The Ruling on Smoking and an Explanation of Its Evils, Even If People Have Become Accustomed to It
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The Shaykh : I want to say that smoking is a habit that many people have adopted, but this habit should not be taken as a means to persist in it. This habit—may Allah bless you—should not be taken as a means to persist in it, for smoking involves many violations of the Islamic Shari'ah; therefore, it is forbidden. First of all, it is a corrupt thing. [Al-A'raf 7:157] And smoking is corrupt: corrupt in its smell, corrupt and bitter in its taste, in its smoke, in its harm to the lungs of the smoker and the one afflicted by it, and in its harm to those around him. Look, it came in an authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What does he mean by the corrupt tree? Garlic and onions. Garlic and onions are lawful by the consensus of the Muslims, but because of their bad smell, he called them corrupt. So eating garlic and onions is lawful, but it is not permissible for a Muslim to eat them in front of the prayer unless he eats them hours before so that the smell goes away. So if one finds the smell of garlic or onions in his mouth, it is not permissible for him to enter the mosque and pray with the Muslims at the time when his prayer with the Muslims is an obligation upon him; as He (the Exalted) said in the Noble Qur'an: [Al-Baqarah 2:43]; meaning: Pray with the congregation of Muslims. Even so, if one eats garlic and onions—and they are lawful—it is not permissible for him to approach the mosque because of their bad smell. So what is said about the one who smokes, which is harmful? It harms his body, it harms his wealth, it harms his family, and it harms his brothers.
We feel—and may Allah keep us from smoking entirely, meaning from the time of youth—we feel completely that if a smoker stands next to us, we are disgusted by his standing and we are annoyed by it. So this is harm from the smoker to the Muslims who do not smoke. And harming Muslims is not permissible even with something prescribed. And here is a point that we must know: it is not permissible to harm Muslims even with something prescribed. What is this talk? He (peace be upon him) said: Raising the voice in recitation is harm to those around you: the one who is praying the Sunnah prayer before or after, or the greeting of the mosque, or who is reciting the tasbih, takbir, and tahmid, and so on. So it is not permissible for a Muslim to raise his voice with the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) because he is harming those around him. So what about the one who smokes and harms the believers around him?
It has come in "Sahih Muslim" a matter that, in my opinion, if the Muslim afflicted with smoking, who is truly a believer in Allah and His Messenger, were to hear the following hadith, he would repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from smoking, no matter how addicted he is. What is this hadith? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered the mosque and found the smell of garlic or onions on one of those sitting, ordered that he be taken out of the mosque to al-Baqi', the cemetery.
The questioner: This is well known.
The Shaykh : It is well known. To the cemetery; what is this? It is an indication that this person does not deserve to live with the living. And he is harming the Muslims with what? With the lawful, with garlic and onions, but with the bad smell. So may Allah bless you; I advise you, for the sake of Allah, to strive against your soul and repent to your Lord, and to preserve your health and your wealth, because this is a waste of wealth.
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : How can it have no value?
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : I understand you; it has value, but health is more valuable, and health...
Another questioner : They say: It is not forbidden. No, it is forbidden.
The Shaykh : No, it is forbidden. How can it not be?
Another questioner : It is from the corrupt things, and the corrupt things are prohibited. It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : Some of the poets among the scholars, when asked about smoking, said: =
-- Another questioner : Where is the tea, where... this? Where are the cups, where is the tea?The Shaykh : A question from Abu Abdullah. Now it will come, if Allah wills. Yes, that is right. --
= And from them—what?—came a long disagreement *** And the clear, relied-upon position is the detailed one
If it harms him in mind or body *** Or if he has a dire necessity for the price
Then its use is forbidden, otherwise *** It is permissible in our Shari'ah and lawful
But excessive use of it is distracting *** And its bad smell is something from which one is prohibited
Their struggle in it is a struggle against desire ***
How many people are lost!! But, if Allah wills, this will not be lost after.
Their struggle in it is their struggle against desire *** Their silence and their prohibition of it are equal
Rather, perhaps a boy more precious *** Is preoccupied with drinking it, and the one who is diverted from it is slighted
And the ultimate word in it is that it *** Is from plants, and it is all lawful
Except that which harms the bodies *** Or the prohibition, that is a second thing
Allah has informed, then the Chosen One *** About the honey of bees that it is a healing
Even though it harms the one with a fever *** And the prohibition of the harmful is from the known
The honey, which is a healing for people by the text of the Noble Qur'an, sometimes harms the one who drinks it, and that is the one whose temperature is high; because it is hot. So at that time, because it harms, it is not permissible to drink the honey. So what about smoking, which is corrupt from every side and from every angle?
So we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to keep him safe.
Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : An important question...
The Shaykh : Yes. Please, everyone, in the name of Allah.
The questioner : A smoker—for example—has a pack... meaning that it is not permissible. Is it—for example—he naturally smokes and puts the pack...
prohibits for them the evil
يُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَWhoever eats from this detestable tree, let him not approach our place of prayer; for the angels are pained by what the children of Adam are pained by.
مَن أكل من هذه الشجرة الخبيثة فلا يقربَنَّ مصلَّانا ؛ فإن الملائكة تتأذَّى مما يتأذَّى منه بنو آدمAnd establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينWe feel—and may Allah keep us from smoking entirely, meaning from the time of youth—we feel completely that if a smoker stands next to us, we are disgusted by his standing and we are annoyed by it. So this is harm from the smoker to the Muslims who do not smoke. And harming Muslims is not permissible even with something prescribed. And here is a point that we must know: it is not permissible to harm Muslims even with something prescribed. What is this talk? He (peace be upon him) said:
O people, each of you is calling upon his Lord; so do not raise your voices over one another in reciting the Qur'an, thereby causing harm to the believers.
يا أيها الناس ، كلكم ينادي ربَّه ؛ فلا يجهر بعضكم على بعض بالقراءة بالقرآن فتأذوا المؤمنينIt has come in "Sahih Muslim" a matter that, in my opinion, if the Muslim afflicted with smoking, who is truly a believer in Allah and His Messenger, were to hear the following hadith, he would repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from smoking, no matter how addicted he is. What is this hadith? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered the mosque and found the smell of garlic or onions on one of those sitting, ordered that he be taken out of the mosque to al-Baqi', the cemetery.
The questioner: This is well known.
The Shaykh : It is well known. To the cemetery; what is this? It is an indication that this person does not deserve to live with the living. And he is harming the Muslims with what? With the lawful, with garlic and onions, but with the bad smell. So may Allah bless you; I advise you, for the sake of Allah, to strive against your soul and repent to your Lord, and to preserve your health and your wealth, because this is a waste of wealth.
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : How can it have no value?
The questioner : Wealth has no value compared to health.
The Shaykh : I understand you; it has value, but health is more valuable, and health...
Another questioner : They say: It is not forbidden. No, it is forbidden.
The Shaykh : No, it is forbidden. How can it not be?
Another questioner : It is from the corrupt things, and the corrupt things are prohibited. It is forbidden.
The Shaykh : Some of the poets among the scholars, when asked about smoking, said: =
-- Another questioner : Where is the tea, where... this? Where are the cups, where is the tea?The Shaykh : A question from Abu Abdullah. Now it will come, if Allah wills. Yes, that is right. --
= And from them—what?—came a long disagreement *** And the clear, relied-upon position is the detailed one
If it harms him in mind or body *** Or if he has a dire necessity for the price
Then its use is forbidden, otherwise *** It is permissible in our Shari'ah and lawful
But excessive use of it is distracting *** And its bad smell is something from which one is prohibited
Their struggle in it is a struggle against desire ***
How many people are lost!! But, if Allah wills, this will not be lost after.
Their struggle in it is their struggle against desire *** Their silence and their prohibition of it are equal
Rather, perhaps a boy more precious *** Is preoccupied with drinking it, and the one who is diverted from it is slighted
And the ultimate word in it is that it *** Is from plants, and it is all lawful
Except that which harms the bodies *** Or the prohibition, that is a second thing
Allah has informed, then the Chosen One *** About the honey of bees that it is a healing
Even though it harms the one with a fever *** And the prohibition of the harmful is from the known
The honey, which is a healing for people by the text of the Noble Qur'an, sometimes harms the one who drinks it, and that is the one whose temperature is high; because it is hot. So at that time, because it harms, it is not permissible to drink the honey. So what about smoking, which is corrupt from every side and from every angle?
So we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to keep him safe.
Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : An important question...
The Shaykh : Yes. Please, everyone, in the name of Allah.
The questioner : A smoker—for example—has a pack... meaning that it is not permissible. Is it—for example—he naturally smokes and puts the pack...
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.