Class 3
TYPES OF ADDICTIONS BY AGE
Knowing Your Enemy
In the last class, we spoke about addiction—how it begins, how it grows, and how a person can reach a point where they feel they have lost control.
We explored how simple desires (Shahawat) can grow into overwhelming addictions. Today, we identify the enemy’s many faces. To defeat a habit, you must first name it and understand how it traps the soul.
I. ADDICTIONS THAT START YOUNG
Addiction today often begins at a very early age. Addiction doesn't always start with a needle or a bottle; it often starts with a screen or a snack. For children, the Nafs (self) is like a soft plant; it grows in whichever direction it is bent.
Many addictions today do not begin with intention. They begin quietly. A child is given a phone to stay occupied. A video to stay quiet. A game to pass time.
At first, nothing seems wrong. But slowly, something begins to change. The child becomes restless without it. Silence becomes uncomfortable. Stillness becomes difficult. What used to be enough no longer satisfies. And without realizing it, the child has begun to depend on something outside themselves just to feel normal.
This is how conditioning & attachment begins. A child may become attached to Mobile phones; Video games; Endless videos and entertainment; Sugary or junk food
The Trap: Boredom and easy access. When a child is given a device or candy to "keep them quiet," we are conditioning their brain to seek instant dopamine.
The Concept of Tarbiyah (Cultivation): Ibn Qayyim (Rahimahullah) emphasized that the habits a child is raised upon are what they will carry into adulthood. He noted that the soul is like a vessel; if you don't fill it with truth (Haqq), it will be filled with falsehood (Batil).
Long-term Impact: Loss of Khushu (focus) and Sabr (patience). A child addicted to quick YouTube clips struggles to sit through a 5-minute prayer or a page of Quran.
What starts as comfort… becomes dependency. And because it starts young, it shapes:
Their discipline
Their patience
Their ability to control desires
All of these have long term impact. Instant gratification—the desire for immediate reward without effort—harms children by crippling their patience, fostering a sense of entitlement, and reducing attention spans. This mindset, often fueled by technology, leads to higher anxiety, poor academic performance, reduced resilience, and a diminished ability to engage in tasks requiring sustained effort or long-term goal setting.
Key Dangers of Instant Gratification for Kids:
Weakened Impulse Control & Patience: Children accustomed to immediate rewards struggle with self-control, leading to low frustration tolerance and impatience.
Reduced Attention Span & Focus: Constant stimulation from digital devices lowers capacity to concentrate on tasks requiring sustained effort, such as reading or deep study.
Entitlement and Narcissism: When children receive everything immediately without working for it, they may develop a skewed sense of entitlement and fail to understand that effort is required for success.
Reduced Resilience and Grit: A lack of experience with waiting means children may fail to develop coping skills, becoming overwhelmed or giving up when facing challenges or delays.
Emotional Dysregulation: High reliance on instant gratification (like social media "likes") releases dopamine, leading to mood swings, irritability, and decreased mental health when stimulation is unavailable.
Academic and Social Issues: Inability to delay gratification can hinder learning in school and cause issues in maintaining relationships, as they may prioritize their immediate desires over patience and empathy.
Lack of Long-Term Goal Setting: A focus on immediate, small rewards prevents children from understanding the value of working towards long-term, more significant achievements.
How to Counteract It:
Encourage activities that require patience, such as gardening, puzzles, or saving money for a desired item, and teach children that discomfort and waiting are normal parts of life. We will study more about preventions and cures in the next classes.
The Prophet ﷺ reminded us of responsibility when he said: “Every one of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
II. THE STORM - YOUTH & MODERN ADDICTIONS
Growing Up, But Not Growing Free
As a person grows older, the forms of addiction change—but the pattern remains. Today, many addictions are not physical. They are mental. They are constant. And they are always accessible.
What once was a game becomes a screen that is never put down. A few minutes of scrolling becomes hours lost without awareness.
A person picks up their phone without thinking, opens an app without intention, and closes it without remembering why they opened it in the first place. Time slips away quietly.
This loss is not always dramatic. It is often subtle. A day here, an hour there, until a person looks back and realizes how much of their life has been consumed.
This endless scrolling leads to another problem which is the desire for validation, likes, being approved, being noticed. Their mood depends on others. Their self-worth becomes unstable. And they begin to chase something that can never truly satisfy.
Allah says: “By time, indeed mankind is in loss…” (Surah al-‘Aṣr) and the Prophet ﷺ said, "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: Health and free time." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The Prophet ﷺ also warned, "The feet of the slave of Allah shall not move [on the Day of Judgement] until he is asked about five things:
About his life and how he spent it.
About his youth and how he utilized it.
About his wealth and how he earned it.
About his wealth and how he spent it.
About his knowledge and what he did with it."
In the prime of life (our youth), the Nafs is strongest. The modern world has "gamified" our desires.
Social Media & Validation: We have become addicted to the "likes" of people while forgetting the pleasure of the Creator. This is a subtle form of seeking status (Jah), which Ibn Qayyim warned destroys sincerity.
The Digital Poison (Pornography): This is the "poisoned arrow" of Shaytan. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The glance is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblis. Whoever leaves it out of fear of Allah, Allah will bestow upon him a faith whose sweetness he will feel in his heart." (Al-Hakim). This doesn’t start directly with porn, it starts in malls & markets where one sees fah’shah and various types of immorality.
Entertainment Dependency: Binge-watching and music serve as "emotional anesthesia." They prevent us from reflecting on our purpose, keeping us in a state of Ghaflah (heedlessness).
Private Addictions
Some addictions are not visible at all. They exist in private. In silence. Behind closed doors. A glance that is not lowered. A curiosity that is not controlled. A moment that is not guarded.
What begins as something small can become something that returns again and again—until it settles into a habit that a person feels ashamed of, yet unable to leave.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The eyes commit zina, and their zina is looking…” (Bukhari & Muslim)
One of the most dangerous modern addictions is related to desires of the eyes and private actions. It often begins with curiosity, exposure, bad company & small steps. Then it becomes a habit, a secret, a struggle that is hard to leave!
Pornography has severe harmful effects based on scientific and Islamic perspectives, including brain addiction, sexual dysfunction, and spiritual decline. Scientifically, it rewires brain chemistry, causes dopamine desensitization, and causes anxiety or depression. Islam considers it a major sin, viewing it as a "zina of the eyes" that destroys iman (faith).
Scientific & Psychological Effects
Addiction and Brain Chemistry: Pornography acts as a "superstimulus," releasing intense amounts of dopamine that can lead to addiction, similar to drug addiction, which affects the brain's reward system, leading to desensitization.
Mental Health Issues: Frequent use is associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, lower self-esteem, and loneliness.
Sexual Dysfunction: Long-term use is linked to erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and reduced libido (sexual desire).
Distorted Reality: It creates unrealistic body standards and unhealthy expectations of sexual performance, often reducing human beings to objects.
Islamic Perspective & Spiritual Effects
Major Sin (Zina of the Eyes): Islam strictly prohibits pornography, equating the act of viewing it to the "zina (adultery) of the eyes". It is considered a form of Fahisha (obscenity).
Destruction of Iman and Heart: It directly contradicts the command to "lower the gaze," corrupting the heart and soul, and creating a barrier between the believer and Allah.
Desensitization to Immorality: It kills the innate sense of Haya (modesty/shame) in a person, making shameful acts appear normal.
Disruption of Relationships: It fuels infidelity, destroys marriages, and leads to a lack of satisfaction in marital intimacy.
III. THE CHAINS - ADULT ADDICTIONS
As we age, addictions might become different and more "respectable" but equally dangerous to our Akhirah.
Dunya Attachment: Addiction to work, status, and "lifestyle" is a spiritual disease.
Allah says, "Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you, until you visit the graveyards." (Quran 102:1-2).
Food & Overeating: The Prophet ﷺ taught us to keep our stomachs only one-third full. Ibn Qayyim mentioned that a heavy stomach makes the heart hard and the limbs heavy for worship.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The son of Ādam fills no vessel worse than his stomach…” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī)
Even what is halal, when taken without balance, can begin to harm. Because the problem is not always the action itself It is what it does to the heart.
Intoxicants (Khamr): Whether it’s smoking, vaping, or alcohol, these cloud the Aql (intellect)—the very thing Allah gave us to distinguish right from wrong.
Allah says, “O you who believe, indeed intoxicants… are but defilement from the work of Shayṭān, so avoid them…” (Surah al-Mā’idah 5:90)
Different Paths, Same Destination
At first glance, these struggles & addictions seem different.
A child with a screen. A young person with a hidden habit. An adult consumed by work or comfort.
But if you look closely… They are all being pulled by the same force. Desire that is no longer being guided.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that when desire is left unchecked, it begins to affect everything it touches. It clouds judgment. It weakens resolve. It makes a person justify what they once resisted.
And Shayṭān uses desire as the main entry point, the person is no longer choosing freely. They are being pulled.
A Quiet Question
Take a moment—without rushing. Pause and think honestly. Not to judge yourself. Not to feel guilt. But to be honest.
What is something in your life that you return to more than you should?
Something that feels small… but is always there? Something that takes more of your time, your attention, or your energy than you are comfortable admitting?
The Mercy of Prevention
One of the greatest mercies of Islam is that it does not wait until a person is deeply trapped before guiding them. It teaches them to step back early.
Allah says: “Do not even come close to zina…” (Surah al-Isrā’ 17:32)
Not just avoid the act—but avoid the path that leads to it. Because once a person walks too far down a road… Turning back becomes harder.
Training the Soul Before It Weakens
This is why the Prophet ﷺ guided people to build strength before falling into weakness.
He ﷺ said: “Whoever among you cannot marry should fast, for it is a shield.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Fasting is not just about hunger. It is about learning to say no. Because a person who cannot say no to small desires… Will struggle when faced with bigger ones.
Task for the Class
Identify one "modern addiction" that is stealing your time from Allah. Write down the "trigger" (e.g., "I scroll when I'm tired") and plan one small boundary to set this week.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah, Great and Majestic, but that Allah will replace it with something better." (Musnad Ahmad)
May Allah guide us all and make it easy.
In the next class, we will begin discussing about taking real practical steps toward breaking free from addictions.
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 harms.
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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