Suicide by Smoking

Most Muslims are aware of and try to avoid
the major sins in Islam -
murder, suicide, adultery, alcohol, gambling,
usury, etc.  Muslims are
forbidden to harm themselves or others.  Yet
millions of Muslims all
over
the world are doing just that - harming, even
killing themselves and
their
families.   Islamic scholars have historically
had mixed views on the
subject, and the actions of these Muslims
have not been unanimously
forbidden or even discouraged.
The danger is tobacco use - cigarette and
cigar smoking, chew, etc.
The
mixed views on the subject came about
because cigarettes are a more
recent
invention and did not exist at the time of the
revelation of the Qur'an
in
the 7th century A.D.  Therefore, one cannot
find a verse of Qur'an or
words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) saying clearly that
"Cigarettee smoking is forbidden."  However,
there are many instances
where the Qur'an gives us general guidelines,
and calls upon us to use
our
reason and intelligence, and seek guidance
from Allah about what is
right
and wrong.  In the Qur'an, Allah says, ...he
[the Prophet] commands
them
what is just, and forbids them what is evil; he
allows them as lawful
what
is good, and prohibits them from what is
bad..." (Surah al-Araf 7:157).
So what are the evils of tobacco use, for your
health and for your deen
(religion)?
1.    Danger to your health
Allah says, "...make not your own hands
contribute to your
destruction..."
(Surah al-Baqarah 2:195); "...nor kill
yourselves..." (Surah al-Nisaa
4:29).  It is universally understood that
cigarette smoking causes a
number of health problems that often
ultimately result in death.  Men
who
smoke contract lung cancer at 22 times the
rate of non-smokers.
Smokers
are also highly at risk for heart disease,
emphysema, oral cancer,
stroke,
etc.  There are hundreds of poisonous and
toxic ingredients in the
cigarette itself that the smoker inhales
straight into the lungs.  In
an
authentic hadith, the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) said that
"Whomsoever drinks poison, thereby killing
himself, will sip this
poison
forever and ever in the fire of Jahannum (Hell)
."  Over 3 million
people
worldwide die from smoking-related causes
each year.
2.    Danger to your family's health
In the Qur'an, Allah says: "Those who annoy
believing men and women
undeservedly bear on themselves a glaring
sin" (Surat al-Ahzaab 33:58).
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said
that "there should be neither
harming, nor reciprocating harm.  In another
hadith, the Prophet (peace
be
upon him) said: "Anyone who believes in Allah
and the Last Day should
not
hurt his neighbor."   Those around the smoker
inhale what is known as
"second-hand smoke" - the unfiltered,
poisonous waste that goes in the
air
around the smoker.  There are over 4,000
chemicals in cigarette smoke,
over 40 of which are known to cause cancer.
Second-hand smoke causes
or
aggravates asthma, bronchitis, and other
respiratory problems,
especially
in children.
3.    Addictive
The addiction to tobacco is a physical
response that often interferes
with
one's life and worship.  For example, most
Muslims are aware that it is
forbidden to smoke during the fasting days of
Ramadan.  Many of these
addicted smokers spend their fasting days
sleeping, cranky, and
short-tempered, just counting the hours until
they can have their fix.
There have been times when the most severely
addicted will wait outside
the masjed door for the adhan, and break their
fast by lighting up,
before
taking even food or water.
4.    Noxious Smell
Muslims are advised to refrain from eating raw
onions and garlic -
simply
as a courtesy to those around them.  Nobody
likes the smell.  The same
goes even more so for the reek of cigarettes,
which permeates
everything
around the smoker - hair, clothing, home, car,
etc.  The Prophet (peace
be
upon him) said:  Whoever has eaten from such
greens as garlic, onions
or
leek should keep away from our mosque.
Many smokers try to hide the
smell
by using breath mints or perfume.  This does
not get rid of the smell,
it
only masks it.  Often the combination of
smells is even more
nauseating.
5.    Waste of Money
Allah says, "...But spend not wastefully (your
wealth) in the manner of
a
spendthrift. Verily spendthrifts are brothers of
the devils... {Surah
al-Israa 17:26-27} And in an authentic hadith
the Prophet (peace be
upon
him) said that: "Allah hates for you three
things: gossiping, begging,
and
wasting money." In the U.S. and other
countries, cigarettes are taxed
heavily in order to discourage this habit and
reimburse the government
for
the overwhelming health care costs to care for
those afflicted with
diseases caused by smoking.  Smokers often
spend thousands of dollars a
year that literally just go up in smoke.
Recent Opinions of Scholars
In more recent times, as these dangers of
tobacco use have come to be
proven beyond any doubt, scholars have
become more unanimous in
pronouncing tobacco use clearly haram
(forbidden) to believers.  They
now
use the strongest terms to condemn this habit.
How to Quit?
As mentioned, one of the dangers of tobacco
is that it is so addicting.
It causes a physical response in your body
when you try to give it up.
Therefore, quitting is often difficult.  However,
with the help of
Allah
and the personal commitment to improve
yourself for the sake of Allah,
and
for your own health, it is possible.  It is first
recommended to make
the
firm intention, from deep in your heart, to give
up this evil habit.
Trust in Allah's words: "...When you have
taken a decision, put your
trust
in Allah.  For Allah loves those who put their
trust in Him.  If Allah
help you, none can overcome you; if He
forsakes you, who is - after
that -
that can help you?  In Allah, then, let
believers put their trust"
(Surah
Al-'lmran 3:159-160).
Secondly, one must avoid situations where
you are used to smoking, and
people who do so around you.  For example, if
you have certain friends
who
gather together and they all constantly smoke
- make a choice (Allah
gave
you free will to choose!) to stay away from
that environment for the
time
being.  At a vulnerable stage, it is too easy to
get sucked back in by
having "just one."  Remember, tobacco causes
a physical addiction and
you
must stay away completely.  Drink a lot of
water and keep yourself busy
in
other endeavors.  Go to the masjed.  Play
sports.  And remember the
words
of Allah:  "And those who strive hard in Our
Cause, We will certainly
guide them to Our Paths, for verily Allah is
with those who do right
(Surah al-Ankabut 29:69).
For more information about the proven
dangers of smoking, and advice on
how to quit, visit About.com's Smoking
Cessation website.
Living With a Smoker
If you live with or are friends with smokers,
first of all encourage
them
to quit, for the sake of Allah, their deen, and
their health.  If they
refuse (and ultimately we will face Allah alone)
, you have the right to
protect your own health and the health of your
children.  Do not allow
it
in the house.  Do not allow it in enclosed
quarters with your family.
Even if the smoker is a parent, we are not to
obey our parents in
things
which are forbidden by Allah