Drowning in Addictions and Steps To Overcome Them

I begin by praising Allah subhanahu wa Hanna Arambula Allah mean the Lord of all worlds, the Exalted the majestic, and I asked him to send his choices of blessings and salutations. Upon our beloved prophet muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa alayhi wa sallam his family members, his companions, and every single individual who treads on his path with the class with sincerity until the end of time.

I remind myself and then all of you all who have gathered here for salatu Juma to adopt a life of Taqwa and that is to bring in the consciousness of your maker of your Creator. And you must do this if you wish to attain if you wish to achieve victory and success in this world as well as the next May Allah subhanahu wa taala make us all from the people of Taqwa and make him make us from the victorious and successful ones. I mean.

The title for today's sermon is drowning in addictions and steps to overcome them.

I'd like to start off by sharing

an interesting narration of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that has been recorded in the Book of Imam Al Bukhari Rahim Allah, the narration goes along the lines of these words of Kumar kala Alayhi Salatu was Salam, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he says,

amongst the people of Benway throw in,

there was kind of Roger and there was a man. So talking about a story and incident that took place many, many moons ago. So during the time of the binary straw eel, and amidst the people of the binary straw eel, there was a man

who had murdered 99 individuals, we're talking about a serial killer here 99 individuals, and now this man after killing 99 people.

He sets out to find out whether his repentance will be accepted by Allah subhanahu medalla. Is there any way for him to turn over a new leaf?

So he goes as per the Hadith to a raw hip to a monk.

He goes to the monk and he asks him,

Look,

this is my situation.

I've done this. I've committed this. Will my Toba be accepted? Will my repentance be accepted? The monk replies in the negative?

And what does this man do? He goes on to kill the monk as well, to round off the number. And now he has basically killed 100 individuals.

Now he goes to another man,

a man who had knowledge

who knew

about the teachings of the dean, he goes to him and he asks him the same question.

This man

reply is now in the positive. And he advises this individual, the one who has now committed this many murders, to set out to go to a certain village and perhaps spend some time with certain individuals

as a move in a move to turn over a new leaf in a move to change his ways in a move to turn to Allah in Toba.

So this man,

he undertakes the journey.

And during the journey, molecular mode comes to him, the Angel of Death comes to him and he dies, he passes away. I'm going to pause there as some of you might already know how the story ends. You might have heard of this hadith many a time, I'll come back to the ending of the Hadith. After sharing a few reflections from this hadith. And these reflections in sha Allah, Allah Allah are going to form the nine step plan that I hope to share with you all. So more or less nine reflections from this hadith very quickly in sha Allah Allah.

So like I said, the title for the sermon is drowning in addictions.

You see today when you look around,

you have things that Allah subhanho wa Taala has made permissible and you have things that Allah azza wa jal has made haram impermissible and you should bear this in mind thumb rule

Whatever Allah azza wa jal has made haram whatever he has forbidden, there is harm in that.

If there is good,

pure good coming through a thing towards you, Allah has not made such things haram. And interestingly, the bulk of whatever is around you and within you is halal. But there are certain things that are haram. So, in comparison, the Haram matters that are haram that are impermissible a lesser in number when comparing it to the matters that are permissible.

You know, it's like when our father and our mother, Adam, Alisa to Islam and Hawa Alex, that was salam were created. Allah azza wa jal permitted them to consume meat and indulgent anything from the garden. But there was one tree that was forbidden.

But see, the thing with human nature is that despite having so many permissible things around us, our next, our desires, constantly keep turning towards that which is an impermissible, we know that these things are harmful. So you have to add a couple of things to the mix, you have Chopin, you have the nafs. You have all of this that keep pushing us towards that which is wrong, that which is haram.

And unfortunately, today, a lot of us, we fallen into this vicious trap of becoming addicted to a lot of things that are harmful that are haram.

So many things Subhanallah, so many types of addictions.

Today, I'm obviously not an expert in the field, but you have psychologists, you have people who are experts in the field who have identified the different types of addictions that are out there. You know, just a few weeks ago, I spoke about social media from this pulpit. You have people who are addicted to social media today, you have people who are addicted to their devices, you have people who are addicted to pornography, you have people who are addicted to intoxicants, you have people who are addicted to cigarettes, smoking, you are people who are addicted to vaping, you are people who are addicted to all kinds of substances that are out there in the market today, in the form of

drugs, in the form of all kinds of things Subhanallah that are harmful. We go on to ingest these things into our bodies, and we are addicted to these things. So you know, we need to innovate, empathize. Those of us who are addicted, they're struggling. They're looking for a way out. It can be in the form of our younger generation. It can be in the form of our children. It can be in the form of people around us it can be in the form of loved ones, family members, we have people who are addicted and they're struggling. It's almost like you know, if you saw the poster that I shared with regards to my sermon, he I intentionally chose the picture of a man drowning, and that entire

picture looks like a bottomless ocean. These people feel that that they're drowning, drowning, no lifeline, no lifeboat, no life jacket, they're drowning and it's suffocating. They're looking for a way out. But each time they try they fall back into the same pit. May Allah azza wa jal protect us all. For this you need to understand the science behind addictions, it affects your brains, it rewires your brains. All these changes in our brains can make quitting something difficult can make coming out of an addiction difficult, but you have to understand,

it's very important to remember that these addictions are not impossible to treat, they are treatable with the help of Allah with the right plan with the right resources with the right steps in place, recovery is possible and coming out breaking an addiction is possible. And most of the time we are addicted to that chemical process that's happening within our brains and not necessarily the substance in and of itself. You see, when you're addicted to a certain thing, it rewires your brains, like I said earlier on you get these hits of dopamine, and we are addicted to this chemical process, not necessarily the thing in and of itself, we are addicted to the addiction.

So to break this video brothers in Islam, a few steps very quickly before I run out of time. The first reflection that we see from that hadith number one is that you have to admit that there is a problem.

You have to admit that there is a problem and this is the hardest part to recovery, admitting that you have an addiction.

Why? Because most of these days

solders they affect the brain, like I said earlier on, causing the brain to look for excuses, causing the brain to look for justifications to keep on using the substance to keep on smoking, to keep on indulging in the addiction that the individual is in Unfortunately, our brains tell us, you know, you have some of these very common justifications. For example, you have denial, whereby our brains tell us, you know what, it's not a problem. Oh, vaping. It's not a problem.

A lot of the younger generation today think that oh, vaping is the lesser of the two evils. So vaping is not a problem. They're in denial,

oh, alcohol, but there are benefits. I read a study the other day that it's, you know, good for your heart. It's good for your

cardio vascular operations happening within it's good. So you have denial within you. Another form of you know, justification is minimization. They're like, you know, I used to smoke a pack a day. But now I'm only smoking half a pack a day, which is still in it, my dear brother.

So you can't you can't fall back onto the pretext of minimizing Oh, you know, I used to have a bottle a day before, but now, you know, it's just a few shots.

It used to be so many grams before but now it's, you know, this many grams. So this is another way our brains fool us. Another form of justification is comparison.

Where we tend to compare ourselves with others, oh, when someone tells you tells you Oh, you're you're smoking you like a smoking chimney, or walking chimney. You're like, oh, well, pollution, or you know what the vehicles are causing much more pollution. I don't think I'm doing that much harm, or, you know, my uncle, he smokes a lot more. And look, he's you know, living up to, you know, 6070 and he smokes a pack a day, I just smoke a few cigarettes a day, we tend to compare ourselves and think that, you know, we're better off than the others.

Another form of justification is defiance, where we defy the statement, I'm sure many of you would have heard it. People say I would rather live a shorter life and be happy, then quit and be miserable. My life is already miserable. I'm in debt, my business is not going well. So I'd rather smoke a pack a day and you know, die sooner than live on the face of this earth.

At times, our brains try to rationalize what we're doing.

Where our brains tell us Oh, you know what, I've never stolen to finance my addiction, my habit. Or, you know, I'm way more in a better mood when I smoke or when I drink or when I you know, use the drugs that I use.

And at times, it's just misinformation. Like I said earlier on a lot of youngsters think that you know what, these substances don't harm us, quote, unquote, medicinal marijuana. It's a good thing. They say, May Allah protect us all? A lot of youngsters think today, do you know what I mean? Don't do you know, I'm depressed. Let me turn to medicinal marijuana because if I don't have it, I'm going to be even more depressed.

That's not a way to rationalize it. And this is this is the way the brain works.

So it's very important to identify. So like I said, step number one, you must

admit that there is a problem and this man in the Hadith, he admits that there is a problem and that's why he went out seeking repentance. Number two, you need to have a firm intention, firm resolve to change dramatically, always. It can't be a fleeting intention. You can't be shaky, like a stick in the mud. You can't be like, let me try it out and see No, if you want it to work, you must have firm intention, affirm intention with regards to it and take concrete steps towards it. The next step, reflect on your addiction and educate yourself about it. Look at what the man did, he reflected obviously, otherwise, why did he want to change? You know, he was addicted to that

pattern, that behavior of his he was a serial killer.

He reflects on the on, you know how this addiction or how these deeds these sins have negatively affected you. You have to reflect and how your life will improve after coming out of it.

You have to understand that anything out there all these addictions that we just mentioned, you have physical, you have psychological and you have spiritual negative effects, effects attached to it.

So you have to reflect on all these matters and educate yourself about it. For example,

if you know that you're addicted to pornography, don't justify don't belittle it. Educate yourself and today you have ample resources to tell you the harms of pornography study.

have been conducted where it clearly outlines that porn can negatively impact your marriage. Porn can fuel violence and abuse. Pornography harms your sexual function. Research shows that compulsive pornography consumption is associated with sexual dysfunction for both men and women. They find it difficult to become aroused. They fail when it comes to sexual performance and there is decreased sexual satisfaction. Why? Because you're not going to be satisfied you're not going to find real satisfaction with your real Halil spouse because you are addicted to hundreds and 1000s of imaginary human beings on those websites. You keep scrolling, it's an unlimited buffet, right? So how are you

going to find satisfaction with your real Halal spouse? So you need to today marriages,

many marriages on the rocks, why? Because the partners the spouses are addicted, may Allah protect our marriages. And we will just reading sexual dysfunction erectile dysfunction you have all of these problems as a as a biller, because of being addicted to this, my dear brother, you might not have children.

Is that not scary? So we need to educate ourselves of the negative effects when we educate ourselves when we know oh, you know what, these are the negative effects it's easier, it becomes easier. It's part of the process for us to you know, steer clear and stay away from these things. When it comes to intoxicants you have and this is why you need to educate yourself spiritually as well look at this hadith where the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam he says, Do not drink wine. Do not consume intoxicants, for it is the key to every evil. Why because it alters your mind. It alters your mind you're drunk, it alters your mind, you can fall into the pit of Zina, you can fall fall into the pit

of murder, you can fall into the pit of theft, you can fall into so many pits of sin. And it's very easy for Chapin to push you into any of these pits because your mind has been altered. These youngsters when they are on a high on all these substances, they don't know what they're doing. It's very easy to fall into all these pits. So you have to educate yourself to know the harms to know what the Dean tells you about it. Number four, change your environment. And you see that in that hadith, what was the advice given to that man to leave that land and go to another land? Why today?

Rehab Centers.

Psychologists they all highlight you must remove any reminders, any triggers of your addiction from your home and your workplace. Along with that you must separate from individuals or from people, your circles, from friends who would encourage you to be involved in all of these addictions. Don't let people bring up reminders or addiction related substances or any kind of behavior into Your presence into your close circles. And this is why it is of utmost importance to hang out with the right company, good friends versus bad friends.

As the quote goes, you are the average of the five people you hang out with.

Your company defines who you are. I've spoken about the Hadith where the prophet gives the example of a good friend like a perfume seller and the bad friend like a blacksmith you hang out with a perfume seller. At least that smell rubs off you the good smell even if you don't buy any perfume from him, you hang out with the blacksmith you might end up burning your clothes. Next tip number five, you need a support system, in the form of good people around you in the form of a loved one to two spouse well and good. A friend who you can confide in an accountability partner.

You need someone who will sit down with you but you can confide in that individual that individual monitors you. For example, let's say you are the biller May Allah protect us or you are addicted to drugs. You can confide in a friend in your spouse that you know what look I need to confess something, I need help to come out of this. This friend of yours He takes your phone he looks or these are your friends or this is your dealer the person who you get these things from delete the number so that you don't keep in touch with such individuals. Or if those people are calling you and you know pushing you to that page and change your number entirely. You're addicted to pornography

there are applications software that will help monitor your internet activity. You can set up an accountability partner the minute you try to you know access a certain website or notification goes to the accountability partner. It can be your spouse

It can be your friend, it can be your cousin, they have to authorize it. So the minute they get a notification, they can call you up. They can give you some motivation, they can remind you and the software's will block these websites, they won't give you access to these websites. So you need the support system to come out of it. My dear brothers in Islam.

The next tip

bring in exercise. You know, my last sermon at Bala tie spoke about the importance of activity. This is another epidemic that is gripping our society, obesity, sicknesses. We're not active enough. If you look at the time of the Prophet and the Companions, I mentioned this in that sermon as well. You won't find a single description of any companion of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

where it states that he had a protruding belly? No, all of them had tapered bodies by the lead very fit and active lives. Once Omar Radi Allahu Anhu sees a man who had a big belly and he looks at him and he says Dr. Raju Maha What is this? The man he says ha Baraka tominaga This is baraka from Allah Amara via Alana says La This is not Baraka, but the other boomin Allah, it is an adverb from Allah it is a punishment from Allah.

So, this is in general. And if you are in one of these pits of addiction, my dear brother, my dear sister exercise, the study shows that physical exercise will improve your health and it will reduce the risk of all of these diseases out there, and it'll help you feel better about yourself.

This is a tangent that I'd like to touch on, but I'm out of time. Chapin uses this tactic when you are addicted to something to make you feel bad about yourself. So for example, when you try to come to the masjid and pray Juma shaitan comes and whispers What are you doing in the masjid? You go home and you're drinking the night away? Or when you go home? You're glued to that screen and the filth on the screen? What are you trying to do in the masjid? What's the point of praying? What's the point of going on camera? What's the point of giving out sadaqa? What's the point of fasting Ramadan? What is the point of waking up for tahajjud and he comes and messes up with our brains. My

dear brother, my dear sister, don't fall. Prey don't fall for the trap of shaytan.

As soon as you and I we need to do more good deeds. It's a counter effect you Chapin is wrong in his whisperings. The more wrong we're doing the more we need to counter it with good deeds. A man wants comes to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he had unlawfully kissed a woman. He comes and tells the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam yet to feel alive kissed a woman. The Prophet was quiet it doesn't make it useful. I've kissed a woman. The prophet is quiet. And then the Adan is called out. The Prophet says come and pray with me. The man came and prayed with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam after the Salah. The prophet tells him he reads the iron optimist Salado

prefer the whole idea. And then he says in Al Hasan the ending of the iron in Al Hasan it used Hibben as a yard. Indeed good deeds you raise bad deeds, indeed good deeds repel bad deeds Allahu Akbar. So don't let shaitan mess with your minds.

The next tip, my dear brothers in Islam, never give up.

Never, ever give up. However, many times you relapse, know that the Mercy of Allah is unending, and keep trying, go back, start from scratch, keep trying keep trying never give up. Look at the man in the Hadith. He did not give up. He kept on trying. So never give up.

Number eight, have a reward slash penalty system in place. You need to do this set a goal. You know you have your activity watches these days, the Apple Watch it gives you like little little digital rewards that oh, you know what you've done this many kilometers and whatnot. So if you can, for example, stay away from your addiction for one month, Promise yourself that you will reward yourself with something. Why? Because you're obviously saving money by staying away from all these addictions. You can go on to spend that money on something halal, where you reward yourself, maybe buy something for yourself. So you're looking forward for that reward. And on the other hand, if

you're not able to keep up with that challenge of staying away from it for a week for a month, then there needs to be a penalty as well. So if you break that challenge, the penalty is that you must for example, give X amount in charity in South Africa, so that there is a penalty in place to this this, this check and balance is important. And the last tip, my dear brothers in Islam and with that we conclude never, ever lose hope in the Mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala

now we come to the end of that hadith the man dies, and you know what? He's halfway

On his journey, the angels of Rama and the angels of adab both come down and they are at a conflict now why? Because he's a sinner, the angels of other punishment want to take his soul, the angels of Rockman mercy say But no, he has intended firm resolve, he's changing his environment. He wants to turn over a new leaf the angels of Rama want to take his soul.

The hadith tells us My dear brothers in Islam, Allah azza wa jal commanded that the Earth, the land, the distance should shrink between the man and the new environment. In other words, he should be pushed. In actuality, in reality, he had just begun his journey. He was closer to the land of sin than the land of goodness. But Allah out of his infinite mercy pushed the man towards the land of mercy. He was closer towards the land of mercy and the angels have rough man to his soul. Allah is more merciful than even your mothers, my dear brothers in Islam, each and every time you take the Quran, what are you saying? Bismillah Nero, Mani Rafi see him in the Name of Allah, the Entirely

Merciful, the Especially Merciful Who is he is a rough man or Rahim shaytan will come and tell you that Allah will never forgive you. But you should know that Allah will forgive you as a believer you must firmly believe in this. So do not ever lose hope in the Mercy of Allah or youngsters or brothers. Turn to Allah, Allah will definitely forgive you. There is there is this opportunity for you to turn over a new leaf. May Allah subhanahu wa ala help us all to be steadfast upon the deen. May Allah azza wa jal help us all to turn over new leaves to turn to him in Toba constantly, repeatedly May Allah azza wa jal forgive us of our sins may Allah accept our good deeds and just as

how he united as here for Salah to Juma may unite us in the gardens of Jana the companionship of our beloved prophet muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa early he was seldom, I mean, I mean after the Hawaiian in hamdulillahi rabbil aalameen