Saad Tasleem – Marijuana and Addiction

			Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah
		

			salam alaikum, warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, our brother introduced the talk by talking a little bit
about addiction and how there are Muslims in our communities. We're very much Yes, it's a very, very
real problem. And yes, drug addiction, *, addiction, etc, etc, etc. And I was invited here
to speak about marijuana. And the obvious choice was well speak about marijuana and speak about
addiction. And I kind of wanted to pump the brakes on that a little bit and say, Look,
		

			it's hard to treat addiction is hard to help someone with addiction, when that addiction isn't
recognized as an addiction. So when someone says, Look, this is not causing me any problems. It's
not impeding the quality of my life. It's not affecting my relationships. It's not harming me in any
way. So what's even if I am addicted, right, what's the big deal? Like, why is it so problematic? So
a person and I've heard this analogy before as well, they'll say, like, oh, you're telling me I'm
addicted to marijuana. But you're addicted to Chai, right? You're addicted to tea, or you're
addicted to your coffee. Right? So you can function as a normal human being with your with your tea
		

			and your coffee or whatever. And yes, you're addicted to it. But you're fine. And you're never going
to speak out against somebody who is addicted to tea. So why is it that people will speak out
against marijuana. And not only you know, you'll hear people say like, not only does marijuana not
		

			affect the quality of my life in a negative way, as a matter of fact, you'll hear people say that
marijuana actually increases the quality of my life. And you'll hear people say like, I'm a better
person. When I've smoked a joint, right? I'm better at my job, I'm more calm, I'm more friendly, I'm
less stressed out, so on and so forth. And that's why before ever getting into addiction for me,
it's important that for us as Muslims, we understand marijuana and its place in the city, and how
the shitty I how Islam actually views marijuana. So in order to do that, there's a couple principles
that our Deen teaches us that our religion teaches us that we need to understand and these
		

			principles apply to anything that we consume, anything that we put into our bodies.
		

			The first principle already for this first principle, yes, yes. The first principle regarding that
which we consume, is that Allah has power to Allah has divided all matters that we consume into two
broad categories. The first category is that which is good and permissible, a UVA would head on. So
those good matters, and they're also permissible. So for example, a clear example of this would be
drinking water, right? Water is something which is slightly a bit as good, it is good for us. And
obviously, it is something which is permissible, last kind of data has made permissible. On the
other hand, we have those matters, which are the Hubba if these are the the bad, impure matters, the
		

			matters that affect us in a negative way, what how long, right, and therefore those matters have
been made permissible. Yes, they're available on Earth. They are either they can be, you know,
naturally available, or they can be manmade. But there are those matters which come under the
category of the Hubba with the impure bad, nasty things, right, that we don't consume, and therefore
they are how long for us and alongs peddling to Alan's youth and out off tells us that one of the
jobs of the process and one of his responsibilities was to clarify for mankind, the hideout from the
head on the lady back, let me know how about if so, let us kind of the data says, You hate knowing
		

			the homeless by you, but why you had to leave more Allah He will have is that I sent him was sent to
make an ad for mankind the plague he but to make permissible for them, those matters which are pure,
and those matters which are good. Why you Hadley more la Haywood haba
		

			to also make impermissible or at least conveyed to us the impermissibility of those matters which
are bad, those matters which are impure. So this first principle that we understand tells us that
everything everything that we consume, the question we ask ourselves is, does this fall into
category number one, or does it fall into category number two? Is it from the big bats and head out
		

			Where is it from the HVAC is, and therefore the hot on the second principle that applies to those
things that which that which we consume, the things that we put in our body is that it is
impermissible. Or we should say rather, everything that is harmful, dangerous, is automatically made
impermissible for us. So I want to add, I says what I tell people to do and full circle, do not kill
or do not hurt, do not harm yourselves. So, as a Muslim, we cannot knowingly harm ourselves. If we
know something will kill us, we're not allowed to take part in it, if we know something will harm
us, or injure us or affect us either psychologically, or affect our bodies. And we know it is
		

			harmful for us. And yes, there's a lot of details to this principle. But this is a principle that we
as Muslims, we're not supposed to indulge or take part in those matters. And I know a lot of you
probably right now are thinking about cigarettes, right? 2030 years ago, the vast majority of our
scholars, if you ask them for a federal regarding cigarettes, they would say it is not how long it
is mccoo right, meaning you're not sinful, but it is something that should be avoided. There's
something which is disliked. Then, as we did more research, and as scientifically and medically, we
found out that cigarettes actually kill you. Because cancer and so on and so forth. The ruling
		

			changed, because the ruling was understanding understood to be Now look, cigarettes can kill you.
And there's a very, very high chance that even if it doesn't kill you, and I always hear the
arguments and had a lot, you may have heard this as well. Someone says, You know, I have an uncle,
who's like 80 years old back home, like in the village or whatever, this dude, he's been smoking his
whole life. Right? He's 80 or 70. And he's as strong as a horse. Right? And how can you say the
cigarettes are how long? The reality is that he may be living and breathing. But it doesn't mean
that he's doing well. If we were to X ray, his lungs, they'd be charged and blacked out. And the way
		

			the quality of his life 100% is extremely compromised. Because of his habit of cigarette smoking.
Yes, not every single person will die within a set amount of years when they smoke. But the vast
majority will and the rulings of Allah subhanaw taala. The rulings of Islam are not built upon the
exceptions, right. So meaning if most people smoke cigarettes, and they'll get cancer, or they'll
get a disease and they'll die. And that's what the shitty eye looks like the shady shady, I didn't
say, look, there's one dude out of a million, who smoked and didn't die and therefore cigarettes are
headed. Right? So once again, those matters, that which those matters that would cause harm to us,
		

			that can kill us. Those are not permissible for us. Principle number three, just like it is
impermissible for us to harm ourselves. Likewise, it is impermissible for us to harm others. Right?
The Prophet said ally said and he said blah, blah, blah. He said there's no causing of harm, nor
reciprocating her on a hardware, that you're not allowed to harm someone nor even some kind of line
cases where someone harms you, you harm them back, harm yourself, you harm another person. This is
something which is not permissible. Now,
		

			when we look at marijuana, and we talk about pots,
		

			we have to take into account these principles. And we have to take into account Yes, the way
marijuana is perceived in our culture, the way marijuana is perceived in the society that we live
in. And yes, you know, we as human beings, we go through waves and cycles.
		

			We can take a look at alcohol, and it's a it's a beautiful, beautiful analogy for marijuana. Because
if you look at American history, there was a time where alcohol itself was banned. Right? The
prohibition Have you ever heard the prohibition? Right? There are people who said look, yeah, a good
number, a good aspect of this society, they enjoy alcohol and helps them socialize and so on and so
forth. But the harms are too much. Right? And so alcohol was banned. And then it went through a
resurgence. Then the prohibition went away. And then alcohol was accepted, and went through a time
where alcohol was not only considered acceptable, it was encouraged and it became part of our
		

			culture and society and so on and so forth. And now we're kind of at the place where people are
starting to doubt their views on alcohol. So now people are taking a look at marijuana and they're
saying look at marijuana went through a cycle, right? For a good portion of history, American
history, you know, in the last 100 years or so.
		

			Marijuana had a very
		

			strong push. there's a there's a lot of propaganda that made marijuana to be the worst thing in the
world. Right? And so in that propaganda works so well, that people couldn't see that alcohol is far
far far, far more dangerous and more life threatening than marijuana. Right? So marijuana went
through that as well, it was viewed as being something completely negative. And then what happened?
Well, then people started to say, well, marijuana is actually not that bad, and there's benefits and
so on and so forth. And now we're living in a time where marijuana is making a resurgence, right,
it's being made legal, and this and that, and it's even becoming more and more socially acceptable.
		

			And people aren't have started to look down upon alcohol, right. So it goes through waves, this is
the society this is this is the way culture works. But us as Muslims, we are supposed to have our
morals and our ideals fixed. We are not like a tree that is dead on the inside, that has no roots in
the ground that doesn't have any principles. A tree that doesn't have any has worked very weak
roots, the wind will blow in one direction, and it will blow it in this way. The wind would blow in
another direction, it will blow it in the other way. I'm listening is supposed to be like a tree,
the roots of it are firm, they're grounded. So now so no matter what is happening in society and
		

			culture, no matter what waves, we are going through, that we as Muslims, we know and we understand
our principles. So if we're talking about alcohol, and when people were saying you know, alcohol is
actually good for you and and and alcohol has benefits and helps you socialize and whatever, and
therefore it should be made legal and all that kind of stuff. I must have been should have known
that a lot of spinal adatto has already told the profits I send them. Yes, I don't know. Yeah. And
humbly one may assume that they asked you or wear helmets, I send them about gamma alcohol and
gambling. couldn't say say to them, female Islam, Caballero, a woman up here, does say that within
		

			them, there is a great amount of sin, there's a great amount of problems. Woman Oh isn't really
nice. And also there is benefit for mankind. So and this is a point I know a lot of your eyes and
speakers always bring up right where they're like, Look, as Muslims. Allah has already told us
there's benefits in alcohol. But Allah has told us that there are there's a great amount of sin and
problems and harm in alcohol. What is muma acabado Min neferet Hema, the harms of it, the sin of it
far outweighs any benefit, there is an alcohol, right? And so now as a Muslim, regardless of what's
happening, in terms of is alcohol legal or not? Is it socially acceptable or not? It doesn't matter,
		

			because our foundation is firm.
		

			Likewise, when it comes to marijuana, regardless of how society feels about it, regardless of its
legalization, and so on and so forth.
		

			As a Muslim, in terms of look, is this something which falls into category number one, the highlight
for you? Or is this something which falls into the cover
		

			and the hat on, right? And for us, it's you know, alcohol 135 for us alcohol, because it makes so
many things easy for us. As soon as the discussion starts, are started. And by the way that the
discussion on marijuana is not a new discussion. Even TV on data hundreds of years ago has a long
discussion on something very, very similar to marijuana. So people will say like this is a modern
day problems. It's not a modern day problem. This has been happening for a long time. And so this is
not something new to our scholars. And so our scholars mentioned that alcohol is a wonderful example
given by love's predator, because it encompasses so many different things. I know when we think of
		

			alcohol, we think of beer and wine and vodka and so on and so forth. Right? But actually, alcohol or
Hummer, as it is called an Arabic or as as it is referred to by Allah, Allah to Allah in the crowd
and the similar prices and then it's not called alcohol it's called Hummer. And a lot of data leave
it at that. alongside of Allah actually told us what karma is, by sending the prophets I send them
the prophets I send them he said, Allah himuro Maha Moroccan. He said hello, is that which the foggs
the mind
		

			the hammer once again, and hemangioma hammer an apple hammer is
		

			That was before the mind so anything any substance any liquid whatever it may be that be foggy our
mind shut off. It is considered what
		

			is considered what? Alcohol right and that's why and another idea person them said couldn't lose
Kirin Hummer. Welcome to hamrun Hara. He said every Miskin, every intoxicant. Anything that would
intoxicate you is hum, it couldn't always get in Hama or couldn't do hammer and hammer. every type
of intoxicants is considered a hammer. And every hammer is what hot on. So it's not about the
specific intoxication. I know this is where people have a problem when you draw an analogy between
alcohol and pie, right? People say, look, we're not when somebody who's drunk, right, they behave
very differently, to the way they behave when they're high. It's not about the type of intoxication,
		

			it's about the fact that they're intoxicated. Right. So one of the one of the things that I hear a
lot from a lot of young people is that they say, you know, you can't drive when you're drunk. But
you know, you can smoke you can you can drive when you're high.
		

			And I'm like, that makes me think of it. That means one of two things, either number one, it tells
me that you've never smoked pot, right? or
		

			right.
		

			Or it tells me that you have smoked pot, but you never tried driving. Right? So, yes, the type of
driving is different, right? So what happens when you drive and you're high, right? Obviously,
people are affected by marijuana in different ways. Some people get more paranoid, and some people
get more of this and down or whatever. Obviously, there's different types of highs. But the point is
that, here's that here's a common example of what can happen when somebody is high, and they get
into the car, right? They get into their car. I mean, they're bait, right? They get into the car,
and they pull onto the highway. The speed limit, is if you're in this area, let's say they're on
		

			495. The speed limit is what speed limit Qt five, right? 55, meaning most people in Maryland,
Virginia drive What?
		

			86?
		

			I'm not gonna say that. But
		

			70 is that fair?
		

			60 to 70, let's just say, all right, 70, or let's say 10 miles over, right. So 64 stay under the 10
miles, right.
		

			That's the that's the average speed limit. So as long as there's no traffic, you know, cars are
zooming by at 65 miles an hour. And, and my homie gets in the car. He's baked, and he pulls on to
the highway, and what's happening for him, everything is slowed down, right, his perception is
extremely altered. So he's in the car, and I've actually,
		

			someone has told me
		

			personally
		

			experienced this firsthand, right, you're in the car, and you're driving, and you're your senses,
sometimes your senses get heightened. And so even 10 miles an hour feels very fast. So the persons
in in the left lane, right, do it 15 miles an hour, and they're like, Oh, my God, I'm going so fast
right now. Right? And is that a hazard? Of course, it's a hazard. Right? Also, you know, when when a
person is is high, and as I said, people are affected in different ways to get, you know, different
highs. But some people get very focused, when they're high, they focus on certain things, right. And
they don't like obsess on certain on certain things. So one brother told me like, if he's driving,
		

			and he's high, he can hear that the tire on the pavement. And he's like, man, can you hear that?
Like the tires like rolling around and around around? So is that different? Is that different than
being drunk? Uh, yes, it is different. But is there any question that the person is intoxicated? No,
there's no question. Right? So the intoxication is there. Like I said, the only issue is that people
sometimes they say the intoxication, because it's not the same type of intoxication, as alcohol will
say, Oh, it's not come up. But Shut up. I'm there is no distinction between the type of intoxication
The only question is, does this matter? intoxicate us or not? That is the question that we should be
		

			asking when it comes to when we're looking at marijuana when looking at pot. You know, this is this
is the question. And for me, after dealing with this issue for quite a long time, I used to teach a
class called the fifth of Chilean, in which we talked about drugs and alcohol and so on and so
forth. And I taught that class for about, like 234 years. And, you know, I learned a lot about
speaking about marijuana and like the science of it, and you know, like the neurological studies and
so on and so forth. And I always had a person who would come
		

			To me and say, You know why, but it's not that bad. Right? Like, I'll be okay. Right? Like, I know
myself, like, I'll be okay, I'll be fine and so on and so forth. Putting the principle of that which
is out I'm in a large amount is how I'm in a small amount not configurable. I don't know how I'm
putting that principle aside for a second, right? But someone says, I'm okay, I can function I'll be
alright. You know, it's, it's not a big deal or whatever.
		

			For me, after talking about marijuana for so long, the more important question for me became not
giving the ruling, right, because if you want a ruling, I mean, let's just be real, you'd like log
on and ask the biggest chef in the world shake Google, right. And chef Google's home, he will spit
out plenty of rulings for you, whatever ruling you want, you want it to be harder for us to go hook
you up. You want it to be hot. Obviously, Google will hook you up with a hot aisle ruling. It's all
up to you. Right. So the question is not about finding a ruling. And that's not really why I came
here today to once again, yeah, I wanted to give you some background in terms of like where this
		

			really comes from. But for me, the bigger issue is, what is happening on a psychological, emotional,
and spiritual level, when we feel the need,
		

			or we have the desire to justify smoking pot, or justify being involved in any drug really, for that
matter. Even music, which I'm not here to talk about music, and I know people love talking about the
permissibility of music, and so on so forth. And I used to talk about that, right? How does music,
how music is how all that kind of stuff. And then once again, I came to the conclusion after
speaking for so long, that look, is it possible.
		

			And I think most Muslims can agree. This is where you know, regardless of the of the of the ruling
of music, or pot or whatever it may be, I think most Muslims can agree that there are negative
effects. And some of the effects are extremely negative. Right? We're talking about music, there are
types of music, that the message itself is a toxic, poisonous message, not only for us, but for our
children, for our families, for our for our women, for our men, for everybody. Right? We know that
there regardless of the regardless of the ruling, I'm not talking about the ruling here. We know
that the culture of the music industry, we know the culture, of pop music, and so on and so forth,
		

			is a culture that is in antithesis to our culture as Muslims, do we understand that I think we all
understand that. Right? But we get caught up on so and so set its head on, and therefore I will
indulge. So for me, the better question is ask yourself, this matter? What is the real reason that
we feel so inclined to try and justify it? And that's why for me when somebody comes to me and says,
You know,
		

			I am struggling with marijuana or I'm struggling with music, I'm friendly with this or that or
whatever. Like, I know it's hot. Um, I know, it's bad, but I'm struggling. And I'm having a
difficult time giving up mad respect to this person. All right, I can I can empathize. I can love
this person for the sake of amongst fellow tiada. Because I know that there's, at least they're
trying. So that person compared to somebody who says no, no, no, no, it's actually Hello. You know,
so and so somewhere, whatever. And not only in a lot of times when people quote mission is to say so
and so says add on, they'll take their quote, they'll take their photo away out of context, right?
		

			They'll be like, Oh, shit, so and so said that musical instruments or header or certain types of
music, meaning all musics had, right? Regardless of how sexist or or whatever this music is,
regardless of the profanity and the messenger, what does it have? Because so and so said its header.
Right? And that's a disservice to the person that you're conveying from. Right? So once again, the
question that I blend in so for me, the issue of marijuana issue, all of this stuff, all of the
matters, that even even head on matters of entertainment, even something like
		

			consumerism, and materialism, to to to buy stuff to feel better, right? This is not something which
is wrong. A lot has made it permissible for us to enjoy things in life, right allies, creative
things, it is normal, completely normal for us to buy things and like buying things and having nice
things completely normal. But if it gets to a point where we are filling in a void in our life, a
spiritual void with material things, that that's what is problematic when we are compromising our
relationship with Allah to Allah because of material things or because of drugs.
		

			As an alcohol because of whatever
		

			we're compromising our relationship with a lot worse, we're filling that spiritual void with and we
all had a lot we pick something right. And it's easy to point fingers and I know sometimes we look
at certain sins and it's easy to point fingers. Now you see somebody smoking pot, you're like a hot
bad Muslim. Right? Why? Because that's visual, you can see it. But everyone has we all have our
issues. We're all struggling. We're all trying to get closer to Allah, Allah to Allah. But once
again, the question should go back to our spirituality. The question of what am I what is the real
reason what hole in my life? Am I trying to feel even this how long relationship
		

			which I'm not here to talk about relationships, but even the * out of relationship? I think most
Muslims are a lot of Muslims, when they're in a hot tub relationship, they know they're in a hot
relationship. You don't have to go to a talk where a chef says, Oh, it's Hi, Guys and girls can't be
friends and you know, this gender interaction and listen out or whatever. Like, I don't think most
of us need to hear that. Because they already know, they already know.
		

			But the question is, if I'm willing to put myself in this situation, if I'm willing to say, you
know, I know I'm not really supposed to be doing this, or this can be dangerous or whatever, but I'm
in love. I like this person, inshallah, one day, I'm going to marry her. Right? Actually, most for
guys, it's not even that right? among mistime girls, you know, give girls the benefit of doubt girls
who are in a relationship in Jolo town are thinking, yeah, the person has the intention to marry me
that it will eventually become something.
		

			Right? Why are we willing to compromise that because there is a need that's not being fulfilled? We
may be seeking some satisfaction, we're seeking some approval, we need something to make us feel
better. Maybe there's a problem in our self esteem. Versus maybe there's a problem, how we feel
about ourselves, and we need to be dating this girl or dating this guy to feel better about
ourselves. We need to smoke pot to feel better about ourselves. There's just one standard comedian
not gonna say Who? And I'll end with this a gentleman
		

			who said and I'm gonna paraphrase, right, because I'm not a comedian. And he used a lot of
profanity, right. So
		

			so one of the things he said and one of his acts, he said, he said, he said, The wonderful thing
		

			about pie is that it doesn't matter what's happening in your life. Right? You could be like, going
through a really bad time, right? Like you haven't paid rent. They're about to take away your car,
right? You lost your job, whatever. But you just sit back
		

			and relax, right? In that moment. Nothing matters, right? And as Muslims of Atala, that should scare
us, that we are we are willing to close our eyes to the reality of the world around us. So once
again, I'm not really here to talk about the hideout and how long, right? Because honestly, we can
sit and argue that all day, and I've had this argument in my class, as someone who would say, well,
pot, you know, if you look at this aspect of pot, and this and that, or whatever, you know, there's
this Fetzer from this scholar, and so on and so forth. And so for me, like my goal with young
Muslims, specifically, is for them to get past just the fifth rulings, because we I think we've done
		

			enough of that. There's plenty of lectures where people have said, this is not on and this is not
whatever, that's and you know, and that does for me, like even spiritually, only focusing on the
room itself, can be harmful as well. Because not only you know, maybe we have the confidence, maybe
we have the willpower, we have the strength of human to say, Look, I'm gonna cut this out of my
life, right? Like someone says, I don't listen to music 100 and I'm a good Muslim or whatever.
Because they have that. They're they have that willpower. Sometimes they will look at other people
and judge them by their own standards, right? So hey, I could quit, why can't you quit? Right? Well,
		

			the reality is once again, that it is about our struggle, in worshipping amongst our tiada. And
worshipping a lot is a struggle and it is supposed to be a struggle. It is not supposed to be easy.
It is supposed to be comforting. It is supposed to bring ease to our heart, it is supposed to bring
us is supposed to fill our spiritual void, but it is not supposed to be easy. That's a big
misconception. Right? And there's the number of precedents that Edina use or that the religion is
ease. Some people interpret that to say that Islam is supposed to be easy. Meaning if there's
something in Islam that I don't find to be easy, I don't have to do it. Right. That is not what I
		

			meant. When I said I meant is that if a person were to submit, the way Allahu Allah to Allah has
instructed us to submit, then they would find a type of ease that goes beyond their physical self.
That their body can be in pain. They can be struggling, they can even be stressed out. Right? But
there's so will be at ease. Think of
		

			companions of the Prophet send them? Do you think they lived an easy life? If you read the stories
and hear the stories, they live lives far beyond the amount of difficulty that we can even imagine.
But tell me of a companion, who said that I'm not happy that I'm not okay. Tell me of a companion
who knows. They're about to go into a battle. And they know they're about to face the most difficult
thing they've ever faced in their life, their companions who would leave their houses and they would
think to themselves, I've maybe I will never see my family again. Maybe I will never see my children
again. Do you think that's easy?
		

			That's not easy.
		

			But ask them if they would reconsider. Ask them maybe you want to change your mind? They would say
no.
		

			Because they knew the ease and the comfort of the soul that is not embrace. And for us, like I said,
all of these issues, whenever they you know, every day, there's a new issue, right? Is this and so
forth? Our question should be, where am I would have loved this color to add on? How what spiritual
implications does this have on me? And for me, as I said, that is a far more productive discussion
than simply getting a photo and then hammering people on the head with those Federalists, right?
We've been doing that, by the way, my experience for over a decade, Muslims in America, we've been
doing that for a decade, and I'm sorry, but it's not working. Because someone who already is
		

			convinced has convinced us slamming a fatwa in their head is not going to do anything. As a matter
of fact, it's gonna make them actually run away. Right. And that's why if you look at the character
that I sent them, it was extremely gentle. The way the President would convey the rulings of almost
blank out it was agenda, it was extremely gentle way. We all know the story of the man who came for
him. And he said, O Messenger of Allah make it hard for me to have * outside of marriage. Right?
How does the President deal with this person?
		

			These are human beings, right? They had desires just like we have desires. The President didn't
curse him and tell him like, don't you know, the ruling, you're going to disobey? I was trying to
get out of here. I said, I'm counseled him. And that's why for me like a lot of these issues, you
know, and that's why even for today, I just wanted it to be kind of like a counseling session.
Right. But a lot of these issues, they need counseling, they don't need Federalists, right? And so
my advice before I let you go and shout out to Adam, is that if you're struggling, whether it be
marijuana, anything else, any sin any anything that you're struggling with, instead of going and
		

			just looking for a fight or right go get counseling, speak to someone who can talk to you counsel,
you someone who can mentor you, somebody can really talk to you about what you're really going
through rather than just a simple photo. And finally to Allah knows best satanic Allah Homo behenic
a shadow Allah.
		

			Stop Furukawa to be like to Sara worry, como la Hey,