Tololy’s Box » Blog Archive » Is Smoking Haram?

There has always been so much debate going on about smoking and its “status” as Haram (religiously forbidden) or Halal (religiously allowed). We know now that the limited evolution of our laws has prohibited smoking in public places and in some corporate environments (minus the CEO’s office), but do we really know what religion thinks of smoking?

I have seen, as I am sure you have, many religious people smoke. I have also seen many non-religious people shun smoking rather too religiously (i.e they hate its guts). We know we should not judge a religion by its believers, but what is right and what is wrong when a religious verdict is pronounced on a habit, a cancer, an artistic taste, and an annoyance like smoking?

I am very interested in your answers to this question: do you think smoking is Haram?

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 5th, 2007 at 9:07 pm and is filed under Salon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Vincent says:
May 5th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
I am certainly not in a position to declare whether or not smoking is Haram or not, but I can say is that in certain parts of the United States, such as where I live, for example, smoking is most definitely forbidden in nearly every public place where a non-smoker might possibly catch whiff of tobacco smoke. Even in bars, where people are already engaged in such unhealthy activites as drinking alcohol, smokers are banished outside. To accomodate them, bars constructed elaborate outside smoking areas with seating and, sometimes, even heating, so that smokers could enjoy some tobacco along with their drink. Of course, this ended up not being good enough for the city, which declared that outside smoking areas must be "35% open-air or more", which is absurd, since most of these smoking areas are purposely covered to keep the rain out. So now smokers are banished to the sidewalk. As for me… I cannot stand cigarettes, but I do enjoy a nice cigar or (even more so) a pipeful of excellent pipe tobacco. The cardinal rule is, as always, courtesy. Smokers have given themselves a bad name because there are far too many who would light up and blow smoke in everyone’s face at the dining table. And that’s just rude.
Hareega says:
May 6th, 2007 at 12:04 am
I think that our bodies are not ours, they belong to God, so we should try our best to preserve them. I don’t think it’s haram or halal, but I think every smoker who understands that smoking hurts his/her body should do his/her best to quit. If they tried many many times and it didn’t work I don’t think it would still be a sin if they kept smoking
hamede says:
May 6th, 2007 at 1:05 am
It ia makrooh.
Mohanned says:
May 6th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Ok, there is one more thing called makrooh, islam told us to avoid anything that hurts our body even if there is some advantages like wine, but the effects of smoking are somehow limited to the smoker him/herself, maybe some will argue about second hand smoking which I agree with, so If you want to smoke do it alone or with people who do smoke..I think it is between makrooh and haram, but closer to haram:)
Beti says:
May 6th, 2007 at 5:38 am
Well, I’m not religious, nor am I claiming to be an expert. I suppose that from religion’s point of view it is haram, as it’s harmful to the health (even though it goes nicely with a cup of coffee), so in a sense it’s like commiting suicide very slowly. I guess the same argument could be made about junk food or lots of other stuff. Last summer when I was in Canada visiting my family, my brother informed me about how in Ontario, if you’re smoking in your car and there are children in the car, you pay a fine. I think religion would agree that children should be protected. Anyhow, as I said before, I’m not an expert….just an insomniac…
7usam says:
May 6th, 2007 at 10:30 am
I dont smoke , i never smoked But i still dont think its Haram (in the word haram mean) I belevie it "Makrooh" 

المكروه في اللغة : ضد المحبوب . 

واصطلاحاً : ما طلب الشَّارِعُ تركه طلباً غيرَ
جَازِمٍ  , ويمكن أن يقال هو ما يثاب تاركه امتثالا ولا يعاقب فاعله . 


أما الحرام فهو لغة : الممنوع . 

واصطلاحاً : ماطلب الشَّارِعُ تركه طلباً جازماً
، والحرام ضِدَّ الحلال وإنما يُؤْجَرُ العبد على اجتنابِهِ للحرام إذا تركه
امتثالا ( أيْ لنَهْيِ الشَّرْعِ عنه ) ليس لخوفٍ أو حياءٍ أو عجزٍ عن المحرم
فلا يثاب على هذا الترك
Dave says:
May 6th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I’m with Hareega (and to a degree, Mohanned) on this one.  It saves me from typing out a long answer.
omar says:
May 10th, 2007 at 6:06 am
I personally believe in the intellectual process of ijtihad, and for the person to think for themselves whether the thing is bad or not and not keep following up a sheikh or two’s fatwas. So, i come to the point where I would say it’s Haram - and I even see it worse than Alcohol. The negative impact smoking can impose the body to is greater, and shall not be anymore of a norm. When a person tells me they smoke, I take it extremely unwell and might end up arguing that they’re killing themselves for rapture. Also, there’s not such thing as a moderate smoker or a moderate drinker. You either do it, or not. cause on both cases you’ll eventually end up wasting your money on it. Verdict: HARAAAAAM! haha

Vincent says:
May 5th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

I am certainly not in a position to declare whether or not smoking is Haram or not, but I can say is that in certain parts of the United States, such as where I live, for example, smoking is most definitely forbidden in nearly every public place where a non-smoker might possibly catch whiff of tobacco smoke. Even in bars, where people are already engaged in such unhealthy activites as drinking alcohol, smokers are banished outside. To accomodate them, bars constructed elaborate outside smoking areas with seating and, sometimes, even heating, so that smokers could enjoy some tobacco along with their drink. Of course, this ended up not being good enough for the city, which declared that outside smoking areas must be "35% open-air or more", which is absurd, since most of these smoking areas are purposely covered to keep the rain out. So now smokers are banished to the sidewalk. As for me… I cannot stand cigarettes, but I do enjoy a nice cigar or (even more so) a pipeful of excellent pipe tobacco. The cardinal rule is, as always, courtesy. Smokers have given themselves a bad name because there are far too many who would light up and blow smoke in everyone’s face at the dining table. And that’s just rude.

Hareega says:
May 6th, 2007 at 12:04 am

I think that our bodies are not ours, they belong to God, so we should try our best to preserve them. I don’t think it’s haram or halal, but I think every smoker who understands that smoking hurts his/her body should do his/her best to quit. If they tried many many times and it didn’t work I don’t think it would still be a sin if they kept smoking

hamede says:
May 6th, 2007 at 1:05 am

It ia makrooh.

Mohanned says:
May 6th, 2007 at 1:56 am

Ok, there is one more thing called makrooh, islam told us to avoid anything that hurts our body even if there is some advantages like wine, but the effects of smoking are somehow limited to the smoker him/herself, maybe some will argue about second hand smoking which I agree with, so If you want to smoke do it alone or with people who do smoke..I think it is between makrooh and haram, but closer to haram:)

Beti says:
May 6th, 2007 at 5:38 am

Well, I’m not religious, nor am I claiming to be an expert. I suppose that from religion’s point of view it is haram, as it’s harmful to the health (even though it goes nicely with a cup of coffee), so in a sense it’s like commiting suicide very slowly. I guess the same argument could be made about junk food or lots of other stuff. Last summer when I was in Canada visiting my family, my brother informed me about how in Ontario, if you’re smoking in your car and there are children in the car, you pay a fine. I think religion would agree that children should be protected. Anyhow, as I said before, I’m not an expert….just an insomniac…

7usam says:
May 6th, 2007 at 10:30 am

I dont smoke , i never smoked But i still dont think its Haram (in the word haram mean) I belevie it "Makrooh" 

المكروه في اللغة : ضد المحبوب .

واصطلاحاً : ما طلب الشَّارِعُ تركه طلباً غيرَ
جَازِمٍ  , ويمكن أن يقال هو ما يثاب تاركه امتثالا ولا يعاقب فاعله .

أما الحرام فهو لغة : الممنوع .

واصطلاحاً : ماطلب الشَّارِعُ تركه طلباً جازماً
، والحرام ضِدَّ الحلال وإنما يُؤْجَرُ العبد على اجتنابِهِ للحرام إذا تركه
امتثالا ( أيْ لنَهْيِ الشَّرْعِ عنه ) ليس لخوفٍ أو حياءٍ أو عجزٍ عن المحرم
فلا يثاب على هذا الترك

Dave says:
May 6th, 2007 at 2:08 pm

I’m with Hareega (and to a degree, Mohanned) on this one.  It saves me from typing out a long answer.

omar says:
May 10th, 2007 at 6:06 am

I personally believe in the intellectual process of ijtihad, and for the person to think for themselves whether the thing is bad or not and not keep following up a sheikh or two’s fatwas. So, i come to the point where I would say it’s Haram - and I even see it worse than Alcohol. The negative impact smoking can impose the body to is greater, and shall not be anymore of a norm. When a person tells me they smoke, I take it extremely unwell and might end up arguing that they’re killing themselves for rapture. Also, there’s not such thing as a moderate smoker or a moderate drinker. You either do it, or not. cause on both cases you’ll eventually end up wasting your money on it. Verdict: HARAAAAAM! haha

Is Smoking Haram?

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