How can a person get rid of smoking?
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The Shaykh : But how can a person get rid of it? Because when a person presents a disease to people, he must necessarily mention the cure; otherwise, he will plunge them into confusion about how to get rid of it. First, he gets rid of it by relying on Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and turning to Him through supplication, humility, and earnest pleading that He protect him from it. Second: by strong resolve. He must have a strong resolve that overcomes his desires and appetites. A sensible person has resolve. I remember a man who went on Hajj with a group. When they got into the car, he took out his pack to smoke a cigarette. One of the passengers said to him: "Be patient. We are currently pilgrims, and we performed Hajj voluntarily. If we stay with you, we will be in sin every time you smoke a cigarette and commit a transgression. How can we seek voluntary good by committing a sin? I am getting out." The man said to him—meaning the one who was smoking—the smoker got angry, grabbed the pack, tore it up, and threw it away. By Allah, this was good anger. Anger is not good, but this was good. The man got angry, threw away the pack, and was patient until they returned from Hajj. Glory be to Allah, he started to feel that whenever he encountered this man, he would pray for him. He said, "By Allah, He protected me through you. I have not tasted it since that time." Why? Because he developed a strong resolve to quit.
Third: he should stay away from mixing with those who smoke it, because if he mixes with them, he may not be able to hold back. If he keeps his distance from them, he is safe. This is part of wisdom: to stay away from bad company. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the companion of a bad person: that he is
Fourth: he should let reason rule over emotion. How many people are there who let their emotions rule over their reason? This is a mistake. Reason rules over emotion, and one should compare its benefits and its harms. A sensible person prioritizes the benefits over the harms. If you let reason rule over emotion, this judgment will lead you to quit it, and you will be safe from its evil.
Fifth: he should occupy himself with activities that cause him to forget it. If you occupy yourself with activities that cause you to forget it, you will forget it and begin to forget it as time passes. It has been mentioned that if a person goes for a period without smoking and the nicotine is cleared from his blood, he is safe from it. Therefore, a decisive person should make Ramadan an opportunity to get rid of it, because he will not smoke during the day, and at night he will be patient and leave it. So, what has been established for us now, and after modern medicine has testified to the harm of smoking, is that smoking is lawful or forbidden? It is forbidden, and there is no doubt in it. All of this can be derived from the hadith of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir: "The lawful is clear, and the forbidden is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know." The cause of the doubt—I said it is two things. What are they? Good. The obscurity of the evidence and the obscurity of the meaning. The obscurity of the evidence is that it is hidden from us whether this evidence indicates this ruling or not. The obscurity of the meaning is that it is hidden from us whether this meaning falls under the evidence or not. Good. We will limit ourselves to this extent of this hadith in order to free up time for questions, if you have any. How much time is left? Good, this is an opportunity. There are twenty-five minutes left. Good, oh Allah.
Third: he should stay away from mixing with those who smoke it, because if he mixes with them, he may not be able to hold back. If he keeps his distance from them, he is safe. This is part of wisdom: to stay away from bad company. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the companion of a bad person: that he is
Like the one who blows the bellows: either he burns you, or he burns your clothes, or you find a foul smell from him.
كنافخ الكير إما أن يحرقك أو يحرق ثيابك أو تجد منه رائحة كريهةFourth: he should let reason rule over emotion. How many people are there who let their emotions rule over their reason? This is a mistake. Reason rules over emotion, and one should compare its benefits and its harms. A sensible person prioritizes the benefits over the harms. If you let reason rule over emotion, this judgment will lead you to quit it, and you will be safe from its evil.
Fifth: he should occupy himself with activities that cause him to forget it. If you occupy yourself with activities that cause you to forget it, you will forget it and begin to forget it as time passes. It has been mentioned that if a person goes for a period without smoking and the nicotine is cleared from his blood, he is safe from it. Therefore, a decisive person should make Ramadan an opportunity to get rid of it, because he will not smoke during the day, and at night he will be patient and leave it. So, what has been established for us now, and after modern medicine has testified to the harm of smoking, is that smoking is lawful or forbidden? It is forbidden, and there is no doubt in it. All of this can be derived from the hadith of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir: "The lawful is clear, and the forbidden is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know." The cause of the doubt—I said it is two things. What are they? Good. The obscurity of the evidence and the obscurity of the meaning. The obscurity of the evidence is that it is hidden from us whether this evidence indicates this ruling or not. The obscurity of the meaning is that it is hidden from us whether this meaning falls under the evidence or not. Good. We will limit ourselves to this extent of this hadith in order to free up time for questions, if you have any. How much time is left? Good, this is an opportunity. There are twenty-five minutes left. Good, oh Allah.