Class 2
DESIRES TO ADDICTIONS
When Control Begins to Slip
In the last class, we learned that desires are not the enemy. They are part of who we are. They were created by Allah with wisdom and purpose.
But we also learned something important: Desires must be controlled.
Because when they are not… something begins to change. At first, it feels small. A person follows a desire once… then again… then again.
Slowly, what was once a choice becomes something harder to resist. Until one day, a person says: “I want to stop… but I can’t.”
This is where we move from desire… to something more dangerous. This is where addiction begins.
What is Addiction?
In simple terms, addiction is: When a person continues something again and again, even when they know it is harming them—and they feel unable to stop.
This does not only apply to substances like alcohol or drugs. A person can become addicted to:
Certain actions
Certain habits
Certain feelings
Even certain thoughts
Scholars like Ibn al-Qayyim did not treat this as a random problem. They carefully studied how desires develop into habits, and how habits slowly take control of a person until he feels unable to stop.
He described a person becoming habitually attached (mudmin) to something—returning to it again and again, even when it harms them, until it becomes part of their life.
The Prophet ﷺ warned about this state: “The one who is constantly addicted (mudmin) to alcohol is like the worshipper of idols.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah – classed as ḥasan)
This shows us something serious: Addiction is not just a habit—it is a form of being controlled.
How Does Addiction Begin?
Addiction does not begin with addiction. It begins with something small.
A simple desire.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that when desires are followed repeatedly, they begin to grow stronger while a person’s resistance becomes weaker.
The journey often looks like this:
A person feels a desire
They act on it
They repeat it
It becomes familiar
Then it becomes difficult to leave
At the beginning, the person says: “It’s just once.”
Later, they say: “I can stop anytime.”
Eventually, they say: “Why can’t I stop?”
This is how quietly it grows. Allah warns us: “Do not follow desire, for it will lead you astray from the path of Allah.” (Surah Ṣād 38:26)
Notice the wording. Allah does not say “do not commit sin.” He says: “Do not follow desire.” Because following desire is what leads to everything else.
The Cycle of Addiction
Addiction is not random. Addiction follows a repeated pattern. A person goes through a repeated cycle, A person experiences a trigger—a feeling, situation, or thought. This leads to a desire, which becomes difficult to ignore. The person gives in, experiences temporary relief or pleasure, and then is followed by regret. But the cycle does not end there. It repeats.
This cycle can continue for months… even years.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that one of the greatest dangers of desire is that it blinds a person from seeing consequences. A person may know something is harmful, yet still rush toward it, because desire only shows the pleasure and hides the pain that comes after.
So even when a person knows something is wrong… They still return to it.
Why Is It So Hard to Stop?
Many people ask: “If I know it’s wrong… why do I keep going back?”
The answer lies in understanding how desires affect the heart. When a person repeatedly follows a desire:
The resistance becomes weaker
The desire becomes stronger
The habit becomes deeper
Until the person feels like they have lost control. The Prophet ﷺ said: “When a servant commits a sin, a black dot is placed on his heart…” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3334 – ṣaḥīḥ)
If the person continues, the heart becomes darker. And when the heart becomes weak… It cannot resist like it used to.
The Illusion of Control
One of the most dangerous aspects of addiction is that it does not feel like loss of control at first. A person believes they are still in control… even when they are not.
At the beginning: “I am choosing to do this”
Then it becomes: “I just feel like doing it”
Eventually: “I can’t help it”
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that desire can become like a master, and the person becomes like a slave to it.
This is why the scholars said that a person who follows his desires is no longer fully in control of himself, he is no longer truly leading himself—he is being led by what he once thought he controlled.
Allah says: “Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god?” (Surah al-Jāthiyah 45:23)
This does not mean a person literally worships their desires. But it means they obey their desires over Allah.
Pleasure Now, Pain Later
Desires are powerful because they promise something immediate. They offer relief. Comfort. Escape. They say: “You will feel better right now.” But they hide the consequences.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains: The pain that comes after giving in is often greater than the pleasure itself.
Think about it a few moments of enjoyment can be followed by:
Regret
Guilt
Weakness
Distance from Allah
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and Hellfire is surrounded by desires.” (Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim)
So the path of desire feels easy in the moment… But its ending is heavy. And what feels difficult now may lead to something far greater.
Addiction Affects More Than You Think
A Deeper Reality of Addiction
Ibn al-Qayyim highlights something even more alarming. A person who becomes addicted may reach a point where they no longer experience real pleasure from what they are doing—yet they are unable to stop.
They are trapped between two things:
No true satisfaction
No ability to leave
So they continue, not because it fulfills them, but because they feel they need it.
This is why a person deeply trapped in addiction often does not experience even a fraction of the enjoyment that a person experiences in moderation.
Instead, they are chasing something that no longer satisfies them.
He describes this state as a form of destruction: A person becomes sad from where they expected happiness… and feels pain from where they expected pleasure.
Like a bird trying to take a seed from a trap— It cannot fully get what it wants… and it cannot escape.
Addiction Affects the Whole Life
People do not even connect these effects to the addiction, but they are deeply connected. Other great dangers of addiction is not just the action itself. It is what it takes away from you. It takes:
Your time
Your energy
Your focus
Your connection with Allah
And slowly… It takes your freedom.
Due to addictions a person may notice:
Their focus becomes weaker
Their patience decreases
Their relationships suffer
Their heart feels heavy
Ibn al-Qayyim describes desire as a form of slavery of the heart—a chain that binds a person from within. A person begins to plan their day around their addiction. They hide it. They return to it. Even when they don’t want to.
Today, addiction is not limited to a certain age group. It does not only affect adults.
Many children and young people are also being drawn into patterns of addiction—sometimes without even realizing it. What may begin as harmless entertainment or comfort can slowly turn into something difficult to control.
This shows us Addiction is not about age. It is about how desires are managed—or left unmanaged. We will explore this more in the next class. InShaAllah
A Moment of Honesty
At this point, it is important to pause and reflect.
Ask yourself honestly:
Is there something in my life I keep returning to?
Do I feel like I’ve lost some control over it?
Have I ever said, “This is the last time”… and returned again?
This is not about blaming yourself. This is about understanding where you are. Because you cannot fix what you refuse to see.
There Is Hope
Even though addiction is powerful… It is not stronger than you. And more importantly, “It is not stronger than the help of Allah”.
No matter how long a person has struggled, no matter how many times they have fallen… Change is always possible.
Allah says: “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.” (Surah az-Zumar 39:53)
This includes even the things we feel trapped in.
Closing Reflection
Addiction does not begin suddenly. It begins quietly—with a desire that is followed again and again, until it becomes something heavier than we expected.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that every addiction follows this path: a small beginning, repeated over time, until it settles deeply within a person’s life and becomes difficult to remove.
But understanding this is the first step to breaking it. Because once you see the pattern… You are no longer blind to it.
In the next class, we will look at the different types of addictions that exist today—some obvious, and some hidden—and how they affect our lives in ways we may not even realize.
And remember: You are not alone in this struggle. And you are not powerless. What you are facing is not just a habit. It is a battle. And every battle can be won—with the right understanding, the right tools, and the help of Allah.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the dangers and what leads to it.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Reflect on yourself and make changes by using any of the tips given in this course. 5 Marks.
III. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
IV. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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