Some smokers may carry a pack of cigarettes to the mosque in their clothing; what is the ruling on carrying this pack?
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The questioner : In fact, O Shaykh, there is a point: some smokers may carry this pack to the mosque in their clothing. What is the ruling, I mean, on carrying this pack?
The Shaykh : I do not know whether I should say that carrying it is lawful? If I say that carrying it is lawful, it means that smoking it is lawful. If I say that carrying it is forbidden, people may think that if we say carrying it is forbidden, it means that the prayer is not valid while one is carrying it. However, I say that the prayer is valid even if one is carrying it, because it is not ritually impure, as not every forbidden thing is ritually impure.
As for what is ritually impure, it is forbidden. These two rules should be understood by the student of knowledge: "Not every forbidden thing is ritually impure", and the second rule is "Every ritually impure thing is forbidden".
The first rule, that "not every forbidden thing is ritually impure", is seen in the fact that poison is forbidden but not ritually impure. Eating onions for one who intends to eat them in order to leave the congregation is forbidden, and onions are not ritually impure. As for eating onions for the sake of taste or for medical treatment, there is nothing wrong with it, even if it leads to missing the congregation, because he did not intend by eating them to leave the congregation. We find that smoking a cigarette is forbidden but not ritually impure.
As for the second rule, that every ritually impure thing is forbidden, its evidence is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-An'am 6:145] Thus, Blessed and Exalted is He, clarified that the cause of the prohibition is that it is a filth, i.e., ritually impure. It is derived from this that every ritually impure thing is forbidden.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
O dear brothers, the listeners.
The Shaykh : I do not know whether I should say that carrying it is lawful? If I say that carrying it is lawful, it means that smoking it is lawful. If I say that carrying it is forbidden, people may think that if we say carrying it is forbidden, it means that the prayer is not valid while one is carrying it. However, I say that the prayer is valid even if one is carrying it, because it is not ritually impure, as not every forbidden thing is ritually impure.
As for what is ritually impure, it is forbidden. These two rules should be understood by the student of knowledge: "Not every forbidden thing is ritually impure", and the second rule is "Every ritually impure thing is forbidden".
The first rule, that "not every forbidden thing is ritually impure", is seen in the fact that poison is forbidden but not ritually impure. Eating onions for one who intends to eat them in order to leave the congregation is forbidden, and onions are not ritually impure. As for eating onions for the sake of taste or for medical treatment, there is nothing wrong with it, even if it leads to missing the congregation, because he did not intend by eating them to leave the congregation. We find that smoking a cigarette is forbidden but not ritually impure.
As for the second rule, that every ritually impure thing is forbidden, its evidence is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure
قُل لا أَجِدُ في ما أوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلى طاعِمٍ يَطعَمُهُ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ مَيتَةً أَو دَمًا مَسفوحًا أَو لَحمَ خِنزيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجسٌThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
O dear brothers, the listeners.