How Can We Avoid Addiction
First, regarding the hadith that says the prayer of a person who drinks alcohol is “not accepted for forty days” — this does not mean the prayer becomes invalid or that the person should stop praying. The obligation of salah remains. Scholars explain that it means the person loses the full reward due to the sin, but the prayer itself is still required and still spiritually important. Stopping prayer would actually make the situation worse. Prayer is the connection that keeps a person alive spiritually. Even if someone sins, they must continue praying. The conditions of tawbah are: 1. Recognizing the sin. 2. Feeling genuine regret. 3. Intending sincerely to leave it. 4. Taking practical steps to avoid returning. It does not require guaranteeing that you will never fall again. No human can guarantee the future. Tawbah is about sincerity in that moment. If you were sincere when you repented, your tawbah was real — even if you later relapsed. Addiction complicates things because it is not just a moral weakness. It affects the brain. Substances like alcohol change dopamine pathways. The brain starts associating the substance with relief, escape, or comfort. Over time, impulse control weakens and relapse becomes part of the recovery cycle. This is medically recognized. Relapse does not automatically mean your repentance was fake. It may simply mean the addiction is strong. The hadith about tasting the “dirt of Hell” is a warning for someone who becomes careless, arrogant, or indifferent — someone who sins without regret. It is not meant to destroy the hope of someone who is fighting, crying, repenting, and trying again. The real danger is not relapse. The real danger is losing hope. Psychologically, addiction recovery is rarely instant. In fact, forcing yourself to stop completely without preparation can sometimes increase the chance of relapse. For many people, gradual reduction is more effective. A healthier approach can be: Reduce the amount slowly. Increase the time gap between usage. Identify triggers. Replace the habit with healthier coping mechanisms. Seek professional help if possible. Recovery is a process, not a single decision. If you fall again during the process, do not think you have lost all progress. Shame and hopelessness often restart the addiction cycle. Instead, treat it as a setback — then begin again. Each time you try, the cycle weakens. Each time you extend the gap, you are improving. Each time you repent sincerely, that repentance is valid. Allah does not expect instant perfection. He expects sincerity and effort. As long as your heart still feels regret, still wants to improve, still turns back to Him — the door of mercy is open.