Praise be Allah, and all Glory to Him Who is unique in power and authority,
He is the praise in the World and the Afterlife,
We ask Allah for guidance, for forgiveness and seek His help.
When Allah guides, none can send astray and when Allah sends astray none can guide.
We seek refuge in Allah from the evils which are in ourselves and the wicked in our actions.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah,
and I testify that Muhammad (s.A.w.) is His slave and His messenger.
To proceed:
Verily, the best of words are the words of the Almighty and the best examples is from the example of the Master of the Messengers.
Allah condemns the Jews and the Christian for being deluded by Allah's forgiveness when He says:
"They hold on to the small things of this low life and say, 'We shall be forgiven'" (7:169)

One of the best Fiqh statements regarding the unlawfulness of using something which can harm the body (Dharar), is the statement of Imam Nawawi in ar-Raudhah:

The addiction of tobacco that affect smokers is one of the other factors why smoking is prohibited. Smoking stimulates the Iradah (the urges) in humans which makes them obedient to this lowly way of life. When this happens the smoker could not free himself from the desire to smoke. This is what can be call the psychological problems that arises due to smoking. This is just as bad as the physical harm that smoking brings. Furthermore it creates a very bad example to the education of their children at home and inhibits any prospect of using wealth to better things.

Yusuf al-Qaradhawi observes that: "In the light of some smokers who do not fulfil the rights of their children or the support of their family because of their inability to give up smoking, such Dhalim acts arise due to the fact that the smokers obey their desire and they are considered as not having the ability to break their desire from their relationship with the cigarettes. Such people will then find it very difficult to abandon smoking and once they try to leave this act, they become psychologically and physically unstable, their rational compromised and their conditions worsen. Therefore there are no doubts that Dharar (harmfulness), such as these, is a major factor in the process of deriving a ruling for smoking."

Ibn Hazm, a Fuqaha who is well known of his methods to derive a Fiqh ruling directly from the Qur'an and the Sunnah presents this Hadith and says:

"Verily Allah commands to do good to every single thing."

"Therefore if anyone who inflicts Dharar (harm) to himself and to others means that he is not doing good; and whosoever who does not do good means that he is disobeying the command from Allah to do good to every single thing." (Al-Muhalla 7/505)

The Fuqaha have agreed that Dharar, which has a long term effect, is as the same as Dharar which has a short term effect. Both of them are Haram. Because of this, it is irrelevant whether the poison in cigarettes affects our lungs today or be it in the distant future. The conclusion to the ruling is still Haram and there are no doubts regarding this principle.

(Refer to al-Fawakihul 'Adidah 2/85-87)
 

The Iradah (Urge) To Stop Smoking:

Helping a person to abandon smoking requires care, patience and continuous support. Doctors, Ulama', Da'i, parents and teachers, play an important part in helping a smoker to stop smoking. They should be motivated to help those who plan on stopping. At the same time, it is very important to convince the smoker by making the facts clear that smoking is a dangerous habit and to remember that smoking is Haram according to Islamic principles. All the people mentioned above (doctors, Ulama' etc.) have responsibilities in which by their own example, they should refrain from smoking. As the Qur'an reminds us:

"Are you ordering people to be virtuous while forgetting it yourselves" (2:44)

Although there are smokers who are able to stop smoking as soon as they realise that this act is disliked by Allah, stopping smoking in stages is also another method to rehabilitate smokers. Regarding this, Yusuf al-Qaradhawi says:

"There are among those who smoke who tries to release themselves from the norm of smoking, but they cannot create the Iradah because smoking has become part of their body chemistry. And these persons acknowledge the difficulties by which they will have to face. Such persons are being forgiven relative to the degree of their effort to try and stop smoking. And:

"All actions are by intention, and every man shall have what he intended." (Related by the Group)

My advice to smokers is to ask yourselves to release from this suffering with deep conviction and with full desire and not to do it half-heartedly for it will not be enough. For those who are weak in their Iradah to stop smoking, one should hide their action from others and reduce smoking as much as possible. Do not offer to others your cigarettes, neither encourage others to smoke or invite people to your house for a smoking session but rather you should explain to others the dangers smoking poses to wealth, body and the mind. The most terrible consequences that smokers can cause is to nourish youth smokers. Once these fragile youths starts to smoke, it will be more difficult for them to rehabilitate and they are at greater risk.

In this matter, the mass media should present to the public constructive steps of showing the negative impact that smoking can cause. Governments should fight the threat of smoking by introducing legislative measures to control smoking and the Ummah should be liberated from the effects of smoking even if it entails a high price tag. At the end of the day, the health and minds of the Ummah are more important than the value of millions of dollars."

When someone has quitted smoking, never again risk 'just trying one'-the break must be complete. One should repent and seek forgiveness from Allah, have sincere remorse and feel the anguish from this mistake. From now on, never another cigarette, those who do so often slip back straight away to where they started. Be on constant guard against the influence of Shaytaan. Those who have started to quit is the main target for Shaytaan. If at first you do not succeed, try, and try again and seek help from the Almighty.

"You who believe, seek help through patience and prayer; God stands alongside the patient!" (2:153)

Finally Imam al-Ghazali says in al-Ihya:

"Whosoever wishes for salvation can only win it by means of righteous acts, which proceed solely from good trait of character."

Wabillahit Taufiq, And the last of our prayers:

"Glory to your Lord, the Lord of Honour & Power! He is better from what they ascribe to Him! Peace be upon the Messengers! Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (37:180-182)

Muhammad Afifi,