Short answer
Using what is haram, such as drugs, alcohol or gambling, is a sin. The craving and dependency that follow are an affliction to be treated, not proof that you are a bad Muslim. Repentance is accepted even after relapse, and getting medical treatment, including medicines prescribed for withdrawal, is allowed and encouraged. Ask a mufti and your doctor about your own case.
Taking intoxicants and other haram substances is a sin, and repentance from it is obligatory. Medical treatment for dependency is permitted, and a medicine that would otherwise be restricted may be used under a qualified doctor for a real need, at the dose that treats rather than intoxicates.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Islam separates the act from the person. Drinking, taking drugs and gambling are sins, and the Prophet ﷺ said every intoxicant is haram. But the urge that grips someone after months or years of use is like an illness, and many people did not start out knowing where it would lead. A person fighting that urge is doing something Allah loves.
Relapse is not the end. The Prophet ﷺ said that every child of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent. He also told of a servant who sinned and repented again and again, and each time Allah forgave him. Do not let shame keep you from prayer or from asking for help. Allah says, "Do not despair of the mercy of Allah."
Treatment is part of repentance. Seeking a cure is what the Prophet ﷺ taught. Detox, rehab, counselling and recovery groups are all allowed. Medicines such as methadone or buprenorphine for opioid dependency, prescribed and supervised by a qualified doctor, are treated by many muftis as permissible medicine, because they are given to stop harm, not to get high. Take them exactly as prescribed.
What helps:
- tell a doctor honestly what you use, and follow a qualified doctor's plan
- stay away from people and places tied to using
- build the five prayers into your day as fixed anchors
- tell a trusted imam or family member, and join a recovery group
- make dua at the times it is accepted, such as in sujud and the last third of the night
If you or someone else is in danger from an overdose, call your local emergency number now. See also are drugs haram and gambling.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Az-Zumar 39:53
۞ قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣﴾
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Allah forgives all sins for the one who repents.
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:90
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَٰمُ رِجْسٌۭ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩٠﴾
O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.
The substances and habits behind addiction are forbidden.
Sahih Muslim 2758
Sahih... علم أن له ربا يغفر الذنب ويأخذ بالذنب ...
"He knew that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds to account for them."
Repeated repentance after relapse is accepted.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2038
Graded sahih... نعم يا عباد الله تداووا ...
"Yes, servants of Allah, seek treatment."
Treatment, including for dependency, is encouraged.
Sahih Muslim 2003
Sahih... كل مسكر خمر وكل مسكر حرام ...
"Every intoxicant is khamr, and every intoxicant is haram."
Using intoxicants is the sin to repent from.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Ashriba. A small, non-intoxicating amount of a drug may be used as medicine for a need.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on treatment. Seeking treatment is permitted.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.