Fatwa ID: 03719

Answered by: Alimah Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah

Question

Respectfully I want to state that tobacco chewing, which causes cancer, is consumed a lot in India, irrespective of the warnings by the governments via all kind of media. Gutkha, cigarettes, tobacco etc. company owners also print the warnings of its harmful nature. All the data collected by the different kind of surveyors in the world show how dangerous tobacco and its products are. People consuming any of these products when they get severely addicted, couldn't find themselves in the state of quitting. When these products are proved to be so harmful then why is it that Muftiyan-e-Keraam don't declare them prohibited? I seek special attention and guidance from your office as soon as possible. Thank you.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

The reasons you have stated do not necessarily prove that one dies from general smoking. Also, it does not alter the mind. It is true that it is detrimental to one’s health, one gets addicted, money is wasted etc. Based on these reasons, if it is declared as haram, then there are many similar things that harm health, addict people and money is wasted, those things would also have to be classified as haram. The reasons mentioned only push it to the level of makruh tahrimi (highly disliked) but there isn’t anything explicit through which we can declare it as haram.

Only Allah knows best

Written of Alimah Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham