What is the ruling on greeting a smoker?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. A questioner asks: What is the ruling on greeting a smoker?
The Shaykh : While he is smoking, or after he finishes?
The questioner : The smoker.
The Shaykh : While he is smoking.
The questioner : Or offering it.
The Shaykh : All right, we will give you a useful rule: The original ruling is that greeting is obligatory, and it is not permissible for a person to boycott his brother for more than three days. If they meet, this one turns away and that one turns away, and the best of them is the one who starts the greeting. So, boycotting for more than three days is not permissible, but for three days there is no harm. Now, is the smoker our brother?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Our brother?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Even while he is smoking, yes, even while he is smoking. And on this basis, it is not permissible for us to boycott him. But the question remains: will boycotting him be a cause for his repentance from smoking, or will it be a cause for him to continue smoking and be stubborn? If it is the former, then yes, we boycott him, because this is in his interest. If it is the latter, meaning he does not care about us whether we boycott him or greet him, and perhaps he will only become more stubborn, hateful, and full of animosity, then we greet him, even if the cigarette is in his hand. But when we greet him, we say with gentleness and softness, "My brother, look, this is not permissible. It is harmful to you and harmful to your wealth." And we advise him. And be assured that if a person enters homes through their doors and uses wisdom, his words will have an effect. But if we take him by force, do not greet him, or for example take the cigarette from his hand and break it, this is not right. This is not how the messengers called people. Allah the Exalted said to Musa and Harun, and He sent them to Pharaoh, what?[Taha 20:44] But when he did not remember and did not fear, Musa (peace be upon him) said to him: [Al-Isra 17:102] Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. A questioner says: We differ.
The Shaykh : Look, and like this is also the smoker, the one who shaves his beard, and the one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. All of these are looked at in terms of benefit. If it is beneficial to boycott them, in that it will be a cause for their rectitude, we boycott them. Otherwise, no boycott. Yes.
The Shaykh : While he is smoking, or after he finishes?
The questioner : The smoker.
The Shaykh : While he is smoking.
The questioner : Or offering it.
The Shaykh : All right, we will give you a useful rule: The original ruling is that greeting is obligatory, and it is not permissible for a person to boycott his brother for more than three days. If they meet, this one turns away and that one turns away, and the best of them is the one who starts the greeting. So, boycotting for more than three days is not permissible, but for three days there is no harm. Now, is the smoker our brother?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Our brother?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Even while he is smoking, yes, even while he is smoking. And on this basis, it is not permissible for us to boycott him. But the question remains: will boycotting him be a cause for his repentance from smoking, or will it be a cause for him to continue smoking and be stubborn? If it is the former, then yes, we boycott him, because this is in his interest. If it is the latter, meaning he does not care about us whether we boycott him or greet him, and perhaps he will only become more stubborn, hateful, and full of animosity, then we greet him, even if the cigarette is in his hand. But when we greet him, we say with gentleness and softness, "My brother, look, this is not permissible. It is harmful to you and harmful to your wealth." And we advise him. And be assured that if a person enters homes through their doors and uses wisdom, his words will have an effect. But if we take him by force, do not greet him, or for example take the cigarette from his hand and break it, this is not right. This is not how the messengers called people. Allah the Exalted said to Musa and Harun, and He sent them to Pharaoh, what?
And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]."
قولا له قولا لينا لعله يتذكر أو يخشى[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."
لقد علمت ما أنزل هؤلاء إلا رب السماوات والأرض بصائر وإني لأظنك يا فرعون مثبوراThe questioner : May Allah reward you. A questioner says: We differ.
The Shaykh : Look, and like this is also the smoker, the one who shaves his beard, and the one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. All of these are looked at in terms of benefit. If it is beneficial to boycott them, in that it will be a cause for their rectitude, we boycott them. Otherwise, no boycott. Yes.