcohol results in 3.3 million deaths each year.
• On average every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year.
• Less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.
• Some 31 million persons have drug use disorders.
• Almost 11 million people inject drugs, of which 1.3 million are living with HIV, 5.5 million with hepatitis C, and 1 million with both HIV and hepatitis C.

When to get Help?

If your drug use is out of control or causing problems, talk to your doctor.

Getting better from drug addiction can take time. There’s no cure, but treatment can help you stop using drugs and stay drug-free. Your treatment may include counseling, medicine, or both. Talk to your doctor to figure out the best plan for you

DRUGS – What They Are & What They Do?

A drug, is any substance that when absorbed in the body of a live organism, alters normal bodily function. Simply a drug is any substance (other than food that provides nutritional support) that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a temporary physiological (and often psychological) change in the body.

CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS

1.                  Stimulants

2.                  Depressants

3.                  Opiates

4.             Hallucinogens

5.             Inhalants

 

1:        Stimulants

Stimulants are a class of psychoactive drug that increase activity in the brain. These drugs can temporarily elevate alertness, mood and awareness. Some stimulant drugs are legal and widely used. Many stimulants can also be addicting. Stimulants share many commonalities, but each has unique properties and mechanisms of action.

•      EXAMPLES

–     Cocaine, Nicotine, Crack Cocaine, Amphetamines and Methamphetamines.

•      INTOXICATION EFFECTS

–     Produces increased heart rate, breathing rate, energy, alertness, elevated blood pressure, loss of appetite and increased mental activity, euphoria, hyperactivity, restlessness, anxiety

 

2:        DEPRESSANTS

A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug that lowers neurotransmission levels, which is to depress or reduce arousal or stimulation, in various areas of the brain. Depressants are also occasionally referred to as "downers" as they lower the level of arousal when taken. Depressants are widely used throughout the world as prescription medicines.

•       EXAMPLES

–      Date Rape Drug, Cough Medicine Ingredients

•       INTOXICATING EFFECTS

–      Euphoria

–      Reduced Anxiety

–      Loss of Inhibitions

–      Drowsiness & Sedation

 

3:        OPIATES

Opiate is a term classically used in pharmacology to mean a drug derived from opium. Opioid, a more modern term, is used to designate all narcotics, both natural and synthetic, that bind to opioid receptors in the brain. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use disorder, reversing opioid overdose, suppressing cough, and suppressing opioid induced constipation.

·         EXAMPLES

 

–      Opium, Heroin, Morphine, Codeine

INTOXICATING EFFECTS

·         Euphoria

·         Relaxation

·         Drowsiness, Sedation

·         Pain Relief

·         Feeling of Well-Being

 

4:        HALLUCINOGENS

A hallucinogen is a psychoactive agent which can cause hallucinations, perceptual anomalies, and other substantial subjective changes in thoughts, emotion, and consciousness.

•       EXAMPLES

–      Ergot, Mushrooms, Ketamine, LSD, Ecstasy,

•       INTOXICATING EFFECTS

–      Sensory illusion

–      Distortion of reality

–      Dizziness, Sedation

–      Weakness

–      Enhanced emotion

–      Feelings of being outside of the body

 

5:        INHALANTS

Inhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases are concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication (called "getting high" in slang), in a manner not intended by the manufacturer.

•       EXAMPLES

–      Glue, Paint Thinner, Propane, Gasoline, Nitrous Oxide, Boot Polish,

•       INTOXICATING EFFECTS

–      Dizziness

–      Nausea and vomiting

–      Headache

 

ILLEGAL & LEGAL DRUGS

•      Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana etc. etc.

•      Caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol, Valium

 

Alcohol

The term alcohol originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol (ethyl alcohol), which is used as a drug and is the main alcohol present in alcoholic beverages. Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems.

•      Most commonly abused drug.

•      Effects:

–     Alcoholic Fatty Liver

–     Cirrhosis (Liver Rot)

–     Depression

–     Hypertension

–     Coronary Heart Disease

–     Cardiomyopathy or Heart Failure

Nicotine

Nicotine is a stimulant found in the nightshade family of plants. Nicotine addiction and dependence involves drug-reinforced behavior, compulsive use, and relapse after abstinence, physical dependence, psychological dependence, and drug tolerance. Nicotine is commonly consumed as a recreational drug for its stimulant effects. Recreational nicotine products include chewing tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, snuff, pipe tobacco, and snus.

•      Most dangerous dependence producing drug after alcohol.

•      Effects

–     Some degree of Euphoria & Arousal

–     Respiratory Paralysis

–     Severe Hypotension

–     Cancer

 

The Cycle of Addiction

Effects of Addiction

The effects of addiction and abuse of drugs can be all-encompassing, leaving virtually no part of an addict’s life untouched. Drugs cause a great deal of harm, which may be greater than the harm caused by drinking alcohol. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah (2341).

They cause harm to the person himself, to his family and children, and to his society and nation. 

With regard to the personal harm caused, they cause serious harm to both the body and the mind, because intoxicants and drugs destroy the health, nerves, mind, reasoning, the digestive system, and other negative effects which impact the entire body, and it damages his dignity and honour, as his personality becomes fragile, and he becomes a laughing-stock and suffers from numerous diseases. 

With regard to the harm that is caused to the family, this is the mistreatment of his wife and children, so the house is turned into an unbearable hell because of tension, anger, arguments, insults, repeated utterance of divorce (talaaq), breaking of things, neglect of the wife, and not spending properly on the home. Intoxicants and drugs may even lead to the birth of children who are deformed or mentally handicapped. 

The harm that is caused to society is evident in the huge destruction of wealth with no positive return, which affects the man’s interests and leads to the failure to fulfil duties and loss of public trusts, whether that has to do with the interests of the state, institutions or individuals. This is in addition to the damage caused by criminal acts against people, property and honor. The harm caused by drugs is worse than that caused by intoxicants, because drugs destroy moral values.

While the effects of chronic drug abuse will vary among individuals, the most common effects of drug abuse may include:

• Addiction
• Tolerance
• Changes in the structure or functioning of the brain
• Unintentional injuries
• Accidents
• Damage to all organ systems in the body
• Weakening of immune system
• Increased infections
• Cardiovascular complications
• Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
• Liver damage and/or failure
• Seizures
• Strokes
• Heart attacks
• Impaired decision-making
• Permanent brain damage
• Worsening of emotional well being
• Increasing medical problems
• Legal problems
• Incarceration
• Financial ruin
• Crumbling interpersonal relationships
• Divorce
• Child abuse
• Domestic abuse
•