The Effects of Drug Abuse on Muslim Youths – Winning Essay from the 18th (2024) CMO International Youth Essay Competition

This insightful piece, The Effects of Drug Abuse on Muslim Youths, by Muneed Za’faran, earned a top place in Category D of the 18th (2024) CMO International Youth Essay Competition. Za’faran’s essay explores the widespread impact of drug abuse on Muslim youth, addressing root causes, consequences, and the path to solutions grounded in Qur’anic teachings.

Introduction:
All praise is due to Allah, who made the life of a Muslim such that whenever he encounters any challenge or setback in his life, the solution is always readily available. If that is the case, then why have we not been able to find solutions to our problems in this century? why is our condition continuing to deteriorate as every day goes by? The simple answer is in the Qur’an chapter 25 verse 30 “. My people have indeed received this Qur’an with neglect”. We have been drawn apart from our antidotes (the Qur’an and Sunnah). As merciful as Allah (SWT) is, He even provided us with the solution to this exact challenge in Quran 51: Verse 50 where He says “So flee to Allah…”.
Unfortunately, the group of people most affected by this 21st-century challenge are the youths, the leaders of tomorrow, the future of Islam. The youth born in this century label themselves as Gen Z and civilized and thus tend to want to explore all the branches of the so-called civilization. Moreover, the way several vices which are hard to commit back in the day are now very easy to commit due to the advent of various technological advancements makes more youths steep in this abyss.

Why Do Youths Abuse Drugs?
A drug is “a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. “In as much as human beings continue to live, there will always be cause to use drugs one way or the other. However, in this life, there has to be balance for everything to go smoothly. In this case, drug abuse can be regarded as an agent in unbalancing the use of drugs. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “Drug Abuse is the excessive, maladaptive, or addictive use of drugs for non-medical purposes despite social, psychological and physical problems that may arise from such use.”

There exist various reasons why youths abuse drugs, some of which are; peer pressure, curiosity, and relieving emotional issues. None of these excuses are cogent enough against the order of Allah in Qur’an 2: verse 219 “They ask you (Prophet) about intoxicants and gambling: say there is a great sin in both and some benefit for people; the sin is greater than the benefit”. So, no Muslim youth is supposed to be found near drug abuse not to talk of indulging in it. Not only would the person suffer its consequences in this world, but the person would also be taken into account in the hereafter for going against Allah’s injunctions. Another major cause of Drug Abuse is the aftermath of involving in other vices. When someone involves himself in a sin such that he cannot get his mind away from thinking about it, it can lead him to start taking drugs to clear his head unknowing to him that this is a frying pan to fire issue.

Effects of Drug Abuse on the Lives of Muslim Youths
Drug Abuse is such a vice that it usually leads to a chain of vices. Let us take the example of someone who takes alcohol and becomes drunk; first, he would become intoxicated and as he is staggering, he could even fall into the gutter, conversely; the drug could give him a temporary inhumane feeling that could cause him to involve in unspeakable crimes, also, if he becomes conscious, he would not be alright until he takes another dose thereby wasting his economic resources. This cycle goes on and on until the person is either convicted of crimes or even dies consequently. Looking at it from a religious angle, the person would not be able to pray because one of the main prerequisites of salt is sameness and mindfulness. Qur’an 4: Verse 43 “O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying”. Even if he stops drinking that day, his prayer for the next forty days will not be answered even though he must pray it.
Taking the Muslim youth as a case study, what effect does it have and has had on the lives of Muslim youths today? One of the most evident effects is the emerging lack of sense of responsibility and initiative among our youths. Drug Abuse and other vices gradually reduce someone’s sense of responsibility. A Muslim youth is expected to be up and adroit in dealing with various tasks as we have seen in our golden history when Usamah bn Zaid led an army that
consisted of great companions like Abu Bakr as Siddiq and Umar bn Khattab at the age of eighteen, when Mus’ab bn Umayr left luxury to become an ambassador of the Prophet at Madinah when Abdullah bn Ubayy bn Salul’s son prevented him from entering Madinah when he discovered that his father was an hypocrite. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case when the youths only busy themselves with different vices because good and evil are distinct and mutually exclusive.
Another effect of drug abuse and other vices on the lives of Muslim youths is a lack of focus and misplacement of priorities. Mere involvement in a vice when if you read one letter from the Qur’an, you get ten rewards is an utmost misplacement of priority. To succeed in any endeavor, one must set priorities right and must not compromise, this is what would enhance the achievement of the desired. Our desired goal is the ultimate Success in this world and the hereafter. Allah Himself urges us to focus on worshipping Him “and I have not created jinn or man except to worship me” and seeking His forgiveness to achieve our desired goal in this world and the hereafter. Quran 71, Verse 10-12. Imagine with all Allah’s prescriptions, someone should now decide to do the opposite. This is a clear loss of focus and misplacement of priorities.

Allah is Al-Ganiyy (The Rich) who provides for all of his creatures and caters to all their needs, yet he told us in Quran 2 Verse 195 “and do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction”. What does it mean in this context? Allah provided for you, and you now take that money and use it to abuse a drug, what can that be classified as? Apart from being ungrateful, it is you vividly using your hands to create your destruction. One of the things this drug abuse and other vices do to the youths is that it wrecks them financially. We have seen someone who used his food money to buy drugs that would do him no good but even harm him, also, we have seen someone who used his school fees to bet and eventually committed suicide when he lost. This is what usually leads some youths to start committing crimes and being fraudulent. The effects of these vices are so contagious that not only the perpetrators are affected. The emergence of many Muslim youths as drug addicts and their involvement in sorts of crimes might paint a bad image of Islam to the public. Innocent Muslim youths would not even want to declare their Islam at some place to avert false perception. People who are being tried to call to Islam would be harder to call because of the false image of Islam that might have been portrayed by the so-called Muslim youths.
Of all the effects Drug Abuse and other vices might have had on Muslim youths, the worst of them all is either the person leaves Islam as a result or dies as a result. This is such a painful experience that it is like rendering all the person’s former good deeds to waste. As tragic as this seem, this is usually the resultant effect of the other effects when a person doesn’t stop indulging in these vices for a long period. Unfortunately, this is taking a toll on the Muslim youths of today. This is why all actions must be taken to avert the effects of Drug Abuse and other vices in the lives of Muslim youths before it reaches this point and is too late

What Is The Way Out?
First and foremost, we should return to our roots. Qur’an 51 verse 50 “So flee to Allah…”.
Returning to the Qur’an and sunnah is the best solution for any Muslim whatever the problem might be. When we return to the Qur’an, we will be reminded of what Allah (S.W.T) and his prophet have commanded us to do and what they have prohibited us from because as Allah said in Qur’an 51 Verse 55 “Remind people, by reminding believers, people get benefit”.
Secondly, parents should have time for the proper upbringing of their children. A lot of thechallenges we face in the 21st century stem its root from the weak foundation at home. It is the parents who would be able to choose a good school for their children where they would meet good peers and would not be negatively influenced. They are the ones who would inculcate the habit of praying in their children as the Prophet said in his hadith “Teach the child to pray at the age of seven and beat him for it at the age of ten”. They are also the ones who would serve as mentors and confidants to whom their children can always relay their issues.
Thirdly, Muslim leaders and society must make intentional efforts to bring the youths together by creating youth initiatives, conducting workshops/seminars, and Organizing public lectures so they do not wander alone in our sin-filled societies of today. The Muslim youths would be able to caution each other when one of them starts to deviate. The lectures/events would fill their hearts with more knowledge and endear their hearts to Islam. They can even strengthen the youth’s attachment to Islam by organizing competitions such as Qur’an competitions, Essay Competitions, and many others.

Conclusion
Drug abuse is such a contemporary vice that it leads to a chain of other vices. It has a lot of negative effects on Muslim youths and can lead to regret both in this world and the hereafter. We must return to the Qur’an and ensure that we all perform our expected duties to ward off this vice and other vices from our societies.

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