Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan
Question: Assalam alaykum,
Is it permissible to use ritalin or aderall for studying?
Answer: Wa alaykum al-Salam
Retalin and aderall are both drugs or medication used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD.
Since many arguments exist for and against the usage of such medication, the following guidelines should be adhered to:
1. Consult a reliable doctor of known integrity in order to determine whether the medication is harmful or not. If the medication is not harmful, it will be permissible; if harmful
2. Ensure that no alternative medication exist that is equally effective. If no equally effective medication exist, then one may use the medication if
3. There is a real need for it, whereby the learner is not able to study or function without it.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan
Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.