What is the ruling on cigarettes?

Question:
This questioner asks whether cigarettes are forbidden, so we should avoid them entirely, or whether they are disliked, so we should stay away from them, or whether they are a matter about which silence is maintained?

Answer:
O, Glory be to Allah! You have not heard, nor have I ever heard, anything about smoking being a matter about which silence is maintained. My brother, even the disbelievers did not remain silent about smoking; they explained its harms and dangers and warned against it, and they did not remain silent about it. It is among the impure things, and it is among the things that harm the body, causing diseases. It has a disgusting taste, a disgusting flavor, and a disgusting smell. It causes serious diseases. The appearance of the smoker is disgusting; look at him, he is one of the most repulsive people in appearance. Look at his mouth; it is bad, like the opening of a kitchen.
Look, his mouth is like a dark kitchen opening, and may Allah protect us, his teeth are black. But desire overcomes a person and covers his mind. If people were forced, they would not smoke, but it is desire that makes the good ugly and the ugly good. Yes, "So He made pleasing to them their evil deeds, so they followed it." Indeed, Allah misguides whom He wills and guides whom He wills. There is no doubt that it is strictly forbidden.