Hope for the Muslim Alcoholic By Yunus P

Page no :1Nope
for the
Muslim Alcoholic
Twelve Step Recovery in the Light of Islam
Yunus P

Page no:2Hope
for the
Muslim Alcoholic
Twelve Step Recovery in the Light of Islam
Yunus P
Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd.

Page no:3Contents
Introduction 7
Who is this book for? 7
A message to the family and friends of the alcoholic 8
Structure 9
Section One
Alcoholism and Islam ||
Sinbad: A cautionary tale 11
An Islamic orientation to recovery 14
Being an alcoholic and knowing what that means 16
A way out? From fitnah to fitrah 21
From Jahiliyya to Tawheed 26
A useful metaphor? 28
Embracing reality 30
Section Two
The Road of Recovery 33
Islam as 'capitulation' 33
Willpower or willingness? 39
La ḥawla wa la quwwata illa billah 41
Niya - intention 42
Muhasabat al-nafs - accountability and the examination
of the soul 43
Suggested guide for accountability 46
Casting light on defects and shortcomings before Allah 48 Summary 52
Contents 5

Page no:4something of the conflicted inner state of the alcoholic; a form of 'inner
fenab
The road of recovery-the road from fitnah to fitrah-is concerned with unblocking the conduit through which the healing power of Noor can flow. The solution for the Muslim alcoholic is a spiritual process. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states that the end goal of this spiritual process is to attain to a "Spiritual Awakening"." This "Spiritual Awakening' represents an entirely different condition of being in the world. This can be seen, perhaps, as a form of re-alignment with fitrah, the natural condition of the human being in relation to his or
her Creator
From Jahiliyya to Tawheed
In Islamic teaching, Jahiliyya refers to the age of ignorance before the coming of Islam as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); a time where tribalism, racism, female infanticide, mistreatment of slaves and women and idol worship led to deep inequality and injustice in society.
In the contemporary Islamic sense, Jahiliyya rears its head as anything that causes us to perpetrate injustice whether to ourselves or in society. This results from having moved Allah from the central position in our life and succumbing to the whisperings of Shaytan. The only power retained by Shaytan is that which Allah has allowed him, so while we must take the whisperings of Shaytan seriously as per the Qur'anic warning:
Shaytan is an outright enemy to man. (Surah al-Isra 17:53)
18 Step 12 of the AA program states: "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps". Alcoholics Anonymous p.60. Note that it states the result, not a result, implying that the purpose of the Twelve Steps is to attain to a spiritual awakening
Hope for the Westin calic: Twelve Step Recovery in the Light of lam
the implication is that the whisperings of Shaytan have a place in Allah's overall plan and a purpose which is ultimately part of that plan. Shaytan has no power independent of Allah:
He has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. (Surah an-Nahl 16:99)
For the alcoholic, the whisperings of Shaytan are designed to elicit despair, hopelessness, guilt and shame. The alcoholic, listening to the whispers of Shaytan, becomes overwhelmed by self-pity focused on the wretchedness, unworthiness and despair promulgated by Shaytan. Additionally, he or she becomes resentful of the perceived restrictions on his freedom. He 'forgets his status as slave. Driven by self-pity and resentment, the alcoholic partakes of the haram, just as Adam disobeyed Allah and ate of the forbidden fruit, both encouraged by the whispered, empty lies of Iblis.
The ruh (spirit) breathed into Adam (peace be upon him) by Allah, constitutes the true self. This ruh is suppressed by the action of alcohol, which in turn inflates the nafs. This chain of events is precipitated by the whisperings of Shaytan which seek to convince the alcoholic that he has a 'right' to drink alcohol, that he or she has a 'right' to the perceived pleasure and relief it promises. Furthermore, alcohol disinhibits. It permits behaviour which might otherwise be unacceptable to the individual. This compounds the guilt and shame experienced by the drinker when the effects of alcohol subside.
But Adam's (peace be upon him) disobedience differed in one crucial way from Iblis's arrogant refusal to bow down before Allah's creation. Adam was repentant. Adam held himself accountable for his disobedience. The experience of separation from Allah was so devastating that Adam turned again to Allah seeking forgiveness (tawba):
They said, 'Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be among the lost." (Surah al-Araf 7:23)
Allah, in His infinite Mercy, granted that forgiveness:
Alcoholism and lam

Page no:5Section Three
Polishing the heart - the maintenance of sobriety 55 Remaining in the Light 55
Wudhu 56
Salah 57
Sawm 59
Dhikr 59
Sabr (Patience) and Shukr (Gratitude) 60 Istighfar 61
Salawat 62
Iqra-read 62
Ibadah 63
Ummah-community 64
Mahabba-love 64
A Final Message 67
Resources 68
Books to read 69
Notes to accompany the twelve steps 70
Introduction
This book seeks to build a bridge between two worlds: that represented by the principles and teachings of Islam, and that of the Twelve Step approach to alcoholism recovery. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said:
Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim. (Ibn Majah)
This is true of knowledge which helps the individual attain the pleasure of Allah. In the early twentieth century, a way out of the hell of alcoholism was charted by Alcoholics Anonymous. This way is, in my view, entirely compatible with and complementary to the path of Islam. But for the Muslim alcoholic, who may be suspicious of what he or she often perceives as a mysterious institution foreign and alien to his or her tradition, the pragmatic spiritual tools offered by the AA programme may remain largely inaccessible.
The profound feelings of shame common to most alcoholics are compounded in the Muslim alcoholic. The Qur'an and the life and example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) unequivocally warn of the dangers of alcohol. This warning is intended as a mercy, to prevent suffering and the forgetfulness of Allah which drinking can precipitate. For the Muslim, forewarned of the perils of intoxicants, alcoholic drinking can become a prison of shame and silence.
Bertheichlic Tesive Step Recovery in the Light of Islam
Who is this book for?
Addictions, it is said, hunt in packs. While this book has alcoholism as its central focus, it may also be useful for those concerned with the other forms of addiction which beset our community. These words were
Introduction

Page no:6Hope for the Muslim Alcoholic: Twelve Step Recovery in the Light of Islam seeks to offer a way out for those
experiencing the hell of alcoholism themselves or in a loved one, by viewing the Twelve Step approach to alcoholism recovery through the lens of Islamic teaching.
Filled with practical advice rooted in the Qur'an and Sunnah, the book addresses:
.
Understanding the nature of alcoholism