What is Islam's views on smoking?
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Everyday on the streets, can see a lot of Muslims smoking so I think of switching to Islam cos it seems like a hippy religion.
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Scholars are divided on this issue, as smoking did not exist in the early days of Islam.
While some consider smoking to be makruh (reprehensible but not considered as a sin), more and more scholars are adopting the viewpoint that it is actually haram (sinful). While neither the Quran or the Hadith explicitly states flat-out that smoking is either makruh or haram, there are many general guidelines which point towards it. Among others:
1. Knowingly committing acts that harm yourself is forbidden. This comes from two verses in the Quran:
"And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good."
[Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:195];
"O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful!"
[Surah al-Nisaa (Women) 4:29]
2. Danger and inconvenience to others
To knowingly cause danger and inconvenience to others is considered a sin. That can arguably include second-hand smoking as well.
"And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin."
[Surat al-Ahzaab (The Coalition) 33:58]
3. Addiction
Addiction itself is not a big issue if it does not interfere with one's religious duties. In the case of smoking, though, interference with religious duties can be a major issue. One major example would be fasting.
Smoking is not allowed during the daylight fasting hours of Ramadan, for it involves intentionally introducing foreign substances into the body.
4. Noxious Smell
We need to go into the hadith for this. Muslims are discouraged (though not prevented) from consuming foodstuffs such as raw onions that give off a pungent odour. By inference, the noxious smell that smoking brings about would be included as well. One authentic hadith states:
“Whoever has eaten from such greens as garlic, onions or leek should keep away from our mosque.”
5. Waste of Money
"And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.
Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful."
[Surah Al-Israa' (The Night Journey), 17:26-27]
The wasteful expenditure of resources is frowned upon in Islam. Expenditure on cigarettes can run to a large amount of money due to the high cost of cigarettes brought about by taxation and import duties.
This waste of resources does not only involve the cost on the smokers themselves; it also involves the cost to society as a whole in terms of lost productivity, increased healthcare expenditure, and the like.
A more detailed article on this issue can be found here:
http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa090600a.htm
So bottom line... there is nothing 'hip' about smoking when all indications are that it is at the very least frowned upon in Islam.
And if you really want to join Islam just so that you can smoke... you're making a big, big mistake. -
Sry, so my eyes are playing tricks on me. Those ppl who smoke are not Muslims but just coincidentally got the same skin colour.
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i know of Muslims who smoke
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No, they are Muslims who have committed the reprehensible act of smoking.
That said, it's not for me (or anyone else for that matter) to judge them, but to remind them that their acts of smoking is frowned upon by God. -
Not only smoking, I have seen a lot of Muslims sniffing glue, drinking alcohols, having premarital sex at my staircase. Well, why can't they just do them at home instead?
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All those things that you mentioned are all clearly forbidden in one way or the other in the Quran.Originally posted by NUS_Superst@r:Not only smoking, I have seen a lot of Muslims sniffing glue, drinking alcohols, having premarital sex at my staircase. Well, why can't they just do them at home instead?
Now, you're not going to attribute the actions of those people you saw to all Muslims, are you? -
Pls, of cos most Muslims will still strictly follow the rules in the Quran but dun know since when, the younger generations of Muslims don't really give a damn to the Quran and live life their own lifestyle. Isn't that a worrying trend for the Muslim community?Originally posted by fudgester:All those things that you mentioned are all clearly forbidden in one way or the other in the Quran.
Now, you're not going to attribute the actions of those people you saw to all Muslims, are you? -
see wad i mean about people coming from JCs?
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Originally posted by R3SsH|n:see wad i mean about people coming from JCs?
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I would not place that down to religion. I've seen friends who were born into Methodist homes who ended up like trash. Are you going to consider wild, hedonistic ways of philandering, getting pregnant out of wedlock and extreme boozing traits of Christianity as well?Originally posted by NUS_Superst@r:Not only smoking, I have seen a lot of Muslims sniffing glue, drinking alcohols, having premarital sex at my staircase. Well, why can't they just do them at home instead? Get a grip on reality dude. -
You and your generalising mouth again.Originally posted by R3SsH|n:see wad i mean about people coming from JCs? -
well..he IS from jc...thats no denying it.Originally posted by LazerLordz:You and your generalising mouth again. 
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Yeah, but is it so hard to quit lumping people into one bunch? Attack him if you must, but why paint the others with the same brush?Originally posted by R3SsH|n:well..he IS from jc...thats no denying it. -
So was I. What's your point?Originally posted by R3SsH|n:well..he IS from jc...thats no denying it.
Are you going to tar me with the same brush that you used to tar him with? -
lol..i don't want to hijack the thread. so i just give u a plain answer:Originally posted by LazerLordz:Yeah, but is it so hard to quit lumping people into one bunch? Attack him if you must, but why paint the others with the same brush?
he still came from a jc . -
I don't want to go into a longwinded explanation, so I'll just give a plain answer:Originally posted by R3SsH|n:lol..i don't want to hijack the thread. so i just give u a plain answer:
he still came from a jc .
You are still propagating an unfair stereotype. -
well...you are not doing anything that merits my brush. so i will leave u alone.Originally posted by fudgester:So was I. What's your point?
Are you going to tar me with the same brush that you used to tar him with? -
Just get back on topic...
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I dont understand
Why go to each and every religious forum and ask about smoking?
So if a religion permit smoking, you will join?
Its an insult to religions, for example, isnt it an insult to Allah if you become a Muslim because just because Islam permits smoking, but not because you believe in Allah? -
when stereotypes comes with loads of examples...when does it become a reality?Originally posted by fudgester:I don't want to go into a longwinded explanation, so I'll just give a plain answer:
You are still propagating an unfair stereotype. -
Islamic principles are not anthropocentric. Islamic theology is based on a concept of revealed religion i.e. truth from above via Quran, Hadith and interpretations of time tested scholars. You accept it to you benefit, you don't to your own loss. Accepting, you find your plans are based on firm assumption, rejecting you find failure in every turn when your fancies are obliterated by the harsh realities.
Truths are self evident upon deep thinking and reaffirmed by miraculous events that deny the thrust of human fancy. In Islam, rationalizations is a requirement of Man, not of God. God does not need Man, he created Man for his own purposes, he guides who he wills and destroys who he wills. God in Islam is not so much a force of Nature but the Creator and Justifier of Nature. You can say there is a Duality in the Islamic concept of Allah and they are justified by his irresistable Power and Truth. Whether Man likes it or not, well, tough luck.
Islamic principles are by themselves highly egalitarian, the weaknesses of "muslim culture" today is due to ignorance and lack of understanding of what has become a fossilized traditionalist mindset. This failure, left unchecked, will lead to the destruction of muslim societies and if that happens that's EXACT what Allah wants. Can you follow this train of thought? Leading an Islamic life is about following the Enlighted Light, not simply defining it in human terms. There is no official authority to dictate islamic ideology, this means there is chaos in contemporary islamic thought. However, this also means that Islamic thought constantly evolves by finding an order out of this chaos. Islam is at once amorphous but also consistent, such is the path of Truth in Life. Hence you will find very enlighted muslims and you will find stupid barbarians who profess to be muslims. True to the nature of Man, one may change to the other on any given day. -
ah lau took the words of my keyboard (with regards to the topic)Originally posted by laurence82:I dont understand
Why go to each and every religious forum and ask about smoking?
So if a religion permit smoking, you will join?
Its an insult to religions, for example, isnt it an insult to Allah if you become a Muslim because just because Islam permits smoking, but not because you believe in Allah? -
Guys, I am not trolling here. Please take me seriously. Of cos, we have buddhists & christians breaking the religious laws too but the point is at least they try to hid it. However, for Muslims, it's the opposite. Too many premarital sex resulting in high abtortion rate, smoking, drinking, dropping out of school, drug addicts... which we can see for ourselves. Not to forget, their terrorist attacks on other communitites. If Muslims are serious abt the their religion, they should think twice abt their faith.
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The problems of premarital sex, high abortion rate, smoking, drinking, dropping out of school, drug addiction, are problems very commonly found in any secular western society. Its a reflection of how a materialist hedonistic lifestyle appeals to those who do not see any deeper meaning in life other than to sate their instinctive desires. Its clear that these people are not serious about religion that does not offer immediate material gratification. They have obviously chosen to live by secular western values. After all, what makes these people any different from any other people of other communities? They are a bountiful resource for Christian missionaries to preach to and if they irritate you by french kissing on a bus that simply means that you are not comfortable with secular western values and overt public displays of sexual arousal. This behaviour is not because of Islam but rather is a reflection of life devoid of any moral compass.