OUR EXAMPLES​
Umar Ibn Khattab raa was told about a man, a man of strength, a strong man who helped against the enemies of Allah azza wa jalla, but he had a problem, He was an Alcoholic.  So the believers came to the Khalifah and asked, "what should we do?"  He replied, "give me a pen and paper"  With his own hand he wrote a letter to him.  He said, "from Amir Ibn Khattab to so and so, As salaamu alayka, (Peace be upon you).  I Praise Allah to you,  Laa ilaaha illa huwa (there is no God but He)"  Then he wrote down the first three verses of Suratul Ghaafir: 
حم Ha Mim
تَنزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ  The revelation of this Book is from Allah, Exalted in Power, Full of Knowledge,- - 
غَافِرِ الذَّنبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوْبِ شَدِيدِ الْعِقَابِ ذِي الطَّوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ Who forgives sin, accepts repentance, is strict in punishment, and hath a long reach (in all things). There is no god but He: to Him is the final goal.
Umar Ibn Khattab gave this letter to them and said make sure the man is Sober when you give it to him.  So the went to him and gave him the letter and he read it and said, " Allahu Akbar, Allah is Forgiving, Allah is Merciful but Allah's punishment is Severe" He CRIED and made TAUBA (repented).  When Umar Ibn Khattab wrote the letter he asked everyone present to make dua' for the man and Allah s.w.t. accepted their Dua' and the man repented.   When the news was brought back to Umar Ibn Khattab he said,
 "هكذا فاصنعوا اذا رايتم احدكم زل فسددوه و ادعوا له و لا تكونوا أعوانا للشياطين عليه"
"This is how you should treat one of you when he commits a wrong.  You should supplicate for them and you should not ASSIST Shaytaan AGAINST them.  
​

HOPE'S 10 Strides To Recovery

"So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith." 3:139

At IHOPE, Islamic Holistic Outreach Programe, we use the 10 STRIDES to RECOVERY as a framework to give the recovering addict a foundation and direction in which to start the road to recovery and rediscover themselves as they turn away from the deception and devices of Shaytaan to the Truth and Reality of Allah.

The ABC's, which are the essential building blocks of the 10 STRIDE, are set at the outset of the Journey to equip the Recovering Addict with a sound foundation, direction and wiliness to travel this road successfully, bi'ithnillah (by the permission of Allah). Acknowledgement, Belief, and a Conscious Choice are the basic foundations for LIBERATION from the imprisonment of one's nafs (physical self) to freedom and control of the complete being, allowing the individual to become a true slave of His Master, Allah s.w.t. and not ones Desires.  Although the TEN STRIDES have been designed for those struggling with DRUG and ALCOHOL addictions, they can be applied to FOOD and other addictions plaguing humanity.

We offer 24 hour counselling and support for all Recovering Addicts.  We refer to any addict who has made the decision to seek help for their addiction a RECOVERING ADDICT and not AN ADDICT, because recover begins with ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.  The moment you contact IHOPE or reach out to anyone about changing your course of action you are in the STATE OF RECOVERY, let us walk with you take EACH STRIDE one day at  time.  Our 10 STRIDES are based upon the best of Guidance, Al-Quran and the Life of our Beloved Prophet s.a.a.w.s.  We have also studied extensively on the PITFALLS to maintaining a successful sobriety and recovery and incorporated many of them in our strides framework. 

Our HOPES are to empower all recovering addicts with the necessary tools to enable their minds, bodies, and spirits to suppress their LOWER self and all her desires that often enslaves mankind. From food addictions to drugs, alcohol, internet, pornography, video games and much more, they are all devices that Shaytaan uses to appeal to the children of Adam from in order to turn them from complete SUBMISSION to their LORD, which will elevate and honor them, to COMPLETE enslavement to their desires, which will humiliate and debase them.
Please join on facebook to read our daily inspirational post, have live discussions and chat with available counselors: inshaaAllah 
​https://www.facebook.com/10StridesofIHOPE

10 Strides To Recovery:
Stride 1 - I Acknowledge to myself and my Lord that I gave power of my life to an ADDITION that has been destructive to me and disobedient to Him.  I ask His forgiveness and I have hope in His Mercy and Forgiveness.  I have now taken complete control over my Life and I give all power over my being to Allah and Him alone.
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Say: "Behold, my prayer, and (all] my acts of worship, and my living and my dying are for Allah [alone], the Sustainer of all the worlds, - 6:162
Stride 2 - I Believe by taking control of my life, implementing stride 1, Allah the all powerful, لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله, will change my condition completely.
Verily Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).13:11
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
Stride 3 - I have now made a Conscious Choice and willing decision to submit myself completely to Allah, as He has commanded. I am no longer a slave of my addiction I am a slave of The Master.
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Behold! his Lord said to him: "Bow (thy will to Me):" He said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the Universe." - 2:131
Stride 4 - I realize that I have an addictive personality and with this realization I will commit myself to practicing a HOLISTIC lifestyle free of any kind of mind altering substance, ILLEGAL or LEGAL.
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss. - 17:82
Stride 5 - I will face my addiction head-on and no longer deny that I have given this or these addictions power over me. I can not quit this addiction alone, I need Allah and all the help he sends me.
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّى إِلَى الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌThen he turned aside into the shade, and said: My Lord! I am needy of whatever good You send down for me. - 28:24
Stride 6 - From this day forward I will not blame any entity for my addiction except myself (my Nafs). I will make every change needed to control her, my nafs, and not feed her desires. I know that drugs and alcohol are devices and handiwork of Satan but he can not make me use them. I can only blame me for making the choice to use.“And Satan said, when the matter hath been decided: Lo! Allah promised you a promise of truth; I promised you, then failed you. And I had no power over you save that I called unto you and ye obeyed me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves....”14:22
Stride 7 - I admit that my Addiction is not just affecting me, meaning it's my business only, but it affects all those closely connected to me . I will ask all of those affected by my addiction to forgive me and to support me in my journey of Recovery. 
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مِنْمَالٍوَمَازَادَاللَّهُعَبْدًابِعَفْوٍإِلاَّعِزًّاوَمَاتَوَاضَعَأَحَدٌلِلَّهِإِلاَّرَفَعَهُاللَّهُ
Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives except that Allah increases his honor, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status. Sahih Muslim 2588
Stride 8 - I will not compare myself to others nor will I use material gain or a successful lifestyle to measure my level of addiction. Whether in small or large quantities I know that any substance that alters my mind and I crave it, despite its harmful consequences is an addiction. It doesn't matter if I have a functional lifestyle or if I look like a typical drug addict, I acknowledge I am an ADDICT.
Stride 9 - I will reach out for assistance and utilize all spiritual practices such as, prayer, fasting, Quran reading, dhikr, counseling as an ongoing treatment and whenever I'm having cravings, feeling weak or having withdrawal symptoms.
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ (29:45)
Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do. - 29:45
Stride 10 - I believe by freeing myself from this addiction and submitting myself to my Lord completely, giving Him complete power over me, I will be successful in my Recovery. 
"Allah Most High says: "He who is hostile to a friend of Mine I declare war against. My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him" (Fath al-Bari, 11.34041, hadith 6502)

I will learn, understand and implement the 10 STRIDES in every aspect of my life and I will take this message to addicts everywhere, Inshaa Allah!
IHOPE RECOVERY, Hajjah Karimah.

Three kinds of Nafs mentioned in the Quran:
In the Qur’an three kinds of human self have been mentioned: ‘ammarah, lawwamah and mutma’inah.

1. Nafs ‘ammara is the self that urges man to evil;
2. Nafs lawwamah is the self that feels repentant at doing or thinking wrong and reproaches man for this. This is the conscience; and
3. Nafs mutma’inah is the self that feels full satisfaction at following the right path and abandoning the wrong path.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala swears by nafs lawwamah. A question may arise: why Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala swears by nafs lawwamah? Hasan Basri commented,“Verily, by Allah, we think that every believer blames himself. He says (questioning himself), ‘What did I intend by my statement? Why did I intend by my eating? What did I intend in what I said to myself?’ However, the sinner proceeds ahead and he does not blame himself.” This indicates that man is not merely an animal but a ‘moral being’. He naturally can distinguish right from wrong and holds himself accountable for his choices. He criticizes himself for the wrong he committed and is pleased when he suppresses his nafs’s calling to evil. Mujahid commented, “He is sorry for what he missed (of good deeds) and he blames himself for it.” Such is the soul of a person whose conscience is still alive and believes in Resurrection. 
Taken from: https://versebyversequranstudycircle.wordpress.com
/2014/08/27/tafseer-surah-al-qiyamah-ayaat-1-15/

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