نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسنده
استادیار، گروه جامعهشناسی، پژوهشگاه حوزه و دانشگاه، قم، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسنده [English]
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the foundation of all Twelve-Step fellowships, was first established in the United States in 1935 with the goal of helping alcoholics who otherwise faced death. In 1953, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) emerged, inspired by AA’s teachings, and today has more than two million members worldwide. NA was introduced to Iran in 1990 (1369 SH) at a rehabilitation center in Qarchak and, in 2013 (1392 SH), obtained official NGO status from the Ministry of Interior. All activities are voluntary. NA employs a spirituality-based therapeutic approach that has proven effective in addiction treatment and prevention across many countries, including Iran.
However, the importation of NA’s spiritual framework into Iran without careful consideration of its possible cultural and religious side effects has raised challenges for Muslim addicts. Identifying both harms and opportunities—particularly with regard to religious commitment—is therefore essential. The central research question is: What harms and opportunities does the Twelve-Step recovery method present for Muslim addicts? The aim of this study is to introduce the core teachings of NA and to identify their potential risks and benefits for Muslim participants.
Methodology:This study employed documentary analysis and interviews with recovering NA members. The data set included NA literature, workshop materials, and semi-structured interviews with recovering addicts. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used, with statements in written sources and interviews treated as the units of analysis. Thematic categorization focused on substantive content, with coding units identified as recurring themes. Primary sources included Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book, As Bill Sees It, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, and Narcotics Anonymous: How It Works. In addition, certain NA teachings were critically compared with Islamic principles.
Findings: The Twelve-Step method emerged from a combination of Christian teachings of the Oxford Group and the early recovery experiences of AA’s founders. Although AA later declared itself non-denominational, its approach remains spirituality-based, emphasizing the fulfillment of addicts’ spiritual needs.
Opportunities identified include:
Compatibility of the Steps as a therapeutic technique with Islamic law,
Possibility of recovery while maintaining Islamic religious commitment,
Simplicity and accessibility of the method, enabling recovering addicts to guide others voluntarily,
Independence from government funding.
Harms identified include:
Fundamental differences between Twelve-Step teachings and Islamic principles,
Misinterpretations arising from Persian translations of NA texts,
Lack of emphasis on maintaining Islamic religious practice after completing the Steps,
Absence of adaptation of Twelve-Step teachings to the cultural and spiritual heritage of Islam.
The main recommendation is that the Twelve Steps should be used by Muslim addicts only as a therapeutic technique for recovery rather than as a comprehensive spiritual lifestyle. Strengthening Islamic religiosity among members—especially sponsors—and adapting the method to Islamic culture, while preserving the Steps’ therapeutic structure, would allow Muslim addicts to benefit from this approach without compromising their faith.
Conclusion: Although the Twelve-Step model has Christian roots, it was designed to be applicable to individuals of all faiths or none. Its founders promoted it as a spiritual way of life, extending beyond addiction recovery. For Muslim addicts, however, adopting the Steps wholesale as a religious or spiritual lifestyle is unacceptable in Islam, since they do not incorporate Islamic beliefs and obligations.
If, however, Muslim addicts employ the Twelve Steps strictly as a therapeutic method within the framework of Islamic faith and practice, this approach is not only permissible but desirable. Given the proven effectiveness of this method, Muslim addicts who remain committed to Islamic teachings may progress through the Steps more effectively, with fewer errors, since Islam already provides a divinely guided spiritual path through the Qur’an and the Prophet.
Accordingly, Muslim NA members should preserve their Islamic spiritual lifestyle and use the Twelve-Step method solely for addiction recovery and control, drawing on Islam as their ultimate source of guidance.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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