The ruling on the money a man earns from selling tobacco
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The first letter in this episode is from a listener, H.A.N., from the Ibb Governorate in Yemen. He sent several questions, and in the first one he says: What is the ruling on a man who prays and maintains the recommended practices and voluntary prayers, and is considered among the committed, but he works in selling something disliked, such as cigarettes and the like, on the excuse that there is no other work available? Is he sinful? Is the money he earns forbidden? Or is he excused due to dire necessity? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. To proceed: The Muslim has been made rich by Allah through what is lawful, so he has no need of what is forbidden, and through His bounty he has no need of anyone else. Therefore, it is not permissible for this questioner (may Allah grant him success) to continue selling tobacco, because tobacco is forbidden due to the severe harms it contains, and because of the impurity and bad effects it has, which no one denies except one who is stubbornly arrogant. It is forbidden, and if it is forbidden, then its price is forbidden, because when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price. And if it is forbidden, then it is not permissible for a person to buy it, sell it, deal in it, or be an intermediary in its sale, meaning a broker or an agent, because this is cooperation in sin.
And transgression. So this brother must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and leave this work for a permissible job in which there is no sin,[At-Talaq 65:2-3]. He must rely on Allah, have good opinion of Allah, and seek his provision from permissible means. Yes.
The first letter in this episode is from a listener, H.A.N., from the Ibb Governorate in Yemen. He sent several questions, and in the first one he says: What is the ruling on a man who prays and maintains the recommended practices and voluntary prayers, and is considered among the committed, but he works in selling something disliked, such as cigarettes and the like, on the excuse that there is no other work available? Is he sinful? Is the money he earns forbidden? Or is he excused due to dire necessity? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. To proceed: The Muslim has been made rich by Allah through what is lawful, so he has no need of what is forbidden, and through His bounty he has no need of anyone else. Therefore, it is not permissible for this questioner (may Allah grant him success) to continue selling tobacco, because tobacco is forbidden due to the severe harms it contains, and because of the impurity and bad effects it has, which no one denies except one who is stubbornly arrogant. It is forbidden, and if it is forbidden, then its price is forbidden, because when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price. And if it is forbidden, then it is not permissible for a person to buy it, sell it, deal in it, or be an intermediary in its sale, meaning a broker or an agent, because this is cooperation in sin.
And transgression. So this brother must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and leave this work for a permissible job in which there is no sin,
And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 5556- حكم الأموال التي يكسبها الرجل من بيع الدخان - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.