The Ruling on Smoking and Qat

Question:
Salih from Yemen asks: Is smoking forbidden, and is qat likewise?

Answer:
Yes, anything that harms the intellect, weakens the body, and damages health is forbidden. Allah the Exalted said: And Allah, Glorious and Majestic is He, described His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as being . There is no doubt that qat and tobacco are among the impure things, because of the dangers, diseases, laziness, lethargy, and other consequences that result from using them, and because of the harm they cause to those who use them through their smell and their repulsive taste. They do not fatten nor do they satisfy hunger. They annoy people and those sitting with them with their smell. More severe than that is that they have a profound and visible effect on the body, shown by the pallor of the user and the diseases that arise from them, as doctors have identified. Among the harms of qat, which is more severe than tobacco, is that its user stores it in what they call "storage"; he puts some of the qat in his mouth and then sits for the whole day or for many hours, not praying and not doing anything of the interests of his religion or his worldly life. He suspends the interests, and indeed he suspends the obligatory duties during his period of storage. This is proof of its ugliness and that it is among the impure things and the obstacles to obeying Allah and the obstacles to seeking sustenance, as well as other dangers in it. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,