The lack of an explicit divine prohibition against meth led to a man, ostensibly of God, to consume the illegal drug without any apparent sense of guilt.
Police in Bangkalan regency, East Java this week arrested a 46-year-old ustad (Islamic preacher), who is identified by his initials AM, for meth consumption and distribution to his students.
Police had been on AM's trail for around two months since he left the Islamic school where he worked, but the preacher was finally arrested on Monday when he came back to town to attend a funeral.
In a press conference yesterday, Bangkalan Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra said AM doesn't believe that meth is forbidden in Islam.
"According to him, smoking meth boosts his drive in reading the Quran," he said, as quoted by Tribun.
Rama added that AM had been using meth for around 10 years. He also got some of his students – whose ages were not disclosed – hooked and sold the illegal substance to them.
At the presser, AM told reporters that he is adamant that meth is not haram (forbidden for consumption by Muslims). "It's forbidden by the state, but there is no rule [about meth] in the Quran," he said.
While the modern-day drug is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran, the Islamic holy book does have a blanket prohibition on all substances that could alter or negatively affect one's perception.
Despite his steadfast belief, AM could face up to 20 years in prison for possession and drug trafficking.