Khutbah Talking Points
Raising awareness about substance abuse in the Muslim community
- Substance abuse is having a negative impact among the youth of our community, effectively destroying our Ummah’s future in this country.
- Substance abuse is the use of an illicit substance to the point of addiction and reliance. This may come in the form of marijuana, opioids, cocaine, and other substances. May Allah protect us all from them.
- In 2020, over 81,000 substance overdose deaths were reported nationwide, and due to the pandemic substance use shot up by 59% compared to the previous year.
- More alarmingly, almost half of substance abuse cases are directly linked to a mental health challenge, most prominently depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
- What is more important to mention is that our previous approaches towards this issue have not yielded results. Our communities still witness substance abuse and yet no change is done.
- Substances that are considered intoxicants are Haram. Whatever alters your state of consciousness, emotionality, and spiritual awareness is considered an intoxicant.
- And while substances are Haram, the one who suffers from substance abuse is still our brother or sister in Islam who needs help, love, support, and care.
- Shutting away our youth who need help will only harm us in the short and long term. We need to approach them from a place of genuine care for their wellbeing and afterlife.
- To whoever suffers from substance abuse, Allah addresses you directly in the Quran when he says “And don’t despair from the mercy of Allah”
- It is never too late to seek help and on top of that the community will support and aid you in your path to cleanse and heal yourself.
- To those who may know affected youth, be there for them and love them while hating the sin of substance abuse. Help them seek help and connect them with the proper resources and institutions.
- There is no shame in admitting that one needs help, we all have experienced difficult times. Every person responds differently to what they’ve experienced. This is why it’s crucial for us to ensure that we don’t turn away our beloved brothers and sisters from the masjid when they’re seeking assistance.
- Another youth lost to substance abuse is unacceptable for us as a community.