#Al-Bukhari

[mindofserenity]

[xtruss]

The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him!

[sakinah-in-islam]

SAKINAH IN ISLAM

الذكر بعد الفراغ من الوضوء

Upon completing the ablution

اللّهُـمَّ اجْعَلنـي مِنَ التَّـوّابينَ وَاجْعَـلْني مِنَ المتَطَهّـرين I O Allah, make me among those who turn to You in repentance, and make me among those who are purified.

Reference: At-Tirmidhi 1/78. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At- Tirmidhi 1/18

[lagtrovert]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"Affliction will continue to trouble the believers, men and women, in their bodies, their families, and their property; (and it acts as expiation for them) until they meet Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, while there is no sin remaining on them."

[Al-Adab Al-Mufrad no. 494]

[hadeth]

عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الزَّمَانُ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ، السَّنَةُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ، ثَلاَثَةٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمُ، وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَانَ ‏"‏‏.‏ صحيح البخاري ومسلم حديث ٣١٩٧ - ١٦٧٩

Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said. "The division of time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah created the Heavens and the Earths. The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred: Three are in succession Dhul-Qa' da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (the tribe of) Mudar which comes between Jumadi-ath-Thaniyah and Shaban." ahih al-Bukhari 3197 In-book reference : Book 59, Hadith 8 // Sahih Muslim 1679a In-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 42

﴿إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَهۡرࣰا فِی كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ یَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰ⁠تِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۡهَاۤ أَرۡبَعَةٌ حُرُمࣱۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلدِّینُ ٱلۡقَیِّمُۚ فَلَا تَظۡلِمُوا۟ فِیهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمۡۚ وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِینَ كَاۤفَّةࣰ كَمَا یُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ كَاۤفَّةࣰۚ وَٱعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِینَ﴾ [التوبة ٣٦]

وَقَوْلُهُ ﷺ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: " إِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يوم خلق الله السموات وَالْأَرْضَ"، تَقْرِيرٌ مِنْهُ، صَلَوَات اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَتَثْبِيتٌ لِلْأَمْرِ عَلَى مَا جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي أَوَّلِ الْأَمْرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَقْدِيمٍ وَلَا تَأْخِيرٍ، وَلَا زِيَادَةٍ وَلَا نَقْصٍ، وَلَا نَسِيءٍ وَلَا تَبْدِيلٍ، كَمَا قَالَ فِي تَحْرِيمِ مَكَّةَ: "إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ"، وَهَكَذَا قَالَ هَاهُنَا: "إِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ" أَيْ: الْأَمْرُ الْيَوْمَ شَرْعًا كَمَا ابْتَدَأَ اللَّهُ ذلك في كتابه يوم خلق السموات وَالْأَرْضَ. وَقَدْ قَالَ بَعْضُ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ وَالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ عَلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ: إِنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ: "قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات وَالْأَرْضَ"، أَنَّهُ اتَّفَقَ أَنَّ حَجَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي تِلْكَ السَّنَةِ فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، وَأَنَّ الْعَرَبَ قَدْ كَانَتْ نَسَأَتِ النَّسِيءَ، يَحُجُّونَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ السِّنِينَ، بَلْ أَكْثَرِهَا، فِي غَيْرِ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، ....

وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ﴾ فَهَذَا مِمَّا كَانَتِ الْعَرَبُ أَيْضًا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ(١٢) تُحَرِّمُهُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِ جُمْهُورُهُمْ، إِلَّا طَائِفَةً مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُمُ: "البَسْل"، كَانُوا يُحَرِّمُونَ مِنَ السَّنَةِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، تَعَمُّقًا وَتَشْدِيدًا. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: "ثَلَاثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ: ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمُ، وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَانَ، [فَإِنَّمَا أَضَافَهُ إِلَى مُضَرَ، لِيُبَيِّنَ صِحَّةَ قَوْلِهِمْ فِي رَجَبٍ أَنَّهُ الشَّهْرُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَانَ](١٣) لَا كَمَا كَانَتْ تَظُنُّهُ رَبِيعَةُ مِنْ أنَّ رَجَبَ الْمُحَرَّمَ هُوَ الشَّهْرُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ شَعْبَانَ وَشَوَّالٍ، وَهُوَ رَمَضَا��ُ الْيَوْمَ، فَبَيَّنَ، عَلَيْهِ [الصَّلَاةُ وَ](١٤) السَّلَامُ، أَنَّهُ رَجَبُ مُضَرَ لَا رَجَبُ رَبِيعَةَ. وَإِنَّمَا كَانَتِ الْأَشْهُرُ الْمُحَرَّمَةُ أَرْبَعَةٌ، ثَلَاثَةٌ سَرْدٌ وَوَاحِدٌ فَرْدٌ؛ لِأَجْلِ أَدَاءِ مَنَاسِكِ الْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ، فَحَرُمَ قَبْلَ شَهْرِ الْحَجِّ شَهْرٌ، وَهُوَ ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ يَقْعُدُونَ فِيهِ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ، وحُرِّم شَهْرُ ذِي ال��حِجَّةِ لِأَنَّهُمْ يُوقِعُونَ فِيهِ الْحَجَّ وَيَشْتَغِلُونَ فِيهِ بِأَدَاءِ الْمَنَاسِكِ، وَحَرُمَ بَعْدَهُ شَهْرٌ آخَرُ، وَهُوَ الْمُحَرَّمُ؛ لِيَرْجِعُوا فِيهِ إِلَى نَائِي أَقْصَى بِلَادِهِمْ آمِنِينَ، وَحَرُمَ رَجَبُ فِي وَسَطِ الْحَوْلِ، لِأَجْلِ زِيَارَةِ الْبَيْتِ وَالِاعْتِمَارِ بِهِ، لِمَنْ يَقْدُمُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَقْصَى جَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ، فَيَزُورُهُ ثُمَّ يَعُودُ إِلَى وَطَنِهِ فِيهِ آمِنًا.

وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ﴾ أَيْ: هَذَا هُوَ الشَّرْعُ الْمُسْتَقِيمُ، مِنِ امْتِثَالِ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ فِيمَا جَعَلَ مِنَ الْأَشْهُرِ الْحُرُمِ، والحَذْو بِهَا عَلَى مَا سَبَقَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ الْأَوَّلِ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ: فِي هَذِهِ الْأَشْهُرِ الْمُحَرَّمَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ آكَدُ وَأَبْلَغُ فِي الْإِثْمِ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا، كَمَا أَنَّ الْمَعَاصِيَ فِي الْبَلَدِ الْحَرَامِ تُضَاعَفُ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَمَنْ يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾ [الْحَجِّ: ٢٥] وَكَذَلِكَ الشَّهْرُ الْحَرَامُ تَغْلُظُ فِيهِ الْآثَامُ؛ وَلِهَذَا تَغْلُظُ فِيهِ الدِّيَةُ فِي مَذْهَبِ الشَّافِعِيِّ، وَطَائِفَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ، وَكَذَا فِي حَقِّ مَنْ قَتَلَ فِي الْحَرَمِ أَوْ قَتَلَ ذَا مَحْرَمٍ. وَقَالَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ مِهْران، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، فِي قَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ قَالَ: فِي الشُّهُورِ كُلِّهَا. وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عباس قوله: ﴿إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا﴾ الْآيَةَ ﴿فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ فِي كلِّهن، ثُمَّ اخْتَصَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ فَجَعَلَهُنَّ حَرَامًا، وعَظم حُرُماتهن، وَجَعَلَ الذَّنْبَ فِيهِنَّ أَعْظَمَ، وَالْعَمَلَ الصَّالِحَ وَالْأَجْرَ أَعْظَمَ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: ﴿فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ إِنَّ الظُّلْمَ فِي الْأَشْهُرِ الْحُرُمِ أَعْظَمُ خَطِيئَةً وَوِزْرًا، مِنَ الظُّلْمِ فِيمَا سِوَاهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ الظُّلْمُ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ عَظِيمًا، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُعَظِّمُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ. قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى صَفَايا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، اصْطَفَى مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ رُسُلًا وَاصْطَفَى مِنَ الْكَلَامِ ذِكْرَه، وَاصْطَفَى مِنَ الْأَرْضِ الْمَسَاجِدَ، وَاصْطَفَى مِنَ الشهور رمضان والأشهر الحرم، وَاصْطَفَى مِنَ الْأَيَّامِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَاصْطَفَى مِنَ اللَّيَال��ي لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ، فَعَظِّموا مَا عَظَّمَ اللَّهُ، فَإِنَّمَا تُعَظم الْأُمُورُ(١٥) بِمَا عَظَّمَهَا اللَّهُ بِهِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْفَهْمِ وَأَهْلِ الْعَقْلِ. وَقَالَ الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ: بِأَلَّا تُحَرِّمُوهُنَّ كَحُرْمَتِهِنَّ(١٦) وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: ﴿فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ أَيْ: لَا تَجْعَلُوا حَرَامَهَا حَلَالًا وَلَا حَلَالَهَا حَرَامًا، كَمَا فَعَلَ أَهْلُ الشِّرْكِ، فَإِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ ﴿يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا﴾ الْآيَةَ [التَّوْبَةِ: ٣٧] . وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ اخْتِيَارُ ابْنِ جَرِيرٍ. تفسير ابن كثير

Hadith Translation/ Explanation : English French Spanish Turkish Urdu Indonesian Bosnian Russian Bengali Chinese Persian Tagalog Indian Sinhalese Kurdish Hausa : https://hadeethenc.com/en/browse/hadith/10104

[muslimah255]

From Sahih al-Bukhari

[waytoislam]

[laanam]

‏ مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ ‏

"Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven."

— Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

[voiceoffaith]

Let's learn from Sahih Al-Bukhari's 'The Book of Knowledge' together! In this video, we'll talk about Hadiths 1 to 7 in English. Join Voice Of Faith as we explore Islamic teachings and grow together in understanding. #SahihAlBukhari #HadithTranslation #IslamicBelief #FaithJourney #MuslimCommunity #IslamicTeachings #VoiceOfFaith #hadiths #hadith #Allah #Islam #islamicteachings #Quran #ProphetMuhammad

[islam-ique]

The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “Shall I tell you a sentence from the treasure of Paradise? (it is) La haul a wala quwwata illa billah”

 = There is no might or power except with Allah

[quarn-sunnah]

S

[sakinah-in-islam]

SAKINAH IN ISLAM

الذكر بعد الفراغ من الوضوء Upon completing the ablution

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَريـكَ لَـهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمّـداً عَبْـدُهُ وَرَسـولُـه I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.

Reference: Muslim 1/209.

[lagtrovert]

Narrated Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"Take refuge with Allah from the difficulties of severe calamities, from having an evil end and a bad fate and from the malicious joy of your enemies."

[Sahih al-Bukhari 6616]

[travelingprincess]

Advice to One Who Feels Irredeemable After Major Sins

﷽

Did you know, sister? The Muslim is not allowed to despair in the mercy of Allah.

Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.

—Qur'an (Yusuf) 12:87

As for suicide, you are correct. This is categorically forbidden.

And do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction.

—Qur'an (al-Baqarah) 2:195

So glad tidings to the believers, who know they have a merciful Lord who forgives them! :)

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

—Qu'ran (az-Zumar) 39:53

I was listening to a lecture by a student of knowledge not too long ago and he mentioned something that I found amazing, regarding the devil's deception:

He is the one who, when it's time to commit a sin, whispers to you, "It's okay—we'll just repent for it later!"

However, once you've committed the sin, he pulls a pikachu face and makes you think, "Oh no, what have I done?! How will Allah ever forgive me for this disgusting act of transgression I've committed?! I can never be forgiven!"

And so in this way, he traps you into a mindset that ensures you will never turn to Allah and be forgiven, because you don't ask for it. SO many ayat and ahadith explain to us how Allah is only waiting for his slaves to turn to him. That is the only delay. Forgiveness is assured, the hold up is just in our turning to Allah.

And don't think for a second you're the only one who has gone through what you're going through, or sinned as you have. Indeed it is in human nature to sin, and the sins of desires are the easiest of all for us, because of the inclinations inherent in each of us.

With that said, just turn to Allah. :) It doesn't matter how ashamed you feel—in fact, it's good to feel regret since that helps to fuel a sincere repentance. But what makes you delay in seeking forgiveness? Do you think Allah doesn't already know what you've done? Of course he does. So repent to Him and show your sincerity in coming to the right path.

And this isn’t really me, I just feel that way because I feel so impure.

It is okay to feel regret; it is not okay to despair, or to feel that your mistakes define who you are. They do not.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The adulterer is not a believer while he is committing adultery. The drinker of wine is not a believer while he is drinking wine. The thief is not a believer while he is stealing. The plunderer is not a believer while he is plundering and the people are looking to him.”

In another narration, the Prophet said, “And he is not a believer while he is killing.”

—Sahih al-Bukhari 2343, Sahih Muslim 57

I'm sharing this to draw your attention to the wording of the hadith, specifically (which I've emphasized for your benefit). While you were sinning, you may have been impure, yes, but you are not currently sinning, alhamdulillah. You are begging Allah for forgiveness, and this is something the believer does and the believer is pure.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "All of the children of Adam are sinners, and the best sinners are those who repent."

—Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2499

So the condition of the believer is like that.

It’s gotten to the point where salah isn’t even helping.

Another trick of the Shaiytaan. He hopes to distract you and cause you enough hopelessness that you turn away from Salah, which would be a greater sin than the one you're discussing in this post.

Let me repeat that: LEAVING OFF SALAH IS A GREATER SIN THAN ZINA.

'Abdullah bin Buraidah narrated that his father said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.'"

—Sunan Ibn Majah 1079

Salah will help 100%, you just have to keep at it so Shaiytaan can see that his antics aren't working. Who is more truthful? Shaiytaan, the consummate liar and enemy of the believers, or Allah, The Most High?

"Verily, Salah restrains (oneself) from shameful and unjust deeds…"

—Qur'an (al-'Ankabut) 29:45

You went on to mention:

I just feel like I’ve failed as a Muslim and I’ve failed in life.

As mentioned above, the Muslim is the one who turns to Allah again and again. So do that. You are not your past. You are what you do about it. So turn to Allah and He will forgive you. We have countless ahadith and ayat about Allah forgiving MUCH worse than what you've done.

Even to Fir'aun, who is among the worst of the people in all of creation, who will be in the depths of the Hellfire, Allah sent his noble prophet Musa (alayhisalaam)��to do what?

"And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]."

—Qur'an (Taha) 20:44

Subhanallah, a great Prophet was sent to Fir'aun so that he might repent for his sin of associating himself as a partner with Allah. And if Fir'aun had not been arrogant and accepted the message, begging Allah for forgiveness, Allah would have forgiven even him!

So give yourself a little perspective. It is not the end of the world. Yes, it's a major sin and you fell into it. Many, many, many people do. Upon us is to turn to Allah and ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart, to not return to the sin, and to busy ourselves with goodness instead.

And Allah knows best.

[muslimah255]

From Sahih al-Bukhari

[everythingkashmir]

Hell in Paradise

By Faisul Yaseen

On a chilly December morning, something took over J, a young baker in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district as he went on a rampage, killing his mother and two others, and leaving his father and five others injured.

“He started attacking everyone ferociously like a bear. I don’t know what happened to him. It was as if he turned mad. He even attacked me and dragged his mother along and killed her too,” J’s father says, unable to come to the grips of the tragedy that has befallen the family.

As the cold winter paved way for the blooming spring, it was déjà vu.

This time another son went bizarre in north Kashmir’s Sopore area when he strangled his mother to death.

Rewind to the blazing autumn, and we see the same tragic events unfold in Kehribal village of Anantnag.

A son, along with his friend, tried to snatch money from his mother, resulting in an argument between the mother and the son.

Infuriated, the son beats and punches his mother forcefully, resulting in her fall inside the kitchen of their house.

With the help of his friend, the son brings a big stone and hits it on his mother’s head, leaving her dead.

The heartrending story is played over and again.

What toxicity is in the air?

All the three sons involved in the gruesome murder of their mothers are said to be involved in substance abuse.

Professor at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Kashmir, Dr Arshad Hussain says that though substance abuse is associated with harm to self in most instances, in some circumstances it is associated with violence to others.

“Most of the research done in the field does conclude that substance use like alcohol and cannabis are associated with increased crime rates,” he says. “They are associated with aggression which doesn’t have a stop button as drugs cut the brakes in our frontal lobes which otherwise modulate our behaviours. Rising crime rates and accidents are indirect heinous costs of rising substance use.”

*****

Narcotics is the third largest business in the world with a turnover of 500 billion US dollars, and, according to the latest World Drug Report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), some 35 million people globally are suffering from drug use disorders.

In Kashmir too, drug addiction is becoming a rampant phenomenon, bringing other associated crimes along.

According to the ‘The National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India’, one million people in a population of 12.5 million in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen to the menace of drug addiction.

What lures people in Kashmir to substance abuse?

“Various factors,” says Prof Aneesa Shafi, Head of the Sociology Department of the University of Kashmir (KU).

“Our value system getting weak, global connectivity, media, restricted entertainment sources, peer pressure, easy access to drugs, and shrinking space for expression are some factors that push people to substance abuse,” she says.

Those indulging in drug addiction mention other factors too.

K, who is in his early twenties, says that in his teens, he used to be distressed due to the expectations of his parents of excelling at studies and would often remain confined to his room.

“To complicate matters, the girl I loved turned me down,” he says.

Unable to deal with rejection and failure to shine at studies, K was drowning in the pool of depression when a friend suggested trying cannabis.

“It gave me a high,” he says. “I was hooked.”

Within sometime, K began trying other drugs like heroin that completely derailed his life.

Soon, he was a school dropout.

*****

The substance abuse in pop culture too has impacted the lives of youth.

With easy access to Over The Top (OTT) media platforms on their mobile phones, some substance abusers say that popular Hollywood movies like ‘Train Spotting’, ‘Pulp Fiction’, and ‘The Basketball Diaries’ and TV shows like ‘Narcos’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ influenced them in doing drugs.

Others say they were swayed by the mention of intoxication in poetry like Allama Iqbal’s couplet, ‘Mai ḳhana-e-Europe ke dastur nirale hain; laate hain surur avval dete hain sharab aḳhir’ or Bashir Badr’s, ‘Na tum hosh main ho na ham hosh main hain; chalo maikade main vahin baat hogi’.

Yet others say they started doing drugs for the exploration of creative processes, something that has been in discourse for long.

Thomas De Quincey’s ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’ published in 1821 had first romanticised the link between intoxicants and artists’ careers in songs, novels, and films.

Head of the Psychiatry Department at Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, Dr Muhammad Maqbool Dar is of the opinion that unregulated media and social media were playing the main role in pushing youth to substance abuse.

“Youth get influenced by what keeps coming on the media and social media over and over,” he says. “More than the influence of drugs in pushing them toward crimes, copycat homicides and copycat suicides are a bigger concern.”

*****

Though the phenomenon of drug addiction in Kashmir has witnessed a surge in recent years, Kashmir has long had its tryst with substance abuse.

Seeing faith healers and traditional musicians in a state of high has been socially acceptable since long.

In their book ‘Dimensions of Drug Abuse in Kashmir: A Study of Anantnag District - A Sociological Perspective’, Shahzad Wani and Pirzada M Amin write that drug abuse has been prevalent in Kashmir society for a long time and functioned as an institution in the form of ‘Takayas’.

‘Takayas’ used to be the havens of cannabis consuming addicts in Kashmir that used to have such social acceptance that people would even send them a share from their feasts.

By the 1990s, the menace of substance abuse had started taking root in Kashmir.

In 1993, Dr Mushtaq A Margoob and Dr K S Dutta set the alarm bells ringing in their report ‘Drug abuse in Kashmir – Experience from a Psychiatric Diseases Hospital’ published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry.

Their report stated that the menace was “touching new heights”, the situation would eventually become “explosive”, and “urgent steps” needed to be taken to curb it before it was too late.

Noted Kashmiri poet, writer, and satirist Zareef Ahmad Zareef blames the political leadership for failing to control the menace of drug addiction in the region.

Giving the example of Mao Zedong, Chinese communist revolutionary leader and founder of the People's Republic of China, Zareef says Zedong eradicated both consumption and production of opium in China during the 1950s.

Under Zedong, 10 million addicts were forced into compulsory treatment, dealers were executed, and new crops planted in opium-producing areas.

*****

The situation regarding substance abuse has gone so bad now that a recent study done by the Psychiatry Department of GMC, Srinagar revealed that Kashmir had surpassed Punjab in drug abuse cases and was currently positioned at number two among top drug abuser regions in India not far behind Northeast.

According to the study, a whopping 33,000 syringes are used to inject heroin by drug abusers in Kashmir every day.

The worrying sign is that most drug abusers are in the age group of 17 to 33 years and unemployed.

The study says that on an average, a single drug abuser spends Rs 88,183 every month on substance abuse.

The COVID-19 pandemic also complicated the matters.

According to doctors, the substance abuse among the addicts increased during the pandemic because of boredom due to lockdown.

With the ‘dark web’, tech-savvy youth have easy access to illicit drugs.

*****

As youth continue to fall into the rabbit hole of substance abuse, calls for awareness and rehabilitation are growing shriller.

A study ‘Drug Addiction Causes and Awareness among people of Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir State’ by Tahira Sidiq, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Nusrat, and Feroz Ahmad Wani in the Saudi Journal of Biomedical Research says that 94.17 percent respondents they surveyed were not aware of the process of drug de-addiction.

The study urges society elders and religious leaders to come forward and support people who want to eliminate drug abuse from J&K.

*****

As drug abusers frequently feel alone and alienated, religion plays a role in providing spiritual assistance and builds their capacity to overcome this problem.

The holy Quran has several references against intoxication.

Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verse 219 states: “They ask you about wine and games of chance. Say: ‘In both these there is great evil, even though there is some benefit for people, but their evil is greater than their benefit.’”

Chapter 4 (An Nisa) Verse 43 states: “Believers! Do not draw near to the Prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying nor while you are defiled - save when you are travelling - until you have washed yourselves.”

Chapter 5 (Al-Maidah), Verses 90-91 state: “O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful. Satan’s plan is to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah and praying. Will you not then abstain?”

There is also mention against intoxication in the Hadith.

Al-Bukhari (4087) and Muslim (1733) narrated that Abu Musa said: “The Prophet (SAW) sent Muadh ibn Jabal and me to Yemen, and I said: O Messenger of Allah, there is a drink that is made in our land and is called al-Mizr, which is made from barley, and another drink called al-Bit, which is made from honey. He said: “Every intoxicant is haram.”

Al-Bukhari (4343) and Muslim (3032) narrated that Ibn Umar said: “I heard Umar say from the minbar of the Messenger of Allah (SAW): “O people, the prohibition of khamr was revealed when khamr was made from five things: grapes, dates, honey, wheat and barley. Khamr is whatever befogs the mind.”

*****

Kashmir lacks proper facilities for rehabilitating drug users and lack of knowledge regarding drug addiction, detoxification, and rehabilitation.

The governmental agencies, educational institutions, NGOs, and other social work organisations need to scale up their awareness programmes.

As some substance abusers die of overdose while some commit suicide when they become hopeless, parent and care knowledge also needs to improve.

Professor in the Department of Psychiatry IMHANS, Kashmir, Dr Yasir Rather says there are Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in all district hospitals of J&K.

“However, there is also a need for long-term rehabilitation centers that would provide comprehensive treatment – a combination of medical, psychological, and social services to help individuals overcome their addiction and regain control of their lives,” he says.

Though the crackdown of law-enforcing agencies’ against drug traffickers has been welcomed, people are also suspicious at times.

When former Punjab chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh spoke about the drug menace in 2018, he told Hindustan Times, “One new source of drugs is Kashmir despite so much security.”

However, SSP J&K Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) Vinay Kumar says that policing related to narcotics and awareness was getting better.

“Every year, we used to register around 22 to 23 cases under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1988, however, in the year 2022 we registered 235 cases under PITNDPSA,” he says.  

Kumar feels that as Police are getting teeth to seize the financial assets and properties of the repeated offender, the results on the ground are getting better.

Stressing that while the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had informed the Lok Sabha that 4.6 percent of J&K population was involved in substance abuse, he says that according to IMHANS, Srinagar, only 2.5 percent of Kashmir population was involved.

Kumar says that the first priority of the Police Department was to take action against those working on the inside of the organisation for drug smugglers.

“Cases have been registered against BSF officials, CRPF officials, and Police officials. Five to six Police officials were chargesheeted in a single case,” he says.

While dealing strongly with drug traffickers is a welcome development, there is a need to treat substance abuse as a disease and drug addicts as diseased, rather than criminals.

*****

L, a youth who has been sober for the past 2 years after being a chronic addict for over 5 years says he owes his recovery to his parents and medics who treated him.

“If my parents wouldn't have been understanding, I would never have been able to come out of this abyss,” L says. “If I could fight addiction, anyone can.” 

Greater Kashmir