Steps to overcome Addiction

  

Today, I address a matter that silently consumes lives, families, and societies – addiction. Whether it is tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or even excessive internet use, addiction is a form of slavery that chains the soul and weakens the body. It is a disease of desire, and its cure lies in faith, discipline, and sincere repentance.

About 20% of adults worldwide are addicted to tobacco, and millions more suffer from drug addiction. These habits destroy health, wealth, and spirituality. Islam offers powerful guidance to overcome them.

 

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 adults worldwide (about 20%) are still addicted to tobacco, despite global efforts to reduce smoking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that millions are addicted to natural and synthetic drugs, with rising trends in synthetic opioids and stimulants.

 

These substances are not just harmful – they are deadly. Tobacco alone causes over 8 million deaths annually. Drugs lead to overdose, mental illness, broken families, and crime. Alcohol contributes to liver disease, violence, and loss of dignity. These are not just health issues; they are spiritual crises. Allah says in the Qur’an:

 

“Do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.” (An-Nisa 4: 30)

 

“They ask you about wine and gambling [which is also very harmful – an addiction]. Say, ‘In them is great sin and [some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit.’” (Al-Baqara 2: 220)

Perils of Alcoholism

In his Friday Sermon of December 30, 2011 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke about the inevitably disastrous consequences of liquor consumption. Speaking on the eve of a New Year, the Khalifatullah called the attention of one and all to the foolish pursuit of synthetic happiness and entertainment so pervasive in all the societies of our times. 

Read the extracts from the Sermon:

“In this last sermon of the year 2011, I seize this opportunity to talk on alcoholism in society. Alcohol can be very dangerous and it is the country’s most abused drug. Alcohol is a drug that is taken mainly for its psychological effects. Alcohol drink is very, very expensive in Mauritius and in the last budget of the Government; the latter has made it a must to increase the price of cigarette and alcohol drink. But these are two evils which the Government knows that shall not decrease, because the more the prices of these commodities go up, the more people will continue to buy, regardless their prices, because these evils have already become some people’s drugs.

So, basically alcohol depresses the nervous system and allows people to lose their inhibitions. If drug companies had discovered the effects of alcohol, then today maybe there would be no chance of it receiving approval from a drug’s safety committee and it would never be marketed for human consumption.

The immediate effects of alcohol are:

 The loss of inhibitions,

 Less self-conscious behaviour,

 Loss of self-control,

 Becoming more talkative and,

 A feeling of cheerfulness.

However, alcohol acts more as a depressant than a stimulant (i.e. it is a drug that dampens down the activity of the nervous system rather like a tranquilliser). Many heavy drinkers are aware that their thinking is not as good as it used to be.