What is the ruling on smoking?

The questioner : The questioner asks: What is your ruling? Is smoking definitely forbidden, or is it merely disliked? And what does it do? There is no need for those who are disliked to be a little...

The Shaykh : Yes. The questioner asks: What is the ruling on smoking? Is it definitely forbidden, or is it merely disliked? First, we must comment briefly on the questioner’s use of the word "definitely." Islamic rulings are divided into two categories: one category is definitive, which is where its evidence is established with certainty and its indication of the ruling is clear. For example, if someone says that the prohibition of carrion, specifically eating it, is definitive, we say yes, because Allah said: If someone says that the prohibition of riba (usury or interest) is definitive and the permissibility of selling is definitive, we say yes, because Allah said: As for the second category of Islamic rulings, they are presumptive, which is when the evidence is not clear in its indication or not definitive in its establishment. In this case, the rulings are presumptive.
When we apply this rule to smoking, we find that its prohibition falls under the category of presumptive rulings, not definitive ones. So we tell the brother questioner that smoking is forbidden. But it is not like the prohibition of carrion, intoxicants, pork, the strangled, or the beaten to death. No, but it is presumptive. The reason for this is that there is no specific, explicit transmission regarding smoking, but there are general rules and guidelines in the Shari'ah that regulate its rulings. When we apply smoking to these rules, it becomes clear that these rules indicate its prohibition. For example, it is now established in medicine that smoking is harmful, harmful to the body and harmful to the mind as well. If that is the case, then the implication of Allah’s saying: and His saying: is that it is forbidden, falling under this prohibition.
Also, smoking involves the squandering of wealth, for a person spends a lot of money on it without any benefit, neither for the body, nor for the wealth, nor for the family, nor for the religion, nor for this world. If that is the case, then spending money on such a thing is a squandering of it. And Allah the Exalted said: So Allah the Exalted made clear that wealth was made to sustain the interests of people in their religion and their worldly affairs. If a person spends it on anything else, he falls under the prohibition mentioned in Allah’s saying: . It is also established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prohibited the squandering of water, and squandering water is spending it without benefit. If water is spent on smoking, there is no benefit in it; rather, there is harm, as we mentioned a moment ago.
What also indicates its evaluation is that if a smoker loses it, he becomes anxious and mentally distressed. Even if he is in the greatest of acts of worship, such as prayer or others, you will find him anxious, his thoughts confused, agitated, not turning to his Lord, nor to His remembrance and worship. Those who smoke among the Muslims, I hope they will seize the opportunity of this month, perhaps Allah will grant them the blessing of repenting from it and being cured of it. For in this month, they will not consume it during the day, so let them restrain themselves and be patient for the duration of the night until the day comes. And I believe that if they remain in this state for fifteen days, which is the remainder of the month, it will be a great help for them in losing their attachment to this forbidden drink.