Fruitful Living
Steps taken by government to combat illicit drugs (Final part)
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking for a safer environment which would
go a long way to make Ghana a drug-free country. 3News.com (2025)
Solutions to Illicit Drugs from the Islamic perspective
are comprehensive and emphasise of both prevention and treatment:
Tarbiyah (Islamic nurturing): Instilling strong Islamic values from childhood through Qur’anic education, regular prayer, and association with righteous companions.
Community preaching (Da’wah): Imams must consistently raise awareness during khutbahs and Islamic programs about the dangers of drugs and the beauty of a sober, productive life.
Faith-based rehabilitation: Mosques and Islamic centers can partner with medical institutions to offer Qur’an therapy, spiritual counseling, and structured recovery programs.
Islamic youth clubs: Providing youth with halal entertainment, mentorship, and purposeful engagement can steer them away from harmful peer groups.
Zakat and Sadaqah: Channelling funds to support families of victims and establishing centres for rehabilitation.
Role of Parents, Society, Muslim Chiefs and Imams:
Parents must be vigilant and provide emotional support. A loving, nurturing home reduces a child’s vulnerability to drugs.
Society should de-stigmatize addiction. Drug users should be seen as patients needing healing, not criminals deserving rejection.
Muslim Chiefs must lead community campaigns, setting moral examples and supporting policy enforcement.
Imams must be more than religious leaders—they must become counsellors, educators, and advocates. Their leadership can shift public perception and guide collective action.
Conclusion
Illicit drugs pose one of the most dangerous threats to our society, undermining our religious values, harming our youth, and destroying our future. The Islamic position is clear and
Unequivocal: such substances are forbidden due to their destructive consequences on all aspects of life. Islam does not merely condemn the act but calls for a holistic response—spiritual, social, and structural.
As a society, particularly as Muslims, we must rise to confront this crisis with faith, compassion, and commitment. We must not only preach against drugs but actively work to rehabilitate victims, educate the next generation, and partner with public institutions to create a society of wellness and righteousness.
Recommendations
1. Introduce Islamic drug awareness education in madrasas and public schools, using Quran and Hadith-based materials to instill moral responsibility.
2. Create partnerships between the Ghana Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Health Service, and Muslim organisations to develop culturally sensitive rehabilitation centres.
3. Train Imams and teachers in basic mental health and drug abuse counselling to serve as front-line responders in communities.
4. Utilise Friday sermons (khutbahs) nationwide to address the dangers of drug abuse periodically and provide practical steps for prevention.
5. Encourage community surveillance, where parents, chiefs, and youth groups report dealers and suspicious activities to the authorities.
6. Establish mentorship programmes in every Muslim community where successful, drug-free role models mentor youth.
7. Form interfaith coalitions, working across religious lines to tackle the drug menace as a national threat rather than a religious issue.
8. Provide job skills training for rehabilitated victims, helping them reintegrate into society and live dignified, self-sufficient lives.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author
Fruitful Living
Islam and the environment (Part 1)
We praise and glorify Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. We send salutations upon the best of creation, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the final Messenger of Allah, who taught us to live in balance, justice, and compassion with all creatures of the earth.
Introduction
The preservation of the environment is not merely a contemporary global concern; it is deeply
rooted in divine revelation.
In Islam, the environment is a manifestation of Allah’s signs (Ayatullah) and a trust (Amaanah) given to humanity. Unfortunately, modern civilisation, driven by profit, exploitation, and ignorance, has led to climate change, deforestation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and global warming.
Islam’s holistic worldview offers timeless ethical principles that advocate environmental protection, making it highly compatible with international frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As Muslims, safeguarding the earth is both a spiritual duty and a social responsibility.
Definition of Environment and the Islamic Perspective
The environment is broadly defined as the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live.”
In academic terms, it includes all external physical, biological, and chemical factors influencing living organisms (Miller & Spoolman, 2011).
From an Islamic standpoint, the environment is the creation of Allah entrusted to humanity to use with responsibility and moderation.
Allah says: “And do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order, and invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Surely, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.”
(Surah Al-A’raf, 7:56)
This verse explicitly commands humans not to destroy the balance (mīzān) that Allah has
established.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) further reinforced environmental
ethics through his actions and sayings, encouraging tree planting, animal welfare, cleanliness,
and the preservation of water sources.
Components of the Environment in Islam
The environment encompasses various ecosystems and natural elements, including:
• Dry and fertile lands – used for agriculture and housing.
• Forests – sources of oxygen, biodiversity, and medicine.
• Water bodies – such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, seas, and oceans, essential for life.
• Ramsar Sites and World Heritage Areas – designated for ecological protection due to
their unique natural value.
Islam values every element of nature. For instance, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as charity.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2320)
By Imam Saeed Abdulai
Fruitful Living
Why Should I forgive others? (Part 1)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”- Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
CONFLICT is never easy—especially when it happens within the church. Many believers can relate to the heartache of strained relationships, misunderstandings, or even church splits.
Though these moments don’t make us lose our salvation, they often test our faith deeply. At times, the discouragement can feel so intense that quitting the Christian walk seems like a tempting option.
Yet, in Christ, we are called into a new kind of family—a family transformed by grace. We are to be peacemakers, reconcilers, and forgivers because we ourselves have been forgiven so completely.
Scripture doesn’t just call us to live in peace; it calls us to reflect the heart of Christ, the One who gave Himself for His enemies. The brief but powerful letter to Philemon offers timeless wisdom on this topic.
Living in grace
The Apostle Paul’s letter to Philemon is only 335 words in the original Greek, yet it carries profound lessons about grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Paul writes not as an authoritarian apostle but as a loving brother in Christ, appealing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus—a runaway slave who had since become a believer.
Paul gently urges, “Though I could be bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is proper, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you…” (Philemon 1:8–9). He pleads with love, not law. He even offers to pay any debt Onesimus owes: “If he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge that to my account” (v. 18).
This is not “forgive and forget.” This is a real reckoning of wrong, met with real grace. Paul illustrates what Christ has done for all of us—He takes our debt and pays it with His own life.
Our identity in Christ
Paul emphasises that Onesimus has undergone a radical transformation. Once “useless,” he is now “useful” (v. 11)—a beautiful play on the meaning of his name. The point? In Christ, our identity is changed. We’re not defined by our failures or past offenses. We are made new.
Philemon, a slave master, is being asked to receive Onesimus not as property, but as a brother in Christ. This is a powerful call to the Church: we must see each other through the lens of our shared redemption. Grace transforms social structures, erases labels, and redefines our relationships.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
