Fatawa: Smoking

Gulf Times
Friday, 16 March, 2007

Smoking

Smoking did not exist in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) yet we know that Islam forbids all things that are harmful to the body in general, along with anything that harms one’s neighbours or wastes money. We put before you the following evidence regarding the ruling on smoking so that you can discern for yourself whether or not it is halaal (permissible) or haraam (forbidden).

We do not advocate each individual making Islamic rulings on their own. Our aim in taking this approach is to give the reader an opportunity toreflect and consider the evidence for themselves, especially if they are smokers, because nothing is more convincing at times than one’s ownrationale.

1. Allah Ta’ala states in Soorah Al-’Araaf Aayah 157: He has allowed forthem all good and lawful things [at-tayyibaat] and forbids for them all evil and unlawful things [al-khabaa-ith]... Smoking is of the harmful and evil and unlawful things.
2. Allah Ta’ala states in Soorah Al-Baqarah Aayah 195: And do not throw yourselves into destruction... Smoking causes or contributes to a host of illnesses such as throat, mouth and lung cancer, tuberculosis, emphysema,respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, heart disease, and the listgoes on...
3. Allah Ta’ala states in Soorah Al-Israa Aayah 26-27: But spend not wastefully of your wealth in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of the shayaateen (devils). Smoking is a waste of money and of the deeds of Shaitaan (Satan).
4. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic hadith: Laa darara wa laa diraar Let there be neither harm nor reciprocating harm. Smoking harms the smoker and the one who is next to him and it is a waste of money.
5. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in a hadith (mutafaqun‘alaihi) agreed upon by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim: Allah hates that you squander wealth. Smoking is a waste of wealth that is hated by Allah.
6. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in another hadith (mutafaqun ‘alaihi): The example of a righteous companion and the evil companion is analogous to the seller of perfumes and the blacksmith... The smoker is an evil companion who blows fire.
7. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in a third hadith(mutafaqun ‘alaihi): My entire ummah (nation) is excused except the mujaahireen (open public sinner). The smoker is an open sinner whose sinis inexcusable unless he abandons his open sinful display.
8. If a person was to burn money we would say to him or her "Are you nuts!Haraam!" So how about the one who spends hundreds of riyals on smoking?!
9. Is it really a part of good religion or morals or plain sensitivity and good taste to disturb and harass people with your cigarette or pipe smoke and pollute their clean air?! You must know that polluting the air is as bad as polluting drinking water.
10. Have you ever asked yourself if smoking will be put on your scale of good deeds or the scale of wrong and evil deeds?!

So what do you think the ruling on smoking is? Halaal or haraam?

Brother or Sister Muslim Smoker...Ask Allah for help and be determined to quit smoking. Whatever someone drops for the sake of Allah, He will surely help him. Be patient and remember that Allah is with the patient. Make supplication (du’aa) to Allah with the utmost sincerity especially after the adhaan and the salaatand any other time.

Say: O Allah make it clear to me that smoking isuseless and wrong and give me the strength to shun it and make itloathsome and hateful to me, Aameen.

The Islamic Ruling

Smoking in all its forms [i.e. cigars, cigarettes, pipes, water pipes,etc.) is haraam (forbidden) and working in a factory that produces cigarsor cigarettes and the like is also forbidden and therefore any earnings from such work are also haraam and constitute unlawful provisions.

Buying,and selling cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc. is also forbidden as is renting retail space to someone who will sell cigarettes from that place is also forbidden (haraam). All of this is co-operation in sin and enmity which isexpressly forbidden in the Qur’an and the authentic sunnah. All forms of smoking are clearly filth and the one who is afflicted with it muststruggle to the utmost to rid themselves of this filthy habit.

The above is a summarisation of the Islamic ruling related by Shaykh AbdulAziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdur-Rahman Ibn Baz and Shaykh Muhammad As-Saaleh Al-’Uthaimeen (rahimahullah) and the Permanent Council of Fiqh in SaudiArabia and is agreed upon by the majority of Islamic scholars worldwide.

A small minority of scholars say that smoking is allowable while some haveruled it as detestable. The evidence of the harmfulness of smoking and theclear principles of Islam based upon the absolute proofs within the Qur’anand the authentic Sunnah, some of which was related above, clearly supportthe position of tahreem (being haraam) as the strongest and correctruling.

Source: Gulf Times