The Danger of Drugs upon the Person and the Society – Shaykh ‘Alee Al-Haddaade

Indeed all the praise is for Allaah. We praise him, we seek his aid, we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our souls and the consequences of our evil actions. He whom Allaah guides there is none to misguide and he whom Allaah leads astray there in none to guide him aright. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah; who is one without partners; and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is Allaah’s servant and Messenger.

O Allaah, send prayers, peace, and blessings upon Your slave and Messenger Muhammad; upon his family, and companions, altogether. As to proceed:

Have Taqwaa of Allaah, as Taqwaa should be had of Him. How great is the reward of those who have Taqwaa. How delightful is the state and the abode of those who are obedient. O people, indeed the punishment for crimes and sins within the Dunyaa and the Hereafter is due to the despicable nature of the crime and its evil effect upon the one who commits it and upon the society. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: 

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ زِدْنَاهُمْ عَذَابًا فَوْقَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يُفْسِدُونَ

Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the Path of Allaah, for them We will add torment over the torment; because they used to spread corruption. (An-Nahl 16:88)

Allaah, the Glorified, has said:

وَلاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاَحِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

And do not mischief on the earth after it has been set in order. That will be better for you, if you are believers.  (Al-A’raf 7:85)

And indeed from the great crimes and the major destructive (sins) and the sins which are destructive to the individual and the society are (the use of) drugs and intoxicants. They do not enter into a society except that they destroy it. No one becomes addicted to them except that he becomes corrupted with various types of evils. They do not spread within a society except that it is engulfed with every evil and it falls into various types of calamities and major sins occur therein and corruptions occur therein which the intellectuals and righteous are unable to remedy.

‘Uthmaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “Avoid Khamr for it is the mother of (all) evils.”^[1]

Drugs, O brothers, is the greatest form of Khamr. Therefore, they have been prohibited with the most intense for of prohibition. The types of drugs and their corruptions are many. From them are those which the people know able and from them are those which are not known at all. Drugs, in all of its types, have been prohibited by Allaah and his Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam); whether they be plants, pills, eaten, or drank, or snorted, or injected.

Similarly, drugs, in all of its types, the Legislation is severe in its condemnation and threat against it due to what it contains from harm and destruction. And due to that which they contain from evil and due to that which they cause for the addict, from transforming him to an evil person from whom corruption and crime are expected and no good is hoped for from him.

The intellectuals of the world have called for the saving of the societies from the scourge of drugs due to that which they have witnessed from iniquities.

The harms of drugs upon the one addicted to them and upon the society are many and nearly none are safe except a small portion.




 From their harms upon the addict is the loss of his intellect; and the intellect is the distinguishing characteristic between the human and the animals. He whose intellect goes then he embarks upon crimes and virtue to taken from him.

From its harms is that the natural disposition of the person changed and he becomes a Shaytaan and he is stripped of the characteristics of the righteous.

From its harms is foolishness in manner of dealings. So he does that which is harmful to him and abandons that which benefits him. Shaytaan has driven him to every despicable act and has removed him from every virtue.

From the harms of drugs is corruption in the thought process. So he loses sound judgment and upright opinions. He does not see the end results of the affairs and he does not look except to the exact moment that he is currently in, even if it contains his destruction, harm, and detriment.

From its harms is the loss of trustworthiness and negligence regarding it in that which is obligatory to safeguard and preserve. He cannot be trusted over any general thing; nor can he be trusted over wealth or job. He can’t even be trusted over his relatives and family members. This is because the drugs have corrupted his nature, and the refuge is with Allaah.

From its harms is that the addict is a burden upon the society. He does not bring any good to his society nor is he successful in that which he brings forth.

From its harms is that the addict is despised and hated, even by the closest of people to him.

From its harms is the squandering of wealth and the inability to make noble earnings. So he resorts to earning wealth by way of criminal means. I seek Allaah’s refuge for me and for you.

From its harms is deterioration of one’s health and the contraction of incurable diseases, leading the person to death.

From is harms is the loss of dignity and inclining towards the wicked, from men or women.

From its harms is the shortening of life due to what it causes from destruction of the bodily organs and due to what is exposes the person to from grief and stress.

From its harm is the Shayateen gaining mastery over the addict and the angels of mercy being far away from him, until he is driven to the Hellfire, and the refuge is with Allaah. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic said:

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ ٣٦ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ٣٧ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءنَا قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ بُعْدَ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ فَبِئْسَ الْقَرِينُ ٣٨ وَلَن يَنفَعَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ إِذ ظَّلَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ فِي الْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ ٣٩

And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allaah) (i.e. this Qur’aan and worship of Allaah), We appoint for him Shaytaan (Satan ­ devil) to be a Qarîn (an intimate companion) to him. And verily, they (devils) hinder them from the Path (of Allaah), but they think that they are guided aright! Till, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says [to his Qarîn (Satan / devil companion)] “Would that between me and you were the distance of the two easts (or the east and west)” a worst (type of) companion (indeed)! It will profit you not this Day (O you who turn away from Allaah’s remembrance and His worship, etc.) as you did wrong, (and) that you will be sharers (you and your Qarîn) in the punishment. (Az-Zukhruf 43:36-39)

From its harms is the curse being upon the addict until he repents. This is due to his (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) statement:

لعن الله الخمر وشاربها وساقيها ومبتاعها وبائعها وعاصرها ومعتصرها وحاملها والمحمولة إليه

“Allaah has cursed Al-Khamr; the one who drinks it and the one who pours it; its buyer and its seller; its squeezer and the one for whom it is squeezed; the one who carries it and the one to whom it is carried.”^[2]

And he (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

ثلاثة لا يدخلون الجنة مدمن الخمر وعابد الوثن والديوث

“Three will not enter into Paradise: The one who is addicted to intoxicants; the worshipper of the idol; and the cuckold.”^[3]

Drugs, O brothers, is greater than Khamr (alcohol). Therefore, the prohibition of Khamr is a prohibition of drugs as well; and the threat regarding alcohol is likewise a threat regarding drugs.

From its harms, O brothers in faith, is the spread of various types of crime within the society and the spread of lewdness and evils; and the loss of the family structure, and the deviation of the younger generation; for they will live without a family or cultivator for them to find repose with.

From the harms of drugs upon the society is the descending of punishments and tribulations. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:

وَاتَّقُواْ فِتْنَةً لاَّ تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمْ خَآصَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial, etc.) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the good and the bad people), and know that Allaah is Severe in punishment. (Al-Anfal 8:25)

From its harms is obedience will come to be a burden; it will be disliked, and hated. Likewise, dislike and hatred for the righteous, and avoiding their gatherings and staying away from the gatherings of remembrance and the places of worship; and love for crime and inclination towards disobedience; and love for the evil people; taking them and friends and companions.

Brothers in Islaam, drugs; the devils of mankind grow them, manufacture, and distribute them in order to actualize to objectives which they have:

The First Objective: To corrupt the society to the point that the one who is addicted to drugs does not think except in ways which are blameworthy (even) by the animals. When it spreads within the society and it is not combatted, then (others) will be harmed by it and by way of it be destroyed.

The Second Objective: To earn Haraam monies; and what an evil earning this is. Money that is acquired by way of drugs and intoxicants contains no good nor is there any blessing in it. Rather, it corrupts the heart and ruins the homes and disperses the families and destroys them. It brings about disgrace, shame, and the cutting off of the lineage.

O Muslims, beware of the traps of Shaytaan with which he traps his followers in order that they will be with him in the Hellfire.