Abstract
Until the last century, the scientific world has approached addiction as a moral weakness rather than a disease, and has dealt with the issue within the framework of criminal practices rather than preventive and curative actions. Today, scientific studies show that addiction will be examined in the category of diseases that negatively affect the human brain and behavior. In the last quarter century, apart from alcohol and substance use, which come to mind first when addiction is mentioned, experts in the field examine many habits such as social media, gambling and virtual games, collecting, hoarding, sexual tendencies, cleaning within the framework of the addictions that reduce the working power of the person, harm his relations with the environment, and harm the body and soul and have negative effects on health.
When we focus on religions in general and Islam in particular, it is seen that addictive processes such as alcohol, gambling, fortune-telling and habits whose destructions can be clearly observed on a person's life are prohibited. However, religion did not limit the factors that put people into the cycle of addiction with these prohibitions but drew attention to the fondness of human for women, men, children, gold and silver saving, fattened horses, animals and crops. Appearing in the scene of existence for the purpose of servitude, humankind is faced with a state of addiction when the material and spiritual gains offered to help people in this divine journey are adopted as a goal rather than as a tool.
Sufism, the spiritual and tentative aspect of Islam, has continued to develop within the limits defined by the Qur'an and Sunnah, and along a line distinguished by obedience to orders and avoidance of prohibitions. However, it is obvious from the beginning of Sufism that Sufis do not show their hesitation and prudence only against the Haram. They have taken a cautious stance against all kinds of inclinations and worldly desires that turn the heart away from the Hakk (Allah, the God), and they have paid close attention to all kinds of habits and inclinations included within the scope of the massive. The concept of mâsivâ in Sufism is a phenomenon that encompasses all the dependencies, visible and unseen, and which Sâlik (pilgrim) must abandon in his spiritual journey. The Sufi Pilgrim is in a state of struggle with all kinds of mâsivâ that distract his body and heart from a selîm (honest) heart. Their abstemiousness and mücâhede (struggle) in order to reach Hakk and purify mâsivâ also allowed some habits and tendencies to be noticed before reaching the addiction process. When Sufi texts are examined, it is observed that the Sufis have two distinct attitudes toward addiction: The first is their struggle against all kinds of habits and whims that capture the body and heart within the framework of the concept of mâsivâ, and the second is their constructive attitude toward those who are personally addicted.