Cannabis, Marijuana, Hashish and drugs
It has become a sorry sight to walk the streets and smell cannabis. The wretched stench of this dreaded drug comes from the ignorant. You could be walking in street and someone could speed past you driving at 80 miles an hour in a 20 mph zone. You might walk down a street and see people gathered on street corners puffing the stench of this intoxicant. As well as people walking intoxicated in the streets.
You could even enter a shop and smell the aftermath of this wretched smell emanating from someone as they queue to pay. The young are getting drawn into this nonsense, and more, without realising the damage they are doing to their lives and the lives of their families.
I feel like the problem needs addressing and this is what I will attempt to do.
Purposes of the scared law
Are five: religion, wealth, linage, intellect and life. These five things are the reason the sacred law. Islam was not sent to destroy all other religions rather it was sent to overcome them, if the adherents willingly choose to become Muslim. But they have a protection and a preservation with their adherents. They are protected people and neither them or their property can be harmed. The caliph was meant to protect people and their wealth.
Part of protecting people is seeing to their needs. Even non-Muslims were able to trade with substances unlawful to the Muslims. Life was an important factor and no blood could be split without the inference of a court of law.
Intellect is the important thing here because that is meant to be protected. It is meant to be developed by knowledge and learning. Drinking, taking drugs and so forth destroy the mind, knowledge, harm the body and brain. Some of the damage of drugs irreversible, so it is not a simple matter.
Intoxicants are unlawful
Intoxicants are anything that causes the intellect to be abnormally affected in a negative manner. It does not matter what it is or what name you call it. If it hampers the intellect then it's unlawful/haram.
These hadiths are
taken from the forty hadith on the unlawfulness of intoxicants complied by
Sheikh Yusuf al-Nabhani (may Allah show him mercy). Available as a ebook on Amazon.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
كل مسكر خمر وكل مسكر حرام و من شرب الخمر في الدنيا فمات و هو يدمنها لم يشربها في الآخرة
"Every intoxicant is wine and every intoxicant is unlawful. Whoever drinks wine in the world, dies being drunk will not consume it in the afterlife.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Nisa'i.)
This normally is the hadith, which the argument against wine, alcohol, and drugs are built. All intoxicants that make one lose their intellect are unlawful. Taking intoxicants can lead to other sins like illegal fornication and so on.
If he tastes the pleasure of it then the result is an every lasting punishment.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
ما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرام
"What much intoxicates then a little is unlawful."
Sometimes it takes a while to get drunk because the body gets used to intake and this becomes a problem. But here the quantity does not matter. A little will lead to a lot when it comes to intoxicants, as the more one takes the less they have rational control of their intellects.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
لعن الله الخمر وشاربها وساقيها ومبتاعها وبائعها وعاصرها ومعتصرها وحاملها والمحمولة اليه
"Allah cursed wine, drinkers, servers, traders, purchasers, extractors, producers, carriers and those it is carried to.” (Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah)
This is something that any prepare wine or alcohol should be scared to death of. Anyone involved in the process of making wine or alcohol is cursed.
Unfortunately, there
are many Muslims trading in alcohol attaining a curse every time they sell
these wretched substances. Similarly are all those involved in drug manufacture,
selling in bulk, selling bags, and so on. All drug dealers are cursed for peddling
things that cause misery. All those involved in heroin, cannabis, cocaine
and all other illegal substances that are killing people. They are all cursed.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said,
مدمن الخمر ان مات لقى الله كعابد وثن
"The drunkard dies and meets Allah like an idol worshipper.” (Imam Ahmad)
It does not mean
that the drunkard is like an idol worshipper because he could still have his faith
but his desire for alcohol means he is like an idol for his drink. All he sees
is his next fix, be it drink or drugs. The person addicted to drugs is included because the word Khamr is the thing that blocks the intellect as drugs, smoking and so forth does.
Enormities
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allah show him mercy) said in his list of enormities from Al-Zawajir, "(170) to take an intoxicant such as Hashish, opium, henbane, ambergris, and the like, of substances that are not ritually unclean [najis]." (p.976 Reliance of the traveller by Ibn Naqib al-Misri translated by Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller)
Ibn Hajar included
taking drugs as enormity/major sin. Not a minor that you can pretend never
happened. Taking these drugs is a major sin as is selling them.
Ruling of Hashish
Imam Muzani (may Allah show him mercy) was the first to forbid it [hashish], then he was followed by the Hanafi's. The names that forbid it are al-Nawawi in Sharh al-Madhab, Ibn 'Asqalani in takrim al-Mashah, Al-Zakraashi in Zahr al-Ariys, and so forth (p.238 Wadah al-Burhan by Abdullah al-Hassani al-Idris)
Imam al-Qarafi (may Allah show him mercy) said its [unlawfulness is] Ijma/consensus (ibid).
Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah show him mercy) said that he considered [smoking] hashish a major sin that necessitates the punishment of drinking wine. (ibid)
It is stated in Fatawa Ridawiyyah by Imam Rida Khan (may Allah show him mercy) : "A person who uses marijuana is definitely a Fasiq and worthy of punishment." [Fatawa Ridawiyyah volume 25, 105]
It is further stated in Fatawa Ridawiyyah:"These [marijuana etc.] devilish substances have such an effect that it creates holes in the stomach." [Fatawa Ridawiyyah, volume 25, page 213]
Imam Rida Khan is clearly stating the harm of these horrible drugs are known and he rightly explained them with the addition that they make holes in the stomach.
Imam al-Haskafi (may Allah show him mercy) said in al-Durr al-Mukhtar, "Every disliked [meaning highly disliked] forbidden is like the forbidden in the punishment of the fire." (p.605)
Imam al-Haskafi said the punishment is the fire for involving oneself into drugs.
Imam Ibn Abiden (may Allah show him mercy) position is here
http://marifah.info/articles/Cannabis-IbnAbidin.pdf
Harms of Hashish
Muhammad ibn Zakariyah al-Razi al-Tabib (may Allah show him mercy) said, "It gives birth to many [useless] thoughts, it makes impotent, it dries out because it is not wet in the major limbs." (ibid p.242)
The author Abdullah al-Hassani continues, "it causes forgetfulness, sudden death, confused intellect, high temperature, putrid breath, blood loss, blackened teeth and falling out, yellowness, reduced shyness, birth to much bitterness, hair loss due to dryness, manifestation of a hidden illness, languid limbs, shortened life, increased bafflement, cause of catarrh or loss of sight, the loss of mind, sitting with Satan, laziness and failure, considering a loin to be mountain, considering humiliation mighty, to make the eloquent deaf, the intelligent stupid, the intellect disappears, the perpetrator is distant from the Sunnah, evicted from paradise, promised to be cursed by Allah; unless he leaves it and repents." (p.242).
Can it be used as a medicine? I would not like to comment about this.
Unlawful drinks
Imam Abu Laith al-Samarqandi (may Allah show him mercy) said in Hazanah al-Fiqh, "there are four unlawful drinks: 1. Wine which is wrung from grapes when it is yielded, fermented and mixed in a churn. 2. Wrung then cooked until less than a third evaporates. 3. When raisins or dates are soaked and fermented. 4. Date or raisin juice when ether of them is cooked [but] before it is fermented, it is lawful. When it is strengthened and drinking from it does not over the mind and does not intoxicate and he does not speak foolishly or dance, then there is no harm in mixing them." [p.339]
Against you
Have you ever wondered why your body talks on the day of judgement? It talks because we have dishonoured, humiliated and oppressed it in our lives. Your body is not yours this is why the body complains because your body belongs to Allah. The oppressed are given a tongue to speak out against their oppressor, you. It is your responsibility to maintain your health and not to take silly risks with it.
Wretched brothers
There are many names for this drug and it is similar to smoking but its physical damage is slightly quicker. Both smoking cigarettes and taking any drug takes its toll on the body and some of it reversible. They are brothers of the same tree of intoxication that destroys the individual.
In Halal wa Haram/the lawful and the prohibited in Islam of the modernist Yusuf al-Qardawi, [p.77] he says, "Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, opium and the like are definitely included in the prohibited character of Khamr." He continues, "the Muslim jurist were unanimous in prohibiting those drugs which were found during their respective times and places. Foremost amount them was Ibn Taymiyyah, who said, "The solid grass (hashish) is haram, whether or not it produces intoxication. Sinful people smoke it because they find it produces rapture and delight, an effect similar to drunkenness. While wine makes the one who drinks it active and quarrelsome. Hashish produces dullness and lethargy; furthermore, smoking it disturbs the mind and temperament, excited sexual desire, and leads to shameless promiscuity, and these are greater evils than those caused by drinking. The use of it has spread among the people after the coming of the tartars." [p.78.]
Imam Muzani (may Allah show him mercy), a student of Imam Shafi (may Allah show him mercy) was the first to forbid it. Its use was not widespread at the time and only became like that after a few hundred years and according to Ibn Taymiyyah is was due to the Tartars.
Al-Qastalani (may Allah show him mercy) said in his commentary of al-Bukhari/Irshard al-Sari lliSharh Sahih al-Bukhari,
(كل شراب أسكر فهو حرام) ولو لم يسكر المتناول بالقدر الذي تناوله منه، وعند أبي داود والنسائي وصححه ابن حبان عن جابر قال -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "ما أسكر كثيره فقليله حرام". وفي ذلك جواز القياس باطّراد العلة وعلى هذا فيحرم جميع الأنبذة المسكرة، وبذلك قال الشافعية والمالكية والحنابلة والجمهور، وقال أبو المظفر السمعاني: وقياس النبيذ على الخمر بعلة الإسكار والإطراب من أجلى الأقيسة وأوضحها والمفاسد التي في الخمر توجد في النبيذ، وقال الحنفية: نقيع التمر والزبيب وغيرهما من الأنبذة إذا غلى واشتدّ حرم ولا يحدّ شاربه حتى يسكر ولا يكفر مستحله، وأما الذي من ماء العنب فحرام ويكفر مستحله لثبوت حرمته بدليل قطعي ويحدّ شاربه، وقد ثبتت الأخبار عن النبي -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- في تحريم المسكر، وقد قال عبد الله بن المبارك: لا يصح في حلّ النبيذ الذي يسكر كثيره عن الصحابة ولا عن التابعين شيء إلا عن إبراهيم النخعي ويدخل في قوله: كل مسكر حرام حشيشة الفقراء وغيرها وقد جزم النووي وغيره بأنها مسكرة
"All drinks that intoxicate are unlawful." Even if does not intoxicate by a [single] cup that is taken. Abu Dawud, al-Nisa'i and ibn Hibban authenticate that Jabbar reports that he (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, "What much intoxicates then a little is unlawful." In this is disregard for the reason, despite is being unlawful for all intoxicating beverages. That is the opinion of Shafis, the Malikis, the Hanbalis and a great many. Abu Muzafar al-Samani said, "The reasoning about Nabid being the cause of wine being intoxicating and entertainment is the upmost reasoning. The clearest is that the corruption that is in wine is found in nabid. The Hanafi's say, "Soaking dates and raisins and so forth of nabid when it is cooked and fermented is unlawful. There is no penal punishment for drinking it until intoxicated and it is not disbelief if deemed lawful. As for that which is water of the grape then this is unlawful and disbelief if deemed lawful because the affirmation of its unlawfulness is decisively proven and there is penal punishment for drinking it. It is proven in narrations that the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) forbade intoxicants. It was said by Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak, "It is not authenticate about the permissibility of nabid which intoxicates from most of the companions and from their students anything except Ibrahim al-Nakhai. It enters into this word every intoxicant is unlawful and cannabis of the poor is unlawful and so forth. It was affirmed by al-Nawawi and others say it unlawful because it is an intoxicant. The meaning of drinking wine is consuming it."
The nabid that the Hanafi's allow is that which has not fermented yet but this is widely a confused matter. So it is recommended for people to stay away from such things when there is confusion.
Criminal element
Is one of the most dangerous things about cannabis and drugs. They use this to fund misery and make fortunes by making addicts from their customers. If you cannot use it yourself then you cannot give it someone else. If you had alcohol then it would not be a crime to waste it because it is worse for you to use it or give it away. Even to a non-Muslim who does not have diet-restrictions other than those needed for their health. The proof is:
لا ضَرَرَ و لا ضِرَارَ
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) said, “Do not cause harm or respond with harm.” (Muslim)
This is also a proof against using anything that kills your body. Heroin, smack, LSD, and so forth are call included because they all destroy the individual. Some addicts become so addicted that they begin to steal and involve themselves in criminal activity for their next hit.
Criminals who sell, produce, manufacture this evil substances are included in the prohibition. They have sold their afterlife and are heading towards hell. One of the curses of a evil drug dealer is to do more and more.
Poverty is not an excuse because plenty of people work hard jobs but do not drug deal. People in countries are worse off because they could claim benefits and look for a job or re-train. There is no excuse to deal with such substances. I hope these criminals are put behind bars for a long time or even deported.
Solutions?
Is there a solution to this problem? There would not be a demand for such services if people were not doing them. So why do not we look to ourselves and not take the drugs.
I
watched a rather depressing documentary about a designer drug called 'spice'.
That was making people into walking zombies, after consuming them. But who are helping such people? Cuts to vital services need to be renewed so that people can get more support.
There was a government run project were people could take drugs in safe environment. This seems like a solution of sorts but we need to ask hard questions to ourselves.
Quitting is hard
but not impossible and someone who tries hard can leave it. Any addiction can
be conquered with hard work but it takes time. That person needs a lot of hard
work. Quitting any harmful addiction takes time and should be done slowly.
I personally have no sympathy for drug dealers, rapist or pimps. They will be punished in this world or the next. They will not get away with the evil that they have done.
Conclusion
I would love for the streets to be cleaned up and drugs to be removed from our streets and for it to be removed from our world, But this is not a perfect world. The police, local authorities, government officials and so on should be supported in their fight against it.
I personally detest
drug dealers and their ilk. They are cursed in this world and the next. Money is
the only thing we are asked about twice. Once how you earned and the second
time is how you spent it. If someone is a wretched drug dealer then they will
be punished twice for earning the haram, then they will have to answer for each
transaction they made. Each time they answered their phones and so on. You might
look at them now with their fancy cars and want it. However, on the Day of
Judgment they will be wishing to be you. So, they can escape decades of
sins. Know that you we commit a sin against another person then they will have
to forgive us before we are forgiven. These sins Allah does not forgive. The sins
that include the rights of others are the sins with the most punishment. None are
going to punished more for their sins like a drug dealer or pimp. Anyone who uses drugs funds criminal activity and therefore is a party to this evil.
وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ
"Whoever does the least bit of evil will be recompensed for it."(Quran 100:8)
Drug dealing and
taking are not little things, they are major sins.So if you are going to be recompensed for minor sins, what do you think about major sins like drug dealing, drug taking and drink alcohol/wine?
