Definition
Smoking refers to the action of lighting a cigarette, a pipe, a cigar, a water
pipe, or any other object made from tobacco or materials of similar effects.
The object is then sucked on with the lips to extract smoke. This smoke is
inhaled into the chest and then exhaled from the nose and mouth as a thick
white smoke. "Smoking" is now used to refer to the action of producing this
smoke in English, Arabic, and other languages.
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Evidence for the Prohibition of Smoking
There are many reasons, any one of which aufficient to rule smoking prohibited.
Most importantly, it is harmful in numerous ways. It is harmful to the Deen,
health, environment, family, brotherhood and social relations, property, etc.
The following sections will briefly outline some of its harms and evils.
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Haram To The Deen
Smoking spoils a person's acts of worship and reduces their rewards. For
instance, it spoils the prayer, which is the pillar of Deen. Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) said:Whoever eats garlic or onion, let him avoid us and our
masjid, and stay in his home. The angels are surely hurt by things that hurt
the human beings(1)
Those with clean and undefiled fitrah (nature) have no doubt that the smell
emanating from the mouth of a smoker is worse and more foul than that from the
mouth of one who ate garlic or onion. Thus, a smoker is in between two options,
either to harm the praying people and the angels with his foul smell, or miss
the prayer in jamaah.
Smoking also spoils fasting. Fasting is very hard for the smoker. As soon as
the day is over, he hastens to break his fast on an evil cigarette instead of
sweet dates or pure water. Even if he fasts through the month Ramadan, a smoker
is reluctant to fast on other days. Thus he loses the great reward of those who
fast even one day in Allah's way.
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Harm To The Human Body
No one can deny the harm of smoking to the human body. The medical evidence for
this is well established and overwhelming. Because of this, the law in many
countries requires including a warning on any smoking advertisement.
Smoking contains poisonous materials, such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide,
arsenic, benzopyrene, etc., that the smoker swallows in small proportions.
Their harm accumulates with time to result in a gradual killing of the human
organs and tissues.
The hazards of smoking to the health are hard to enumerate. Cancer,
tuberculosis, heart attacks, asthma, coughing, premature birth, infertility,
infections in the digestive system, high blood pressure, nervousness, mouth and
teeth diseases, etc., are among the many health hazards that have been strongly
linked to smoking.
These diseases may not appear all at once, however a smoker is most likely to
suffer from some of them, and his suffering increases as he grows older.
Furthermore, statistics have established that smokers' age is, on the average,
ten years less than other people's.
This is aufficient to prohibit smoking. Islam prohibits any action that causes
harm to oneself or to other people. Allah (T) says (what means):
<<Do not kill yourselves, Allah is indeed merciful to you.>>(2)
<<Do not cast yourselves, with your own hands, into destruction.>>(3)
And the Messenger (pnuh) says: No harm may be inflicted on oneself or
others.(4)
The feet of a human being will not depart, on the day of Judgement, from his
standing before his Lord, until he is questioned about five things: his
lifetime - how did he pass it, his youth - how did he used it, his wealth -
where did he earn it and how did he spend it, and how did he follow what he
knew.(5)
Whoever consumes poison, killing himself with it, then he will he consuming his
poison in the hellfire, and he will abide in it permanently and eternally.(6)
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Harm To The Mind and Will Power
Smoking is harmful to the human mind and reason. An obvious demonstration of
this is that one who is addicted to it passes through periods of severe
craving, making it hard for him to think, concentrate, solve a problem, or do
any important matter, until he smokes.
When one smokes, his muscles slacken, and he passes through a brief period of
delirium that curtains the thought. His digestive system is also affected,
causing him frequent nervousness and trembling of the hands. He passes through
periods of excitability, in itation, and insomnia.
Thus, instead of being Allah's slave, a smoker becomes slave to his cigarette.
He develops a weaker control of his sense and reason. The faculty of reason,
clear and unobstructed, is one of Allah's great bounties on people. He (T)
praised it in numerous places of the Quran; and He called on people to use it
to see the truth and obey Him in a better way. Allah wants of the believer to
be strong and capable of controlling the reigns of his desires. He (T) said
(what means):
<<AIIah (T) wants to let you into His mercy, whereas those who follow the
desires want you to drift far away (from the right path).>>(7)
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Harm To The Environment
A smoker emits his poisons in the faces of his companions, wife, children, and
the environment. It is well established that second-hand smoke is almost as
dangerous as first-hand. Thus, whether they like it or not, a smoker's
associates are forced to inhale the smoke and be themselves smokers as well.
In addition to the poisons normally carried in the smoke, if a smoker has an
contagious disease, such as tuberculosis or influenza, his exhaled smoke and
coughing carry the disease to those around him.
Furthermore, a smoker irritates people by the foul smell and poisonous nature
of his smoking. If they suffer from asthma or allergies, they are forced to
move away from his vicinity. The Prophet (pbuh) said: Anyone who believes in
Allah and the Last Day should not hurt his neighbor.(8)
Thus, smoking constitutes a definite harm to other people; this is prohibited,
as was indicated in the hadith cited earlier.
Also, a smoker is certainly a bad companion to sit with, as is depicted in the
following hadith:
Verily, the example of a good companion and a bad one is like that of a perfume
merchant and a blacksmith: As for the perfume merchant, he would either grant
you (some perfume), or you would buy (some perfume) from him, or (in the least)
you would get a good smell from him. And as for the blower of the bellows
(ironsmith), you would either get a foul odor from him, or he would burn your
clothes.(9)
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Harm To The Property
A smoker wastes his wealth on that which harms and has no benefit; he will be
asked about his wealth and how he spent it, as has been cited in the hadith
earlier. His wealth belongs to Allah, so how would he dare to waste it in
disobedience to Him? Allah (T) says (what means):
<<And do not entrust to the imprudent ones the possessions that Allah has
placed in your charge.. >>(10)
<<And do not waste (your resources) extravagantly. Indeed the squanderers are
the brethren of the devils>>(11)
And the Prophet (pbuh) said: Allah hates for you three things: gossiping,
begging, and wasting money.(12)
Furthermore, there are numerous cases of burnt carpets, furniture, and even
complete houses and establishments that have resulted from this disastrous
vice.
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Moral Decadence
Smoking is a form of moral decadence. It is most spread among the low-class
immoral people. It reflects blind imitation of the non-Muslims. It is mostly
consumed in bars, discos, casinos, and other: places of sin. A smoker may beg
or steal if he does not have the money to buy cigarettes. He is ill-mannered
with his friends and family, especially when he misses taking his necessary
"dose" at the usual time.
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Evil Substance
Smoking involves the consumption of an evil substance (khabeeth). It has a foul
smell, foul taste, and is harmful to the body. This is aufficient to: prohibit
it, because Allah (T) says (what means):
<<(The Prophet) who will enjoin upon them the doing of what is right, forbid
them the doing of what is wrong, make lawful to them the good things of life,
prohibit for them the evil things, and lift from them their burdens and the
shackles that were (previously) upon them.>>(13)
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Resembling The People Of The Fire
A smoker inhales the smoke that does not give him any nourishment. This is
similar to the action of the people of the Hell fire who will eat harmful
thorny plants:
<<No food will be there for them but a poisonous thorny plant, which will
neither nourish them nor still their hunger.>>(14)
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Bad Example
A smoker, whether he likes it or not, makes of himself an example for his
children and others to follow. He leads them to commit this evil. Actions
sometimes have a stronger effect than words. Thus, even if he advises them or
forbids them from smoking, his partaking of it provides them with a strong
excuse to do it.
The problem is worse when the smoker is of known piety or knowledge. In such
case, his harm becomes more emphasized, because more people take him as guide
and example, and are thus lead astray by him. This multiplies his sins and
increases his burden.
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Hostility Toward The Good People
The majority of good people avoid smoking and stay away from smokers.
Therefore, a smoker would be forced to stay away from them - at least while he
smokes. He puts himself in a selective exile, creating a spiritual distance and
hostility between him and the good people, and a closeness to the evil people.
The effects of this become more apparent and acute with time. Note that this
applies equally to any sin that a person commits, small or large.
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Low Self Esteem.
A smoker despises himself, because he feels that a little cigarette is
controlling him. Realizing his weakness before desires, this creates in him a
feeling of defeat in the face of hardships.
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Scholars' Verdict
Since smoking became known to Muslims, all of the great scholars who have the
capability of Ijtihad (deriving verdicts in new situations) agree to its
prohibition. Thus, there is no value for baseless opinions, conflicting with
this, provided by self-proclaimed lesser scholars.
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Warnings
In discussing the subject of the prohibition of smoking, there are some
important warnings that need to be mentioned:
1. As indicated before, the prohibition of smoking is not restricted to
cigarettes, but applies as well to other objects that have similar effects such
as cigars, pipes, water-pipes, chewing tobacco or sniffing tobacco, etc.
2. The reasons mentioned above for prohibiting smoking apply as well,
and more strongly, to various types of drugs and hashish such as marijuana and
-tat. These materials have additional problems such as causing drunkenness,
death, madness, etc.
3. The prohibition of smoking is not restricted to consuming it, but
applies as well to offering it to people, sitting with those who are smoking,
or selling it. All of this involves helping people commit sins, which is
prohibited, as Allah (T) says (what means):
<<Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in
sinning and transgression. And fear and revere Allah; verily, Allah is severe
in punishment.>>(15)
Also, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: Indeed when Allah prohibits something, he
prohibits eating its price.(16)
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Treating the Disease of Smoking
Only few of those addicted to smoking are able to stop it. The reasons for this
are many, among which are the following:
1. The addictive nature of the poisonous substances contained in it.
2. The smokers are not totally convinced of its prohibition.
3. They do not have a strong determination to refrain from it.
The following are some suggestions to help a person stop smoking:
1. Rely on Allah sincerely, with full determination not to return to
smoking, in compliance with Allah's command:
<<When you decide on a certain course of action, place your trust in
Allah.>>(17)
2. Stop immediately instead of claiming it is best to do it gradually.
The gradual approach is the way of one who does not trust his determination and
the will power that Allah has granted him. Let the example be taken from the
Sahabah who, as soon as Allah's command reached them regarding alcohols:
<<Will you not then desist?>>(18) they immediately poured out all the alcohol
that they had and said, "We desist our Lord, we desist!" They did this despite
the fact that alcohol has a greater addictive power over those who drink it.
3. Avoid the bad company of smokers and smoking environments that are
full with the smell of smoke.
4. Change the food diet by abstaining from foods and drinks that would
entice the craving to smoke such as spices, meat, tea, and coffee; and eating a
lot of vegetables and fruits.
5. Use medically tested and established procedures to help stop
smoking, as directed by physicians, such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, etc.
6. Expel the secret whispers of Satan who continuously dictates to the
human being that he is weak and incapable of refraining from sinning, as Allah
(T) says (what means)
<<It is but Satan who instills (into you) fear of his allies; so do not fear
them, but fear Me if you are (truly) believers.. >>(19)
<<Fight then against the allies of Satan; indeed, Satan's guile is weak..
>>(20)
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References
"The Ruling of Smoking" by Muhammad bin Ibraaheem (r)
"The Ruling of Smoking" by `Abdur-Rahman Bin Naasir as-Sa`di (r).
"The Ruling of Smoking" by `Abdul-`Aziz Bin 'Abdullaah Bin Baaz.
"The Ruling of Smoking" by Muhammad Bin Salih al-'Uthaymin.
Hukm ul-lslami fit-Tadkhin by Muhammad Jamil Zinu.
Hukm ud-Dini fil-Lihyati wat-Tadkhin by 'Ali Hasan al-Halabi.
"Smoking and Its Effects on Health" by Dr. Muhammad 'Ali al-Barr.
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Footnotes
(1) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Jabir and other Sahaabah .
(2) An-Nisa' 4-29.
(3) Al-Baqarah 2:195.
(4) Recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah from Ibn `Abbaas and `Ubaadah;
authenticated by al-Albaani and others.
(5) Recorded by at-Tirmithi and others from Ibn Mas`ud and AbO Barzah ,
authenticated by al-Albaani.
(6) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Jaabir
(7) An-Nisa 4:27.
(8) Al-Bukhaari.
(9) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
(10) An-Nisa 4:5.
(11) Al-lsra' 17:26-27.
(12) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
(I3) Al-A'raf 7:157.
(14) Al-Ghaashiyah 88:6-7.
(15) Al-Maidah 5:2.
(16) Recorded by Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Ibn `Abbas; authenticated by
al-Albaani.
(I7) Al-'lmran 3:159
(18) Al-Maa'idah 5 91
(19) Al-`Imraan 3:175.
(20) An-Nisaa' 4:76.
http://www.qss.org/articles/smoking.html
As-Salaam Walekum
Adil Khan
Bombay
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"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"
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Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah
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Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
SMOKING
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