Drug abuse is contradictory to the spirit and aims of Islamic teachings. This is because the essence of Islamic teaching is to safeguard human wellbeing both intellectually and physically and prevent any burden on human life; however, drug abuse is a threat to both. Similarly, while Islamic teaching’s aim is to protect human life, religion, property, progeny, and the mind, drug abuse violates such basics of humanity. Therefore, drug abuse remains a punishable crime, while drug trafficking is a serious offense upon which criminal punishment is imposed under the Islamic law. Among the main objectives of the Shariah is to alleviate hardship and to facilitate easy achievement of all needs for the good of humanity. In addition, one of the rudimentary jurisprudential principles of Islamic law is: lā ḍarara walā ḍirār (harm should not be inflicted or reciprocated), which denotes that an individual should not cause any hardship for himself or herself and should not inflict harm on others. In this regard, ḍarar includes whatever that can cause health problems physical injuries, mental damage, and psychological complications for the individual including, drug abuse, alcoholic drinks, and smoking. Based on this understanding, drug abuse should be eradicated because it constitutes a severe ḍarar, which causes damage to the body and mind of the drug abuser and it remains a potential threat to society. It lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, leading to unsafe behaviors, and eventually leading to an untimely death. Thus, since drug abuse dismantles the proper functioning of the neurological cells, and disturbs many physiological processes, it must be avoided. This principle of abstinence seems to be very much related to the control and prevention of drug abuse, and commands that all necessary measures should be taken to prevent any kind of drug abuse from happening.
Drug abuse, including alcohol consumption leads to the deterioration of human individuals and the society. The seriousness and dire consequences of the evils of drugs and alcohol must be taught to the children as part of the educational curriculum, and society must also be made to realize that drug abuse is a human failing disease like any other and can be cured.
While Islam prevents the wrong from occurring at the inception and blocks all avenues to wrong doing (sadd al-dhars’ah), prevention of drug abuse not only saves the lives of drug abusers ‒ it also reduces the crime rate in the society, and thus saves the life of millions of innocent men and women, as well as the environment. While the concept, “harm should not be inflicted nor reciprocated” indicates prevention of drug abuse from happening, also it denotes the provision of proper rehabilitation approaches for drug addiction. This can be done through giving more attention to the needs of the victim by educating the masses, social workers, law enforcement agencies, and physicians and teaching all professionals the better ways of handling drug abusers. An equally important measure is to employ better and more sophisticated treatment of drug abusers and establishing rehabilitation centers on a large scale to try and tackle the drug abusers problems. Drug abuse, including alcohol consumption leads to the deterioration of human individuals and the society. The seriousness and dire consequences of the evils of drugs and alcohol must be taught to the children as part of the educational curriculum, and society must also be made to realize that drug abuse is a human failing disease like any other and can be cured.
