Fatwa ID: 08421

 

 

Written by: Mufti Muhammad Altaf Hossen

 

Question:

 

What’s the ruling on nicotine gum?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Firstly:  Nicotine is an organic, semi-alkaline, toxic compound and is considered one of the most harmful substances found in tobacco. .It is the substance that causes addiction in smokers. Allah SWT  made  Haram as Khamar   ٩٠  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ(1)

وقد فسّر الحنفية “الخمر” في هذه الآية بأنه نبيذ العنب المسكر خاصةً، لأن العرب في عصر النزول كانوا يطلقون “الخمر” على نبيذ العنب فقط.

 

Khamar : Khamr according to the Hanafis is:
That which is extracted (pressed) from grapes and then becomes intense and ferments — meaning: the juice of grapes that has undergone fermentation to the point of causing intoxication.

And the term “Khamr” is not used in its true (literal) sense by them except for grape wine (nabīdh al-‘inab) that has boiled, intensified, and caused intoxication.

 عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ خَمْرٌ وَكُلُّ خَمْرٍ حَرَامٌ ‏”‏ ‏

Nafi’ reported Ibn ‘Umar as saying:

I do not know this but from Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) who said: Every intoxicant is Khamr and every Khamr is forbidden.  Sahihul Muslim 2003(2)

 

Secondly:

 

Nicotine gum is a medical gum taken orally under prescription and medical supervision, providing a dose of nicotine. Its purpose is to replace the nicotine that individuals might get from smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products during withdrawal symptoms, thereby reducing their severity. While the gum contains the chemical responsible for cigarette addiction, nicotine, it does not contain other harmful substances such as tar and also does not cause intoxication.

 

Nicotine gum works to alleviate the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms because it compensates the body for the nicotine that is withdrawn due to the sudden cessation of smoking. Despite its benefits and effectiveness in quitting smoking, incorrect use may lead to an alternative addiction to cigarette nicotine, thus entering an endless cycle of nicotine.

 

Nicotine gum: how to use it and how to avoid addiction to it? 

This gum has harmful side effects if not used under a doctor’s supervision.

“Some harms appear in case of incorrect use and non-adherence to the specified dose, the most prominent of which are:

– Pain in the mouth, teeth, or jaw.

– Feeling dizzy.

– Nausea and vomiting.

– Severe diarrhea.

– Weakness and lethargy.

– Rapid heartbeat.

– Difficulty breathing.

– Appearance of a skin rash.

– Presence of blisters in the mouth.” End quote from:

Benefits, harms, and price of nicotine gum, the easiest drug to quit smoking.

 

Thirdly:

 If Allah has spared you from smoking, then you are bringing harm upon yourself by using this gum, and it may lead to addiction to it. The basic  principle is the prohibition of what is harmful; as Allah says :

 

 ٢٩  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا

 

 (An-Nisa’: 29), and He says also,

 

١٩٥  وَأَنْفِقُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوا ۛ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

 

Sura Baqarah 195

 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ الْجُعْفِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ لاَ ضَرَرَ وَلاَ ضِرَارَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

 

 “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Majah (2341)

and authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah.

Also, spending a lot of money on it is considered extravagance or wastefulness, and both extravagance and wastefulness are prohibited; as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): {And eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.} (Al-A`raf: 31)

 

And He dispraised wastefulness, saying (interpretation of the meaning): {And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.} (Al-Isra’: 26),

Even if you adhere to a dose that does not cause harm and do not spend a lot of money on it, there is still a fear of becoming addicted to it. Therefore, the advice is to stay away from it.

 

 

References:

 

Sura Maidah -Ayat -90

 

٩٠  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(2)

 

 عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ خَمْرٌ وَكُلُّ خَمْرٍ حَرَامٌ ‏”‏ ‏

 

Sahihul Muslim  2003

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Mufti Muhammad Altaf Hossen

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham