Every household knows someone. That is no longer just a figure of speech. In South Africa today, addiction rarely stops with the user. It ripples through families and communities — parents who cannot sleep, siblings who lose trust, spouses covering debts, children forced to grow up too quickly, as well as employers, neighbours and masjids. And the problem is becoming harder to ignore, writes Shoni Lesoga.
With cannabis now legal for private use in South Africa, synthetic drugs increasingly available and edibles sometimes packaged in ways that resemble ordinary sweets, exposure to intoxicants has become easier for young people.
Moulana Yousuf, Ameer of Darul Islaah Spiritual Reformation and Wellness Centre, told One Nation Media that, in his experience, substance abuse can affect dozens of people around each individual user through its wider social and family consequences.
This is no longer someone else’s problem. It is a problem confronting entire communities.
For some Muslim youth, addiction does not begin with a conscious decision to abandon their faith. It may begin with a drink at a gathering, a substance offered by a friend, curiosity, peer pressure or an attempt to escape a problem they do not know how to confront.
Allah says in the Qur’an: “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.” [Al-Ma’idah: 90]
The use of drugs and alcohol among young people remains a concern across South African communities, including among Muslim youth.
The scale of substance exposure among young people is reflected in South African research. A recent review highlighted by the South African Medical Research Council found that approximately 33.17% of young people under the age of 18 had consumed alcohol during the previous 12 months, while 8.2% had used cannabis.
The figures are not specific to Muslim youth, but they provide context for the wider environment in which young South Africans are growing up.
Treatment data also highlights the seriousness of substance use among younger people.
According to the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, 1,289 people aged 18 and younger were admitted to specialist substance-use treatment facilities between July and December 2024. Cannabis was among the most commonly reported substances among younger patients entering treatment.
Again, the figures do not specifically measure substance use among Muslim youth, but they illustrate the wider environment in which young Muslims are growing up and the importance of addressing substance use before experimentation develops into dependence.
Speaking to ONM, Moulana Yousuf said addiction was among several challenges confronting Muslim communities. For professional reasons, he asked that his surname not be published.
“Drug addiction, pornography addiction, gambling, cellphone addictions, online gaming, and various other vices continue to be on the rise, not only in Muslim societies, but societies as a whole,” he said.
“Every household knows of someone afflicted or is indirectly affected, as substance abuse affects from 25 to 70 people as a ripple effect per individual directly affected.”
He also warned that the legalisation of cannabis for private use, together with the growing availability of synthetic drugs and edibles, had contributed to greater exposure.
“Given that cannabis has become legal in South Africa, synthetics and edibles have become more common,” he said.
Environmental influence
Friendships, social gatherings, online content and the desire to fit in can expose young people to substances from an early age.
What may begin as experimentation can develop into repeated use and, in some cases, addiction.
For Muslim youth, this can create a painful conflict between their behaviour and their Islamic values.
The Qur’an further warns:
“Satan only desires to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer.” [Al-Ma’idah: 91]
The prohibition of intoxicants is therefore connected not only to what a Muslim consumes, but also to the wider harm intoxicants can cause to relationships, worship and a person’s connection with Allah.
However, addressing substance abuse requires more than simply reminding young people that drugs and alcohol are haram.
Peer pressure, curiosity, stress, loneliness, social acceptance and difficult personal circumstances can all contribute to substance use.
Treating every case solely as a matter of weak faith risks overlooking the circumstances surrounding addiction and could discourage young people from seeking help.
When addiction becomes hard to escape
For some young people, substance use moves beyond experimentation and develops into a pattern of dependence that is difficult to break.
Moulana Yousuf said Muslim communities should not reject those struggling with addiction.
“No person should ever be shunned, nor turned away due to having found themselves addicted to certain sin. We should encourage growth, empower minds, enlighten hearts, and revert fully back to the Qur’an and Sunnah,” he said.
Families, masjids, madrasahs and youth organisations therefore have an important role to play in creating environments where young people feel supported rather than immediately judged.
Parents and community leaders can also encourage open conversations about drugs and alcohol before young people encounter these substances themselves. It takes a village to raise a child, and prevention cannot be left to families alone.
Moulana Yousuf encouraged masjids, maktabs and community forums, including women’s forums, to equip themselves to address these challenges and establish support structures grounded in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Prevention requires awareness
Prevention requires education and a serious understanding of the pressures confronting young Muslims.
Moulana Yousuf highlighted the influence of digital devices and the growing exposure of young people to harmful online behaviour.
He said these challenges had “crept their way into every Muslim home, maktabs, darul ulooms, etc.” and pointed to initiatives run by Darul Islaah Spiritual Reformation and Wellness Centre, including “Vices on Your Devices”, “Substance Abuse, Addictions and Its Remedies” and “Navigating Through Modern Day Fitnahs”.
“These efforts are now being received very well within the Islamic fraternity, with joint ventures of ulema, key role players and leaders all playing a pivotal role,” he said.
For Muslim youth, awareness must go beyond knowing that intoxicants are prohibited.
Young people also need to understand the consequences substance misuse can have on their health, relationships, education, employment, finances and future.
Faith and recovery
For those already struggling with addiction, the community’s response should include compassion, spiritual guidance and access to appropriate professional help.
Islamic teachings can provide spiritual support, accountability, hope and a renewed sense of purpose.
At the same time, substance dependence can involve physical and psychological challenges that may require professional assessment and treatment.
Spiritual guidance and professional treatment do not have to be viewed as competing approaches. They can work alongside each other in supporting recovery.
Moulana Yousuf emphasised the importance of turning towards Allah and strengthening one’s connection with Islamic teachings during the recovery process.
“If all the correct measures are put in place, such as correct Islamic teachings, support, morals and ethics, then we believe a day will come that Allah Ta’ala will remove this plight, provided we continuously strive in His obedience,” he said.
“Although governments may condone certain behaviours, over and above that we need to be aware and understand that the laws of Allah Ta’ala are above all.”
A supportive environment, trust in Allah, access to appropriate assistance and continued community involvement can help young Muslims rebuild their lives without feeling that addiction has permanently separated them from their faith.
A community response
The question for Muslim communities is not simply whether young people know that drugs and alcohol are prohibited.
It is whether they have the knowledge, support and safe spaces needed to resist the pressures surrounding them — and whether those already struggling know where they can turn for help.
A warning from the Qur’an is powerful, but so too is a community willing to listen.
Parents, educators, religious leaders, youth organisations and the wider Muslim community all have a role in helping young people understand the consequences of substance use and in providing support before experimentation develops into dependence.
Those already struggling must also know that seeking help does not mean surrendering their faith or losing their place within the Ummah.
The goal should not simply be to tell young Muslims what to stay away from. It should also be to give them something meaningful to move towards.
Allah says:
“The believers, both men and women, are guardians of one another. They encourage good and forbid evil, establish prayer and pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is they who will be shown Allah’s mercy. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.” [At-Tawbah: 71]
