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| Being a Real Man in Islam: Drugs, Criminality and The Problem of Masculinity Yahya Birt June 2001 We praise Allah and we seek His aid, we
seek forgiveness from Him and we affirm faith in Him, and upon Him we are
utterly reliant. We shower blessings upon the noble Prophet, the Head of
the Prophets and Messengers, and upon his family and his companions and
those that followed them in righteousness until the Day of Rising. There
is no power or might except Allah, the Exalted and Mighty. I seek refuge
in Allah from the accursed Devil. In the name of Allah, the All Merciful
and Compassionate. The Crisis of Criminality in the Muslim
Community The latest Home office statistics make grim
reading for the Muslim community: Muslim prisoners have doubled in the
last decade to reach a total of between 4000-4500 — amounting to 9% of the
total prison population — which is treble our proportion of the total
population. One in eleven prisoners is Muslim. This surge in Muslim crime
is not being discussed openly within the community, most probably out of a
sense of shame. But in reality, we should feel ashamed precisely
because we are not discussing these problems openly and confronting them.
Shame should impel not prohibit a constructive response. So what sort of crime is being committed
and who is doing it? Sadly, but not surprisingly, over 65% of these
prisoners are young men between the ages of eighteen and thirty. This huge
figure does not include youngsters under the age of 18 who are in
custodial care. We should not forget to add that 10% are women. The sorts
of crime committed not only include petty theft but also violent and
obscene muggings. [1] Maqsood Ahmed, the Muslim Advisor to the Prison
Service appointed by the government in 1999, says that currently (as of
June 2000) 1005 out of the 4003 Muslim inmates have committed crimes
related to drug pushing or drug use. So one in four of British Muslim
prisoners have been convicted for drug-related offences. [2] Muslims and the Global Drug Trade We need to face facts: Muslim involvement
in hard drugs is not confined to Muslims in the West. Of the traditional
‘natural’ drugs, Muslims are heavily involved with the planting,
harvesting, refinement, smuggling, and distribution to Europe of heroin
and cannabis. While cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in
Europe, heroin, the most deadly drug, is little used in comparison; but it
is most associated with social marginalisation and addiction. Cannabis Today, Morocco is the world’s largest
cannabis exporter, with a crop of 2000 metric tonnes, having had a tenfold
increase in production from 1983-1993. While the Moroccan government has
made agreements with the European Union (EU) to grow substitute crops and
domestic seizures of hash have risen, total production has increased at
the same time. There is deep government involvement, going right up to the
Royal family; an assertion that can be given some credence because the
Ministry of Agriculture produces highly accurate and confidential
statistics about the total acreage of hash under cultivation every year.
One estimate puts the value of hash exports at two thirds of Morocco’s
total exports, or 10% of the country’s income. Most hash enters Europe
through Spain, where it distributed by Moroccan and Dutch criminal
elements among others. Heroin Of the world’s two major heroin
suppliers, Afghanistan overtook Burma as world leader in the late 1990s.
In 1999, it supplied 77% of the world’s heroin, a figure which has been
publicly acknowledged by the Taliban. [3] We can also note the increased
production and refinement of poppy seed in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Kazakhstan. [4] Hitherto, the drug, in a semi-refined state, has been
shipped from Afghanistan through Pakistan to the West. It was CIA intervention—in support of the
Mujahedin who were fighting Soviet oppression in the early 1980s—which
was crucial in turning Afghanistan and Pakistan from local suppliers into
international ones by providing the necessary political protection and
logistical networks. The CIA in co-operation with Pakistan’s
Interservices Intelligence supplied arms to the Mujahedin in return for
payment in raw opium. It was only after Soviet withdrawal that the US gave
serious monies to combat poppy seed production. Pakistan had started the
1980s as a major producer of poppy seed, but government anti-drugs
measures have virtually wiped out production (2 metric tonnes) by 1999.
[5] When the Taliban first captured Kandahar in
1994, they announced a total ban on drugs, but this stance was quickly
dropped when they realised that narcotics provided an invaluable source of
income and, furthermore, that an outright ban would greatly alienate
farmers dependent on the crop. So as Taliban control spread, production
rose by a massive 25% up to 1997. ‘Abd al-Rasheed, the head of the
Taliban’s anti-drugs control force in Kandahar said in May 1997 that
while there was a strict ban on hashish, “opium is permissible because
it is consumed by kafirs (unbelievers) in the West and not by Muslims or
Afghans.” [6] In the process of institutionalising and guaranteeing
income from the drug trade, the Taliban started to levy zakat on poppy
cultivation and charge tolls on the transportation of the poppy residue
under armed Taliban guard out of the country. [7] An increasing number of
drug laboratories were set up in Afghanistan. Even if not much drug profit
stays in Afghanistan and Pakistan—only about 9% of the total Western
street value—this still added up to about $1.35 billion US dollars in
1999. Poppy seed, either as a raw crop or in its initially refined form as morphine, has until recently been the major source of income in a war-shattered economy both for farmers and the government. Yet despite this economic dependency, it must still be said: the remark of the Taliban official quoted above was hypocritical and cynical. There is not one standard of upright conduct for Muslims and another for non-Muslims: our religion requires us to behave impeccably with both. And far from Muslims being unaffected by Afghani heroin, Pakistan now has the highest heroin addiction rate in the world. In 1979, Pakistan had no addicts, in 1986, it had 650,000 addicts, three million in 1992, while in 1999, government figures estimate a staggering figure of five million. Nor is the problem confined to Pakistan.
Despite one of the toughest anti-drugs policies in the world, where the
death-penalty is given for the possession of a few ounces of heroin, Iran
officially had 1.2 million addicts in 1998 (off the record, officials
admit to the figure being more like 3 million). By 1998, only 42% of
total heroin production was exported out of South Asia; 58% of opiates
were being consumed within the region itself. So heroin addiction is not
only a Western problem, but also a deeply Muslim one. Between 1997-1999, Kabul offered to end
poppy seed production—to both the US and the UN—in return for
international recognition, which suggests that the Taliban leadership was
not serious in the past about ending production but used the whole issue
of drug control as a diplomatic lever. [8] Thankfully, the Afghan
government seems to have recently changed its public position. In 1999,
Amir Mullah Omar Mohammed announced that poppy seed production should be
cut by one third. On 28 July 2000, Mullah Omar ordered a complete ban of
poppy seed cultivation, and appealed for the assistance of the
international community in funding crop replacement schemes. [9] The
official figures for 2000 showed a reduction of 28% on 1999, but this was
mostly attributable to the terrible drought the country suffered during
that period. [10] It has now been confirmed by outside agencies that the
Taliban have wiped out the 2001 harvest, as a UNDCP team reported in
February that the major growing areas were virtually free of poppies,
which was corroborated by the US Drug Enforcement Agency in May. Despite
the DEA’s prognosis that the ban will hit farmers hard, the US has
pushed for continued UN sanctions because of its campaign to bring Osama
bin Laden to trial. [10a] After being put into its morphine base,
either in Pakistan or Central Asia (and previously in Afghanistan), the
drug is transported to Turkish laboratories, where it is further refined
into heroin. About 80% of Europe’s supply is refined into heroin proper
in Turkey, although the Turks are facing increased competition from the
Russian Mafia in second-stage refinement and smuggling into Europe (via
Eastern Europe and the Baltic). As with Morocco, the Turkish civil and
military secret services are heavily involved with the drug trade. This
complicity was highlighted by a car-crash in November 1996 involving four
people: an extreme right-wing criminal on the run, a high-ranking
policeman, a beauty queen, and the only survivor, a parliamentarian of
ex-Prime Minister Ciller’s party. About 75% of Europe’s heroin is
transported from Turkey in small quantities overland via the Balkan route,
which is impossible to police effectively because of the high volume of
traffic. [11] Once in Europe, a lot of the heroin is then distributed by
significant numbers of European Turks among others, and it is then sold on
to the dealers, who sell smaller quantities to users on the street. Islamic Ruling on Drugs
(non-alcoholic Intoxicants) Ibn ‘Umar (radiya’Llahu ‘anhu)
reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said, “Every intoxicant (muskir) is wine (khamr) and every intoxicant is
forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies while he is addicted
to it, not having repented, will not be given a drink in the Hereafter.”
[12] This hadith is one of the primary texts that prove the prohibition of
anything that intoxicates like wine. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (rahmatu’Llahi
‘alayh), considered to be among the foremost legal authorities of the
entire late Shafi‘i legal school, has classified the consumption of
hashish (hashisha) and opium (afyun) as an enormity or a major sin. [13]
Imam al-Dhahabi (rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayh) defined an enormity as “any
sin entailing either a threat of punishment in the hereafter explicitly
mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith, a prescribed legal penalty or being
accursed by Allah and His Messenger (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).”
[14] Among those classical authorities who wrote of the prohibition of
hashish were Imam Zarakhshi, Ibn Taymiyya, al-Qirafi, Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi
and Imam Nawawi (rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayhim). In short, the four legal
schools agree that all intoxicants are unlawful, and they include plants
that intoxicate under this category of prohibited substances. [15] There
is a misconception among Muslim users that although drugs are unlawful,
smoking hashish is not so serious. Or they say that at least we don’t
drink! They seem to divide drugs into hard and soft drugs: a division that
is quite baseless according to Divine law. All drugs are Class A according
to our religion. British Muslims and the Drug Trade The drug trade in Britain is breaking and
shattering young Muslim lives. But to our great shame, we are not only
talking about the many Muslim victims of drug use, but the fact that
British Muslims are also heavily involved in street level drugs pushing.
From the late 1980s onwards, according to Maqsood Ahmed, it appears that
Asians replaced Afro-Caribbeans as the main drug pushers on the streets.
[16] However, Maqsood Ahmed says that it is only
the small-time Asian street pushers, not the major suppliers, who are
being caught and incarcerated. A retired lawyer, Gavin McFarlane, who once
worked in the office of the Solicitor for Customs and Excise, confirms the
view that the ‘Mr Bigs’ of drug crime are usually never caught. [17] I am not suggesting that drugs are the only
issue relating to crime, but because of the nature of addiction, drugs can
do more to destroy the moral will and the social fabric of the Muslim
community than any other type of crime. It appears that drug use among
Muslim youth matches national levels: we have no more ‘moral immunity’
from drugs than anyone else. It is instructive to look at the example of
NAFAS, a Muslim-run outreach, educational and rehabilitation programme,
based in Tower Hamlets in East London, which aims to target drug use among
Bangladeshi youth. One NAFAS activist, Abdur Rahman, has worked among
Muslims in the area of drugs, crime and mental health issues for the last
ten years. I interviewed him in order to get a real sense of what is
happening on the street. [18] In his experience, it is mainly Pakistani
and Bangladeshi youth that become involved with drugs, but it effects all
the various ethnic Muslim groups. Commonly, the parents of these young men
neglected their religious training, and instead left matters in the hands
of the madrasas. Their experience in the madrasa has been of rote learning
without any understanding, an experience that has left them bored and
alienated not only from the madrasa but also from religion itself.
Frustrated imams throw the more disruptive kids out of the madrasas onto
the streets. Clubbing together in gangs of around 20-30, these young men
are listless and bored. The result has very often been the emergence of
gang violence and turf wars. By far the most commonly used drugs are
hashish and then alcohol. Heroin is used much less. Most that smoke
‘weed’ (as hashish is known in street slang) will not touch heroin,
which is seen as a dirty drug. But the picture is complex, because 90% of
those who do use heroin say that their first drug was hashish. Those
Muslim youth that do use heroin do not use needles because they see it as
a dirty practice. Habitually, those who take heroin also use crack
cocaine. According to local police figures for the Borough of Tower
Hamlets, 50% of drug offenders referred to drugs agencies are young
Bangladeshi men. Of these, 90% are under twenty-five and more than 60%
have never received any help to get off drugs. It was in part this last
statistic that brought about the founding of NAFAS. There are no figures
for young women, but the word on the street is that hashish use is
increasing among them as well. Normally such women smoke hashish in the
home. Abdur Rahman says that taboos are breaking down. It is becoming more
common to see hashish being smoked and alcohol being drunk in the street. What are the attitudes of these young men
to religion? There are some that mock religion openly. “Islam is drab
and boring,” they say, “it is only about things you are not allowed to
do. There is no fun and laughter. We are young and now is the time for
enjoyment.” Others, who have a stronger sense of being Muslim, say they
want to practice but argue that the bad environment discourages them.
Abdur Rahman says it is easier to reach those who have some religious
feeling in them, and that these boys can point to examples where someone
they know has come off drugs and has started practising Islam. There is a real internal problem facing
this community and it will not go away if we are merely content to
highlight problems within the British criminal justice system, schooling
and welfare. However necessary, this critique of the system is only part
of the answer. To make myself absolutely clear, I am stressing the fact
that the crucial element in any response is moral and religious guidance,
which, of course, only the community can provide. This is not just a
problem of young Muslim men who have lost their way, but a failure of the
whole community to bring them up with Islamic values. We have neglected
their spiritual training (tarbiya) and failed to teach them how to live in
this world in accordance with the pleasure of Allah (akhlaqiyyat) in a way
that makes sense to them. We have even ignored their secular education; so
that on the streets of despair turning to drugs seems the best way to make
a quick buck or to escape from the pressures of racism, Islamophobia and
unemployment. What we all need in front of us, young and
old, is a clear picture of what being a real man in Islam means as opposed
to being a fake one. Guidance comes with our comprehension of what
religion expects us to do for ourselves, and for others, for the pleasure
of Allah Most High. The rest of this essay is devoted to outlining the
nature of negative and positive masculinity. Negative Masculinity Negative masculinity occurs when a youth
misuses his natural qualities of enthusiasm, strength and bravery to
satisfy his own desires. He becomes selfish, ignores the rights of others
and ends up disobedient to his Lord. He thinks it is cool to follow the
lifestyles of the street, and at the rough end this means getting involved
in crime. What is even worse, as one young brother said to me recently, is
that as corrupt lifestyles become widespread among Muslim youth, it is
becomes harder for younger teenagers to see the straight path. There has
been a real break down in moral values: besides drugs and crime, drinking
and pre-marital sex are no longer taboo among the wildest elements. The
negative role models closest to hand now come from within our own
community. Negative masculinity is about showing off,
about trying to be ‘hard’, and about using physical strength to
humiliate others. The fake man thinks strength should be used to dominate
others so that he gets ‘nuff respect’ from his peers and enemies out
of a sense of fear. But this is not how true respect is earned: it is
really about acting like a loud-mouthed and proud fool. The youthful bully
fights to remain leader of his ‘posse’ and, likewise, strives to
dominate other street gangs: both perversions are achieved by instilling
fear. Yet Islam teaches us that the strong should defend the weak not
oppress them. Negative masculinity is about the obsession
to have the right ‘look’: the designer clothes, the most up-to-date
mobile phone, the latest trainers, and the flashiest car. But how we
appear to others is absolutely immaterial: Allah, who is perfectly Just
and All Aware, will judge us by our hearts not our appearance on the Day
of Reckoning. Pretending to be someone we are not is only a sign of
spiritual emptiness. All this street gear costs a great deal of money:
cash that is wasted when it could be used to help the weak and
unfortunate. The Muslim community is the poorest in the country, and it
can ill afford to waste money on such vain extravagance. Such
materialistic excess is showing off for the sake of worldly honour, when
the world, in the eyes of our beloved Prophet (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) was worth less than the rotting flesh of a dead goat. [19] But a
real man doesn’t need to show off. He knows himself and remains humble
and thankful to Allah Most Generous for whatever qualities He has given
him. Negative masculinity is about wasting time
and playing around like a child when the corrupted youth already has the
strength and intelligence of an adult. He looks out for himself first,
neither respecting the wishes of his parents nor serving them, and
ignoring the needs of others around him. Many of the criminalised gangs
rob and prey on the weakest members of their own community. Instead of
being the pride of the community, these lost young men have become its
badge of shame. Negative masculinity is about being a slave
to desire. The signs of this slavery are the impulse for instant
gratification and the immediate feeling of frustration and anger when
desire is not quickly satiated. Servitude to caprice entraps the slave in
a cage of restless discontent. Why? Because if we want the latest fashion,
one thing can be sure, it will go out of date. Negative masculinity is
about being a slave to the capitalist system. The real winners are the
moneymen who sell an illusion: the falsehood that people should judge
themselves, and judge others, by appearance. But the Prophet (salla’Llahu
‘alayhi wa sallam) taught us to be simple, not to pile up worldly
things, but to do good deeds and help others. The only style that truly
counts, that rises far above the fickle dictates of fashion, is the way of
the Prophet (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). In short, the problem of negative masculinity is a spiritual one. Abu Talib al-Makki [20] (rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayh), in his classic work, Qut al-qulub (The Sustenance of Hearts), explains the nature of the soul that commands a person to do evil. “All the [blameworthy] character traits and attributes of the soul derive from two roots: inconstancy (taysh) and covetousness (sharah). Its inconstancy derives from its ignorance, and its covetousness from its eager desire (hirs). In its inconstancy the soul is like a ball on a smooth slope, because of its nature and its situation, it never stops moving. In its eager desire the soul is like a moth that throws itself on the flame of a lamp. It is not satisfied with a small amount of light without throwing itself on the source of the light that holds its destruction. Because of its inconstancy the soul is hurried and lacks self-restraint (sabr). Self-restraint is an attribute of our thinking selves, while inconstancy is the quality…of the [blameworthy] soul. Nothing can overcome inconstancy except self-restraint, for intellect uproots vain and destructive desire. Because of its covetousness, the soul is greedy and eagerly desirous. […] When someone knows the roots of the [blameworthy] soul and its innate dispositions, he will know that he has no power over it without the seeking the help of its Creator and Originator. The servant will not realise his humanity until he governs the animal motivations within himself through knowledge and justice.” [21] Who is a real man? Imam al-Qushayri [22] (rahmatu’Llahi
‘alayh) summaries what the nature of positive masculinity is. In Arabic
this is called muru’a or manliness. Conceptually, manliness is closely
related to futuwwa or chivalry. Imam al-Qushayri says in his famous Risala,
“The root of chivalry is that the servant strive constantly for the sake
of others. Chivalry is that you do not see yourself as superior to others.
The one who has chivalry is the one who has no enemies. Chivalry is that
you be an enemy of your own soul for the sake of your Lord. Chivalry is
that you act justly without demanding justice for yourself. Chivalry is
[having]… beautiful character.” [23] The Noble Islamic Youth In Arabic, fata literally means a handsome
and brave youth. In the Chapter of the Prophets (60:21), the term fata is
used to describe Abraham (‘alayhi s-salam), who had, with characteristic
fearlessness, destroyed the idols of his people, and who was about to be
thrown into the fire by them. In his commentary on this verse, Imam al-Qushayri
(rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayh) says that the noble youth is one who breaks the
idol and moreover that the idol of each man is his blameworthy soul that
commands to evil (nafs al-amara bi al-su’). [24] Truly Allah Most High
only bestows the title fata to those whom He loves. Youth, in this sense,
is not a mere social category but a rank of piety. Following the use of the word in the Holy
Book, fata came to mean the ideal, noble and perfect man whose generosity
did not end until he had nothing left for himself. A man who would give
all that he had, including his life, for the sake of his friends. Futuwwa
has a distinct sense for it means the way of fata or noble manliness, and
the remainder of the essay concentrates on outlining these noble precepts. The way to attain these qualities, to
become a true man, is to kill the blameworthy soul, which can also be
called our selfish impulses, or ego. The first thing is to learn is not to
love the blameworthy soul, but instead to love others more than oneself
and to love our Exalted Creator most of all. It is only after struggling
to kill the ego that the trials of spiritual struggle, like those of our
father Abraham (‘alayhi s-salam) in the fire, become ‘refreshment and
peace’ (bardan wa salam). (21:69) The Chivalry of the Companions We find many examples of noble manliness
among the Companions: the loyalty of Abu Bakr, the justice of ‘Umar, the
reserve and modesty of ‘Uthman, and the bravery of ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhum). Yet for all their greatness, those men still only partially
reflected that supreme example of true manliness, the Prophet (salla’Llahu
‘alayhi wa sallam). It was their life’s work to emulate him, like it
is ours today. As the first young man to embrace Islam, it was ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhu), the last of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the cousin and
son-in-law of our noble Prophet (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and
the Lion of Allah, who came to represent the supreme example of youthful
manly perfection. Known for his selflessness, courage, generosity,
loyalty, wisdom and honour, he was the invincible warrior of his day. His
nobility on the battlefield shines forth like a bright lamp of guidance
for us today. In one battle, ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhu) had overpowered an enemy warrior and had his dagger at the
man’s throat when the man spat in his face. Immediately Imam ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhu) got up, sheathed his dagger, and told the man, “Taking your
life is unlawful to me. Go away.” The man was amazed, “O ‘Ali,” he
asked, “I was helpless, you were about to kill me, I insulted you and
you released me. Why?” “When you spat in my face,” our master ‘Ali
(radiya’Llahu ‘anhu) answered, “it aroused the anger of my ego. Had
I killed you then it would not have been for the sake of Allah, but for
the sake of my ego. I would have been a murderer. You are free to go.”
The enemy warrior was profoundly moved by this show of great nobility and
so he embraced Islam on the spot. In another of his battles against the
unfaithful, our master ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu ‘anhu) encountered a
handsome young warrior who moved to attack him. His heart was full of pity
and compassion for the misguided youth. He cried out, “O young man, do
you not know who I am? I am ‘Ali the invincible. No one can escape from
my sword. Go, and save yourself!” The young man continued toward him,
sword in hand. “Why do you wish to attack me? Why do you wish to die?”
‘Ali (radiya’Llahu ‘anhu) asked. The man answered, “I love a girl
who vowed she would be mine if I killed you.” “But what if you die?”
‘Ali (radiya’Llahu ‘anhu) asked again. “What is better than dying
for the one I love?” he countered. “At worst, would I not be relieved
of the agonies of love?” Hearing this response, ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhu) dropped his sword, took off his helmet, and stretched out his
neck like a sacrificial lamb. Confronted by such nobility, the love in the
young man’s heart was transformed into love for the great ‘Ali (radiya’Llahu
‘anhu) and for the One Most Exalted Whom ‘Ali loved. The Code of Chivalry In later centuries, a code was drawn up
embodying the principles of futuwwa—brotherhood, loyalty, love and
honour—that produced a class of spiritual Muslim warriors who protected
the boundaries of the Islamic empire. The first caliph to create an order
of noble Muslim knights was al-Nasir al-Din (reigned 576-622/1180-1225).
They wore a distinctive uniform and were formally linked to the Sufi
orders. In Asia Minor for instance, these Muslim knights lived in
borderland lodges under the supervision and guidance of a spiritual guide
(shaykh al-tasawwuf). It is reported they were hospitable to travellers
and ruthless towards any unjust ruler who oppressed the people. The
essence of this noble code is timelessly pertinent to us today: it calls
us to subdue our egos and fight against injustice. The code of noble manliness elaborated by
the great Imam Sulami (rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayh) in his Kitab al-Futuwwa
is offered in a truncated form here. Readers are strongly advised to
consult the original work for themselves. [25] Futuwwa is that a young man
adheres to the following code:
Allah Most High says, “Surely they were
noble youths (fityan) who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in
guidance.” (18:13) Imam al-Sulami (rahmatu’Llahi ‘alayh) comments,
“they were given abundant guidance and climbed to His proximity because
they believed in their Lord only for their Lord’s sake, and said, ‘Our
Lord is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Never shall we call upon other than
Him.’” (18:14) The Imam continues, “Allah dressed them in His own
clothes, and He took them in His high protection and turned them in the
direction of His beauties and said, ‘And We turned them about to the
right and to the left’.” (18:18). The Imam concludes, “Those who
enter the path of futuwwa are under Allah’s direction and protection.”
[30] Khwaja ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari [31] (rahmatu
Llahi ‘alayh) outlines the three degrees of perfection in futuwwa in his
classic work, Manazil al-sa’irin (The Stations of the Wayfarers).
“Allah Most High says, ‘They are chivalrous youths who have faith in
their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.’ (18:13) The subtle point
in chivalry is that you witness nothing extra for yourself and you see
yourself as not having any rights. The first degree is to abandon
quarrelling, to overlook slips, and to forget wrongs. The second degree is
that you seek nearness to the one that goes far from you, honour the one
who wrongs you, and find excuses for the one who offends you. You do this
by being generous, not by holding yourself back, by letting go, not by
enduring patiently. The third degree is that in travelling the path you do
not depend upon any proofs, you do not stain your response [to Allah] with
[any thought of] recompense, and you do not stop at any designation in
your witnessing.” [32] May Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, bless us,
and make us true men, men of nobility and generosity. The Way Forward There are no easy solutions, and it is
important to remember that Islam condemns those who feel it is enough to
recriminate, but not to call towards the truth or to work to change a bad
situation. The point is that we all have to pull together, and face up our
individual and collective responsibility. It is not just a question of the
youth seeing if they measure up to the ideals of positive masculinity, but
for all of us to strive to embody the example of the Prophet (salla’Llahu
‘alayhi wa sallam). It is a duty upon all parents and community leaders
to deal wisely with our young men when they fall from the Straight Path,
and not to cut them off out of self-righteous disdain or, even worse,
indifference. Imam Ghazali [33] (rahmatu Llahi ‘alayh)
reminds us that it was the way of Companions like Abu Darda’ [34] (radiya
Llahu ‘anhu) to forgive the mistakes and flaws of his brother. How much
more does this apply to our sons? All should feel that your son is my son.
The bond of religious brotherhood is like the bond of family. If someone
has made a mistake in his religion by committing an act of disobedience,
one must be gentle in counselling him towards repentance and starting
again. If someone persists in disobedience, Abu Darda’ (radiya Llahu
‘anhu) advised us not to cut him or her off. “For sometimes”, he
said, “your brother will be crooked and sometimes straight.” The great
saint Ibrahim al-Nakha’i [35] (rahmatu Llahi ‘alayh) said, “Beware
of the mistake of the learned. Do not cut him off, but await his return
[that is, to the straight path].” Imam al-Ghazali (rahmatu Llahi ‘alayh)
argues that this advice holds even the major sins: we need not cut someone
off. It was revealed to the Prophet (salla’Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
concerning his kinsfolk that “if they disobey you, say, ‘I am quit of
what you do’.” (26.216) Abu Darda (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) referred to
this verse when he was asked, “Do you not hate your brother when he has
done such and such?” to which he replied, “I only hate what he has
done, otherwise he is my brother.” [36] It is not proper to break with
the disobedient, but to try and remind them of their duty to Allah Most
High and to His creatures. So any pragmatic measures should be
undertaken in this spirit of understanding and patience, because at the
heart of any solution is building trust between alienated youths and the
community. It is easy enough to make these seven suggestions, but it will
take a lot of sincere effort make them a reality by the permission of the
All Merciful. 1.
To lobby the Moroccan and Turkish governments directly and
indirectly to crack down on drug production and refinement in their
respective countries. The fact that the European Union has systematically
ignored the complicit involvement of both the Moroccan and Turkish
governments in the export of drugs to Europe because of their NATO
membership should be made an issue. With regard to Afghanistan, the
European Union has recently admitted that it has no political influence
there at all, which—in and of itself—is not likely to be a matter of
great concern for Muslims. [37] Yet it does mean that European Muslims
have to pressurise the EU to work to drop UN sanctions against
Afghanistan, and to push for economic assistance to the country, so that
viable and sustainable alternatives can be found for farmers in the wake
of the enforced ban of 2001. 2.
To discuss openly the problems of criminality and drug dealing and
use within the community with a view to understanding the nature of the
problem, and coming up with ways to solve it. For instance, research is
already being carried out by the community welfare organisation, Khidmat,
in Luton, which is undertaking research to understand the nature and scale
of drug use in the Asian community. [38] 3.
To appoint English-speaking imams as a matter of priority, and to
conduct as many programmes as possible in English and which deal directly
with issues facing young Muslims today. Imams should be properly paid, and
they should also be expected to take up pastoral youth work outside of the
mosque. It is a crime that many of young scholars who have graduated from
seminaries based in Britain have not been able to find employment as
imams. Their knowledge and training is being wasted. Most ‘imported’
imams are frankly not able to understand or reach out to young Muslims. 4.
To create vibrant and relevant madrasas in our mosques with a full
and relevant curriculum up to at least the age of 16 by forging a strong
partnership between the ‘ulama’, the mosque committee and the
community. There are already many examples of good practice in this area,
especially in the Midlands and the North. 5.
To build Muslim-run youth and sports facilities as a badly needed
alternative to the street. Where appropriate, such facilities should be
incorporated into the mosque-complex. It is important that second
generation parents, those who are now in their mid-thirties, get involved
with making the mosques more accessible to the youth. If the mosque
committees refuse to be co-operative, then it is necessary to work outside
of them as the situation has already reached crisis proportions. 6.
To set up drug rehabilitation schemes run by Muslim workers in the
major urban areas along the lines of NAFAS in Tower Hamlets in East London
and others. 7.
In general terms, to lobby local and central government to put
extra funds into helping our community that has the highest unemployment
(over 40% for our youth), the poorest educational record, the highest
poverty and the highest crime rates. It would be preferable if funds,
which are readily available, are channelled through Muslim voluntary
organisations. As a community as a whole, we have to be prepared to drop
theological and legal differences inherited from the Sub-Continent to work
together for the common good. I end with supplicating our Creator, the All-Merciful that He save our misguided youth from further calamity and turn their hearts and ours towards repentance, that He give us forbearance and wisdom in tackling this problem, and that He may, in His infinite compassion, unite our hearts so that we may work together to solve these many problems. Glory be to our Lord, the Lord of Honour, Exalted above what they ascribe, and peace be upon those who were sent. And all praise is due to the Lord of the worlds. Amin. Footnotes [1] Faisal Bodi, ‘Muslim Advisor only one
piece in a bigger jigsaw’, Q-News, 311, September 1999, pp. 14-15. [2] Maqsood Ahmed, interview, 20/06/00. [3] UN Economic and Social Research
Council, World Situation with regard to illicit drug trafficking, p. 6.
The Taliban’s Roaving Ambassador, Sayyid Rahmatullah Hashmi, accepted
this figure during a lecture given at the University of South Carolina in
2001. This information was taken from a transcript of his talk. [4] Strategic Studies 1997/8, p. 250;
Strategic Studies 1998/9, p. 276. [5] The authoritative study of CIA
involvement in the heroin drugs trade in both Burma and Afghanistan is
Alfred McCoy’s, The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global
Drug Trade (New York: Lawrence Hill Books, 1991), cited in Boekhout van
Solinge, p. 103. It appears that the CIA even worked against United States
officials from the Drugs Enforcement Agency during the 1980s, who wanted
to stop the creation of a new international drug player. [6] Ahmed Rashid, Taliban, p. 118. [7] Ahmed Rashid, ‘Dangerous Liaisons’,
p. 28. [8] An agreement struck in October 1997
between the United Nations Drugs Control Programme (UNDCP) and the Taliban
offering potentially $25 million US dollars for a ten-year
crop-replacement scheme was allowed to lapse after UN agencies were asked
to withdraw in 1998. For further details, see Rashid, Taliban, pp.
123-124. [9] See Omar Modhammed, ‘Message of the
Amir-ul-Mumineen on the occasion of the International Anti-Narcotics
Day’, The Islamic Emirate (Kandahar), July 2000, no. 1, p. 1, and
‘Taleban calls for total poppy ban in Afghanistan’, The News
International (Jang), 30/7/00, p. 9. [10] UNDCP Press Release, ‘Afghan Opium
Cultivation in 2000 Substantially Unchanged’, UNIS/NAR/696, 15 September
2000. A recent UNDCP-sponsored crop-replacement scheme in Kandahar
province has reduced production by 50% in three districts. [10a] Kathy Ganon, ‘Taliban virtually
wipes out Afghanistan’s opium crop’, The Nando Times, 15 February, [www.nandotimes.com];
Barbara Crossette, ‘Taliban’s Ban on Growing Opium Poppies Is Called a
Success’, New York Times [Internet edition], 20 May 2001. Given US
support of these crippling sanctions, Colin Powell’s release of $43
millions (as of May 2001) in emergency funds for the drought in
Afghanistan looks like a token gesture. [11] Every year, 1.5 million lorries,
250,000 coaches and four million cars use the Balkans route between Asia
and Europe. It takes hours, even a whole day, to search an articulated
lorry effectively for drugs. The impossibility of stopping the smuggling
of heroin into Europe might be noted by the fact that while the amount of
heroin seized has gone up, street prices have gone down. [12] This hadith is reported in all the
Sahih Sitta (the Sound Six), Ahmad, Malik and Darimi. [13] Al-Misri, Reliance, p. 976. Imam Ibn
Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974/1567) was the foremost Shafi‘i Imam of his age,
who authored major works in jurisprudence, Hadith, tenets of faith,
education, Hadith commentary and formal legal opinion. He is recognised by
Hanafi scholars, like Imam Ibn ‘Abidin, as a source of authoritative
legal texts valid in their own school. (R) I have relied on The Reliance
and on T. J. Winter’s biographical appendices in his translations of al-Ghazali.
Each note will end with a short reference to these works: (R) or (W)
respectively. Other references will name the author’s name in brackets. [14] Al-Misri, Reliance, p. 652. Imam al-Dhahabi
(d. 748/1348) was a great Hadith master (Hafiz) and historian of Islam. He
authored over 100 works, some of which were of great length, for instance,
Siyar a‘lam al-nubala’ (The Lives of Noble Figures), ran to 23
volumes. (R) [15] For further detail on classical
scholarly authorities see Anon. [Student of Darul-Uloom Bury], Islam and
Drugs (Bury, UK: Subulas Salam, n.d.). [16] Although Abdur Rahman disputes as
stereotypical the assertion that young Asians became the main
street-dealers in recent times, see below for brief profile of this
experienced drug worker. [17] Gavin McFarlane, ‘Regulating
European drug problems’, pp. 1075-1076. He also notes that the drug
trade is organised like a mainstream business with three main categories.
First, there is the planner or organiser who is like the entrepreneur who
puts up the capital. Second, there is the trusted assistant or middle
manager that runs the operation. Third, there is the operative at the
bottom end that knows little about the whole organisation: these are the
dealers who carry the goods, bear the most risk of being caught, and who
earn only a fraction of the profit. Also known as ‘camels’, it is they
who are most likely to be caught by the police. There is even a level
above the capital investor: that of the political overlord, who is either
autonomous from the state, or acting on behalf of a complicit state. [18] Abdur Rahman, interview, 22/6/00 [19] Jabir related to us that the Messenger
of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) once passed by a dead
and ear-cropped young goat whose carcass was lying in the road, He
enquired from those who were with him at the time, “Will any of you like
to buy this dead kid for a dirham?” “We will not buy it at any
price,” they replied. The Prophet (salla’Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam) then
said, “I swear in the name of Allah that in His sight this world is as
hateful and worthless as the dead kid is in your sight.” Related by
Muslim, and cited in Nomani, Meaning and Message of the Traditions, I: pp.
234-235. [20] Abu Talib al-Makki (d. after 520/1126)
was the author of the Qut al-qulub, the first comprehensive manual of how
to tread the Sufi path, which was the direct inspiration for Imam
Ghazali’s classic work, the Ihya’ ‘ulum al-din. He was a preacher,
ascetic and scholar of the Sacred Law. (R) [21] Cited in Murata, The Tao of Islam, pp.
271-272. [22] Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri (d.
465/1072) was the author of one of the most widely read and respected
works on the teachings of tasawwuf and the biography of the saints, the
Risalat al-Qushayriyya. He also wrote a commentary on the Qur’an as well
as some works pertaining to theology (kalam). (R, also Murata) [23] Cited in Murata, The Tao of Islam, p.
267. [24] Imam al-Qushayri, Principles of
Sufism, p. 215. [25] All chains of narration for the
Prophetic reports in the Kitab al-Futuwwa go from Imam al-Sulami (d.
412/1021) back to the Prophet (salla’Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam) himself,
and are recorded in the index at the back of the English translation. Imam
al-Sulami was a Shafi‘i scholar and one of the foremost historians and
shaykhs of the Sufis. He authored several important works on Sufism,
including a commentary on the Qur’an, and the Tabaqat al-Sufiyya, one of
the most famous works on the lives of the Sufis. (R, also Murata) [26] Dhu al-Nun al-Misri (d. 245/859) was
one of the greatest of the early Sufis. He was Nubian in origin and had a
great gift for expressive aphorisms, a large number of which have
fortunately been preserved. He was the first in Egypt to speak about the
states and spiritual stations of the way. (R) [27] ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam
(d. 73/692) was the son of a famous Companion of the Prophet (salla’Llahu
'alayhi wa sallam), who led a major revolt against the Umayyad caliph
Yazid I following the death of the Prophet’s grandson, al-Husayn. He was
widely recognised as caliph before his revolt was crushed. (W) [28] ‘A’isha (d. 58/678) was the third
wife of the Prophet (salla’Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and Mother of the
Faithful. She was the most knowledgeable of Muslim women in Sacred Law,
religion, and Islamic behaviour, having married the Prophet (salla’Llahu
'alayhi wa sallam) in the second year after the Migration, becoming the
dearest of his wives in Medina. She related 2, 210 hadiths from the
Prophet (salla’Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and was asked for formal legal
opinions by the Companions. (R) [29] Yahya ibn Mu‘adh al-Razi (d.
258/871-2) was a great Sufi of Central Asia. As one of the first to teach
Sufism in the mosques, he left a number of books and sayings. He was
renowned for his steadfastness in worship and his great scrupulousness in
matters of religion. (W) [30] The Way of Sufi Chivalry, p.36. [31] Khwaja ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari (d.
481/1088) was a great Persian Sufi and scholar. His most famous work is
his Munajat (Intimate Entreaties), written in rhymed Persian prose. His
description of the spiritual stations, Manazil al-sa’irin (The Stations
of the Wayfarers), in Arabic, was one of the most influential ever written
on this subject. (Murata) [32] Cited in Murata, The Tao of Islam, pp.
267-268, with minor modifications to the translation. [33] Regarded by the consensus of the
scholars as the reviver (mujaddid) of the fifth century of the hijra, Imam
Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali’s (d. 505/1111) most famous work was the
Ihya’ ‘ulum al-din (The Revivification of the Religious Sciences),
which brought out the inner meaning of Islam practices and ethical ideals. [34] Abu Darda’ (d. 32/652), one of the
Medinan Helpers and a Companion of the Prophet (salla’Llahu 'alayhi wa
sallam), was noted for his piety, his wisdom in giving legal judgements,
his horsemanship, and his bravery on the battlefield. Before embracing
Islam, he gave up commerce to occupy himself with worship. He is
particularly esteemed by the Sufis. (W, R) [35] Ibrahim al-Nakha’i ibn Yazid (d. 96/
714-5) was one of the great scholarly Successors of Kufa, who was taught
by Hasan al-Basri and Anas ibn Malik, and who in turn taught Imam Abu
Hanifa. [36] The various quotes on the subject of
brotherly duties are from al-Ghazali, On the Duties of Brotherhood, pp.
60-65, which is one of the forty books that comprise the content of the
Ihya’ (see footnote 33). [37] ‘Drugs problems caused by
Afghanistan and Pakistan’, Official Journal of the European Communities,
41 (1998), C178-C209 (98/C 196/112): 81-82. [38] Faisal Bodi, ‘Crime: an everyday reality in Luton’, Q-News, 311, September 1999, p.12
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