@Lewdog I mentioned sufism above : but it's a very small minority AND it has nothing to do with western style drug abuse - it is strictly ritualistic.
But isn't that what was asked by the OP? Are any drugs used in rituals by Muslims? So the answer would be yes...and no. It's not widely accepted by those of the Islamic faith to use drugs, but some sects allow it's use in order to reach a higher mental plain. /thread.
@Lewdog oh yeah - of course - the appendix in my last sentence was not aimed at you but at the general populace - you'll notice in previous posts by other members that most seem not to acknowledge the difference between "recreational" substance abuse and ritualistic usage... I've been told myself that "you Christians drink alcohol in church" - how ridiculous might that be
Drinking/drugs or anything that harms the body, mentally or physically are all forbidden for Muslims.
Wow, this thread is still alive. Just wanted to stop by and let you all know I appreciate all the feedback. My story is still going strong, but I have changed so much that my original question is not really relevant anymore. However, I find it an interesting topic.
I only just now saw this response. His use of the Islamic world as a backdrop "color" for the story is often cited as being a clear analogy of the petroleum paradigm in the real world. Spice/Petroleum. He himself was very coy about touching that subject in interviews. His line was always that the story is about resource allocation, a theme shared by his Void Ship novels that were contemporaneously written. There is a lot of Hinduism in the story as well. The Bene Gesserit are clearly based on ancient Yogis. Ghanima, Leto II's sister, uses prana bindu to commit a couple of Bene Gesserit no-nos, to include halting her aging process.