Prayers not accepted for drug abuse

Question: If someone takes drugs for medical reasons, will their prayers not be accepted?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The prayer of someone who drinks alcohol is not accepted for forty days only if they did so sinfully and then didn’t repent. If they drank alcohol by accident or under compulsion, there is no sin, and Allah will accept their prayers.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Whoever drinks wine and gets drunk, Allah will not accept his prayers for forty days. If he dies, he will enter the Hell-Fire. If he repents, Allah will relent to him.’ (Tirmidhi, Nasai’, and others)

It is clear from the hadith that if one repents or were not sinful, to begin with, there would be no sin, and Allah would still accept one’s prayers.

We can deduce that if someone takes mind-altering drugs for medical reasons, there is no sin, and Allah will accept one’s prayers inshaAllah.

We should always remember that Allah is kind and merciful. He does not punish us for things out of our control, such as taking drugs for a medical need.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the Arabic language sciences and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.