Marijuana - Then will you not end it?
Bismillahirahmaniraheem
Taking Marijuana, pot, skunk, weed, hash, draw, whatever you want to call it, has become quite common amongst the Muslim youth in particular. Many go on to continue taking it for decades and even for life. Regarding the status of Marijuana in Islam then the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) informed us:
"Every intoxicant is prohibited."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 4088)
And he also said:
"That which intoxicates in large quantities is prohibited in small quantities."
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and others, with a sound chain of narrators)
Therefore it is clear that all drugs are Haram due to the fact that they intoxicate a person in one way or another. One loses the ability to think and reflect in a proper manner, and that is intoxication.
Intoxication linked to psychosis
It is a typical excuse that shaythan gives to a user of intoxicants such as marijuana that it does not affect them in anyway and that they will still be able to function normally etc. But that is a great deception of shaythan who wants the user to continue taking intoxicants so that he can go further away from Allah. As well as his deen suffering the user of Marijuana also loses out in this world as his education, family life and work suffer as a result of this evil habit. Not only does he suffer spiritually and physically but also mentally as it is now scientifically proven that Cannabis is linked to psychosis aswell as many other psychological defects. The user of intoxicants may think that they are fine right now and that they will never end up suffering such mental problems but research indicates that the longer the user takes it then they increasingly risk deterioration of their mental and physical health. Not only does cannabis use cause many psychological defects but it destroys ones ambitions, determination and zeal, so a person ends up living everyday just for the next charge or "buzz". What a worthless existence.
Losing this world and the hereafter to intoxication
Intoxication is very detrimental to ones life in this world and the next. If a person were to die in such a state then they would in effect have ruined their Hereafter. So not only will one lose this world by using such a substance but the worst thing is they will also lose the hereafter. What a loss that would be! That person would ask of Allah:
"Oh Allah please i beg of you send me back to the Earth just one more time so that i can do things better. This time i know the truth and i will obey your commands to the best of my ability".
But it will be said to that person "NO! You were given your chance yet you ruined it so now you will have to face the consequances of your actions."
Imaan (faith) cannot stay in the same body as intoxication
All Intoxicants are a test for mankind just like the apple was a test for Adam (As). When a person intoxicates themself then Imaan (faith) cannot remain in the same body as Imaan. Therefore when a person intoxicates themself then imaan (faith) comes out of the body and hovers over their head. This means that a person who is intoxicated does not have imaan until they are sober that is if Allah wills. Imam Rabbani (Ra) described this as a contagion of disbelief where a Muslim who commits a major sin like intoxication and dies without repentance has died in a type of disbelief. Not in the same way as a disbeliever but it is still a type of disbelief as they died without imaan. Imam Suyuti (Ra) states that intoxication is one of the major sins where a person may die in disbelief.
One opinion of some scholars is that a person who does die in such a way may not even smell the scent of Paradise although the majority of scholars agree that a believer who dies without repentance from a major sin lik intoxication may go to Jannah some day if Allah wills but it may be after a very long time in Jahannam but they will certainly have a bad death and the grave punishment as well as a terrible time on the day of Judgement where people will be scorched so much by the sun which will be so close that they will be drowning in their own sweat!
Is it worth risking losing the Hereafter over a short buzz?
We cannot even spend a second in such a terrible place as Jahannam so how will we cope in there for eternity? We struggle in temperatures of 90 degrees F but what about thousands of degrees? How will we cope in such a place where we will be fuel for the fire? The way a person dies that is the way they will be raised up therefore a person who dies whilst intoxicated will be raised up intoxicated and Allah will not even look at him but ask the angels to throw him into the fire. What a disgusting way to enter the worst of places - Jahannam. A true dogs death.
So can the one who intoxicates themselves guarantee that they will not die whilst they are intoxicated? We all have a 50 % chance of dying at any moment therefore when one is intoxicated then they are actually taking a 50% risk of eternal doom. Is it really worth it for a short and pointless artificial buzz? You can be the judge of that...
Intoxication - A vile act
Allah 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: -
Satan’s plan is to sow hatred and enmity amongst you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hamper you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not give up?
(5:91)
Ibn Majah reported from Abu Hurairah (Ra) that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
“An addict of intoxication is like a worshipper of an idol.”.”
Subhanallah what a strong statement to make of a person who intoxicates themselves. The Prophet described such people as idol worshippers. What a terrible way to live ones life being classed in such a way. Is this then not enough to make us want to stop indulging in such vile and evil acts?
The time to give up is NOW, for tomorrow may never come!
Therefore there is NO time to waste. How long have we got until we will face Allah for the choices we made in this life. we ONLY have this one chance so how can we ruin it? How can we sacrifice this petty short life for ETERNITY OF BLISS? What a foolish person who would choose this life over the next. How can one choose a few years over an eternity?
Remember the choices we make now will affect our lives in this world and our eternity in the next. Therefore let us forget the past now and repent sincerely to Allah with utter remorse and with firm resolve NEVER return to such an evil act again and one will find Allah most merciful.
Move away from bad company!
Let us move AWAY from those who indulge in such acts as they are NOT our true friends. They may be with us now whilst we are committing evil but as soon as they have a better offer then they will be gone. Such people will cause our destruction in this world AND the next. The company of such people is poison; just even sitting and talking with them will lead one to commit sins. Just as a person who sits for a long time with a perfume seller begins to smell nice, and a person who sits by a gutter cleaner begins to smell awful, similarly a person who spends time in the company of the wicked eventually gets affected badly by them.
Rather, we should seek out pious friends who fear Allah taala and who have the qualities of humility, charity, compassion, modesty and knowledge. If we sit with them we will always benefit and they will be a means for us to get closer to Allah taala!
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “The case of the good companion and the bad companion is like that of the seller of musk and the blower of the bellows (iron-smith). As for the seller of musk, he will either give you some of the musk, or you will purchase some from him, or at least you will come away having experienced its good smell. Whereas the blower of the bellows will either burn your clothing, or at least you will come away having experienced its repugnant smell.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Remember: “All friends will be enemies of one another on that Day (Day of Judgment) except those of the virtueous.”
(al-Qur’an 43:67)
Use your time wisely
Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) urged us to use our time in a useful way when he said:
“Grab five things before five others: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.”
(Al-Hakim)
He also indicated that we are to be asked about these times and how we invested them in the judgment day. Rasulallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “A servants two feet will not move on the Day of Judgement until he is questioned about four (things): His youth, how he spent it, his knowledge, how he acted upon it, his wealth, how he earned it and how he spent it and his body, how he used/wasted it.”
( Al-Tirmidhi)
Make the best of your youth
Worship in ones youth is the best worship that one can do in ones lifetime and this is because of the fact that this is the time that one will have the most desires and this is the time when one has passion, drive, determination and energy. So this is the time we should spend pleasing Allah NOT our enemy shaythan who ONLY wants the worst for us!
We should be doing those actions which will benefit us forever and NOT wasting our time in useless talk or hanging around with bad friends, taking intoxicants and ruining our hereafter.
Uthman (Ra) said: "Allah gave you this world so that you may seek the Hereafter with it, not for you to desire it."
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
"This world, in comparison with the world to come (The hereafter), is the same as if one of you were to put his finger in the ocean.?Consider how much (water) you would have (on your finger) when you pulled it out."
(Muslim)
We want to be of those who are raised on the day of judgement as one who spent their youth in the worship of Allah and not as those who wasted their youth chasing after their desires. What an utter loss that would be. We would regret it forever. So we can still change things if we take action NOW! But if we continue as we are then we only risk ruining our hereafter for this petty meaningless life.
He also said: "Wise is he who controls his desires & prepares for the life which starts after death, and wretched is he who makes himself a slave to his desires and has false expectations of Allah".
(Tirmidhi)
Then will you not end it?
Therefore there is NO doubt that Drugs and alcohol are totally forbidden in Islam. They ruin people’s lives physically, mentally, morally and spiritually. So one will be the loser in this world and the next. If you think that a person who continues to intoxicate themselves will have peace, blessings, contentment and happiness in their lives then you are very much mistaken and decieved. Wake up and realise that you are risking eternity of torture for this useless and evil habit. The buzz of being the closest to Allah and pleasing him surpasses any buzz that can be achieved in this life. So feel the pure buzz of being close to Allah and leave this evil habit lest you regret it FOREVER! Choose NOT this life but the Hereafter:
The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "O Allah! There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter...
(Bukhari)
Finally Allah has questioned the user of intoxication:
“Then, will you end it?”
May Allah save us from that which will be detrimental for us and enable us to go towards that which will benefit us in this world and the next. Ameen
Excellent talk on intoxication by Sheikh Ahmed Ali