Breaking the Chains of Addiction

Addiction is a form of slavery—one that is silently devastating the Muslim community. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, gambling, or pornography, too many of our youth are trapped, ashamed, and without a place to turn.

I’m Tabari Zahir, a licensed therapist serving the Southern California community with chaplaincy, khateeb lectures, and therapeutic services. With nearly 1 million Muslims in Southern California alone, we have no live-in recovery facility to help those struggling with addiction. After witnessing firsthand the destruction of addiction—both on the streets and in prison—I made it my life’s mission to help Muslims break free. Today, I run an outpatient center, serving many Muslims with mental health and addiction services, but the community need is far greater.

There is only ONE inpatient facility dedicated to Muslims in the entire U.S. We must change that.

With your support, we will build a dedicated inpatient center—one that heals not just the body, but the soul. The Muslim community deserves this. Our brothers and sisters deserve a place to recover, reconnect with their faith, and reclaim their lives.

Join us in this mission. Give today and be a part of transforming lives.

From Dope Dealer to Licensed Healer …

Being Muslim in America doesn’t always shield you from the grip of addiction. The world is full of traps—chemical dependencies, behavioral compulsions, and the endless allure of internet-based vices. I know this because I’ve lived it. I was born into a Muslim family, raised with faith and values, but life had other plans for me. When I lost my father at a young age, the ground beneath me crumbled. Poverty and hopelessness crept in, and I became an easy target for the streets.  

The streets were my teacher, but they taught me lessons I never wanted to learn. I saw addiction in all its forms—drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, shopping—it didn’t matter. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It consumes everything in its path. I was part of the problem, a cog in the machine. I was in the drug trade. And though, Alhamdulillah, I never fell into addiction myself, I saw its devastation up close. I wasn’t just selling drugs; I was fueling cycles of destruction. I was complicit in the unraveling of lives, families, and souls.  

It wasn’t until I found myself in prison that the full weight of my actions crashed down on me. I wasn’t just trafficking drugs—I was trafficking human suffering. Behind those walls, I sat with men who, like me, were Muslim. Some had just embraced Islam; others had been born into it. Their stories were hauntingly similar: 99 percent of their crimes were tied, directly or indirectly, to drugs. Addiction had stolen their lives, their families, and, in some cases, their faith. It was a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore.  

In that moment, I made a promise—to myself, to Allah, and to the men around me. I would never again be part of that cycle. I didn’t know how I would help, or even where to start. I had no background in counseling or psychotherapy. But I knew one thing: I had to do something.  

That promise became my purpose. Today, I stand on the other side of that darkness. We’ve built recovery programs and run an outpatient center dedicated to helping Muslims struggling with addiction. It’s a place of healing, of hope, of second chances. 

But it’s not enough.

 The battle against addiction is far from over. Because no one should have to face this fight alone. And no one is beyond saving. Every day, I’m reminded of the work still to be done, the lives still to be saved.

Why an Inpatient Center?

Right now, across the entire United States, there is only ONE inpatient facility specifically for Muslims—Just one. And yet, addiction—particularly pornography, is devastating our communities. We need a place where Muslims can heal holistically—body, mind, and soul.

For those unfamiliar with the difference: Outpatient treatment allows individuals to receive care while continuing their daily lives, but for many, it’s not enough. Inpatient treatment means fully immersing in a healing environment—removing the triggers, temptations, and toxic cycles that fuel addiction. It’s round-the-clock support, structured therapy, and a space where transformation can truly begin.

I know this world in ways that textbooks can’t teach. I know the language, the slick talk, the violence, the traps that keep people stuck. The same skills I once used to make hundreds of thousands on the streets—I now use to reverse the damage. To free the people I once helped enslave.

This work is not just about sobriety. It’s about Tazkiya—purification of the soul.

Breaking the Chains of Slavery

We pray, we fast, we give Zakat—all to purify ourselves for the sake of Allah. But what about the Muslim who is trapped in addiction, enslaved by their Nafs? How can they break free when their own body betrays them, when their mind is consumed by urges they no longer control?

And in our communities, chemical addiction isn’t even the biggest problem. It’s pornography addiction. Many young Muslims are exposed before they are old enough to understand what’s happening to them. By the time they realize they are struggling, shame and silence have already tightened the chains. They feel isolated, unworthy, and too broken to seek help. 

In Islam, to free a slave is one of the greatest deeds a person can do. What greater slavery is there than addiction? To help someone overcome their addiction is to free them—from their own destructive desires, from the corporations that profit off their pain, from the darkness pulling them away from Allah.

This Is the Work of Liberation

Every day, people and their families come to me at their breaking point—desperate, hopeless, lost. And every day, I do everything in my power to help them find their way back. To themselves. To their families. To Allah.

But I can’t do this alone. We need a dedicated inpatient facility for Muslims. A place where they can heal not just physically, but spiritually. A place where they can be truly free.

If you believe in this work, if you believe in freeing people from the chains of addiction, then I ask you: Help us build this. Help us give them a way out. There is no greater work than helping people back to the right path!

How Your Donation Will Make an Impact

We are building history—one milestone at a time. This campaign will be funded in stretch goals, starting at $30,000 and growing toward our ultimate goal of $120,000. Every dollar raised brings us closer to opening Southern California’s first inpatient recovery center for Muslims (see photo below of the home we've already acquired).

While we are also competing for grants to make this project a long-term success, your support is the foundation that will bring this vision to life. Here’s how your contributions will be used:

• $42,000 – Covers one full year of rent for the facility
• $31,000 – Pays for a facility manager to oversee operations and care
• $24,000 – Provides furniture and essential supplies to create a safe, healing environment
• $3,000 – Covers licensure and regulatory fees to ensure compliance
• $20,000 – Miscellaneous, administrative, and campaign fees

Your generosity is more than a donation—it’s an investment in saving lives, restoring dignity, and building a lasting resource for our community.

Join us in making history. Give today and help us reach our next milestone!

Our Timeline: A Path to Healing

We believe that hope is on the horizon! Once we reach our campaign goal, we anticipate launching initial operations within 3 to 4 months. This timeline will allow us to secure the facility, finalize licensing, and prepare the space for our future residents.

Together, we will transform lives by creating a sanctuary for healing and recovery—where every Muslim in Southern California can find support, connection, and faith.

Join us on this journey. Your support today will help us take the first steps toward opening our doors to those in need. Let’s build a brighter future—one milestone at a time!

Learn More About Lamps of Light and Tabari Zahir

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https://lampsoflight.org/