Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Date Added : 28-12-2015

Resolution No.(109): "Ruling on Smoking and Selling Cigarettes"

On 3/5/1427 AH, corresponding to 30/5/2006 AD

 

We received the following question: 

What is the position of religion on selling cigarettes, hobble bubble (water pipe), all kinds of tobacco and renting out stores for this purpose?

Answer: All of success is due to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds

 

The Board of Iftaa’ sees that tobacco and all its kinds were not known in the time of the prophet and his companions - may Allah Be Pleased with them - nor in the time of the scholars of the main doctrines. Tobacco came to be known in the eleventh Hijri/Islamic century, and as there is no religious text that forbids it, and as it does not intoxicate, the scholars have disagreed over the religious stand on smoking whether it is forbidden, disliked, or allowed in accordance to their understanding of what harm it may cause the smoker.

 

  Studies have proved much harm caused by smoking to health, environment, society and economy. Cigarettes contain poisonous nicotine, and the ratio of smokers who suffer from cancer is very high. Its harm extends to the nonsmokers who happen to be present in places where people smoke as they actually inhale the smoke with air, it penetrates their bodies, and they get affected directly by its hateful smell. In addition it is very harmful economically and is considered as extravagance and reckless spending, because Allah The Almighty Says (What means): “And waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance.” [Al-An'aam/141]. In addition, Allah The Almighty Says (What means): “Verily the spendthrifts are brothers of the devils” [Al-Israa'/27]. In Jordan, as sources reveal, the yearly waste expenditures that result from smoking exceed one billion and five million Jordanian dinars.

 

   Consequently, the Iftaa’ Board thinks that smoking is a general calamity. Thus, the Board sees that smoking is forbidden to whoever is ascertain that it causes serious damage, or whose cure is delayed because of this bad habit. In this regard, Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): “And do not kill (or destroy) yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you!” [Al-Israa'/29]. Smoking becomes surely forbidden for the one who spends all his money on cigarettes and deprives himself and his family of life necessities such as food, drinks, clothes, house rent, medicine or education. The prophet (PBUH) says: “It is enough sin for a person to thwart those whom he supports.” (1)

 

  Smoking becomes also forbidden in public places such as mosques, hospitals, busses, cars, schools and other places where nonsmokers exist. It becomes forbidden in these places because it is forbidden for a Muslim to hurt others, as the prophet (PBUH) says: “Don’t cause any harm to yourself nor hurt others.” (2) He also said: “A Muslim is the one who other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hand,” i.e. who does not hurt others with his tongue nor with his hand. (3) Consequently, and because of the disastrous harms caused by smoking to health, environment, and economy, the Iftaa’ Board sees that resisting smoking with all possible means is obligatory and that publicizing it or encouraging others to smoke must be prohibited.

 

  For all of the above, the Board of Iftaa’ recommends people neither to sell cigarettes, tobacco nor hobble bobble in their stores nor to rent out places to be used for these purposes. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Iftaa’ Board

Head of the Iftaa’ Board

The Supreme Judge/ Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Helayel

                                Shaikh Abdel Kareem al-Khasawneh            

Dr. Yusuf Ali Ghayithan

                                Dr. Abdel Majeed el-Salaheen                     

                 Dr. Wasef Abdel Wahaab el-Bakri

                                  Sheikh Na’eem Muhammad Mujahed           

                       Sheikh Said Abdel Hafeeth al-Hajjawi

 

 

 

(1) Narrated by Al Nisaa’iy in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra (The Great Reports of the Prophet, (vol.5/pp.374) from Abdullah Bin Amro. It is also in Muslim no.(996) but in different words: "It is enough sin for a believer to prevent his support from those whom he owns."

(2) Narrated by Ibn Majeh in Sunan, Book of Rules, under the title He Who Builds on His Place What Hurts His Neighbor, Hadeeth/saying no.(2340). Al-Nawawy said in Al-Athkaar "it is graded as sound/Saheeh narration" (pp.502).

(3) Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Book of Faith, under the title the Muslim is he who other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hand, hadeeth/saying no.(10). Also narrated by Muslim in Book of Faith under the title Which Status is Better in Islam, hadeeth/saying no.(40).

(4) This advice is by what is mentioned above about smoking being forbidden.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on giving Zakah(obligatory charity)to one`s relatives?

It is impermissible to pay Zakah to one`s origins( parents and grandparents) because providing for them is an obligation on their branches (sons and daughters )if they were poor, but it is permissible to give some of the Zakah money to relatives whose provision isn`t due on the giver of the Zakah.

I have been married for five years. My husband has two sons from his first marriage. Nevertheless, I took care of his children, and gave birth to a baby boy who is now three years old. Unfortunately, we keep fighting all the time; sometimes over his two sons and sometimes over his family. If I serve his family members and praise them, he treats me kindly. If I don`t, he turns my life into living hell. What should I do?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.

Spouses should live with each other on a footing of kindness and equity. In your case, constructive dialogue is the best course of action. We advise you to be patient, commit your affair to Allah and ask Him to help you. We also recommend that you seek the help of the people of goodness and make them fix things between you and your husband. If all attempts for reconciliation fail then go to court, but we remind you that a problem, which could be solved with a beautiful word, is no problem at all, so praise family and children and try your best to win their hearts. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on swearing on the Holy Quran and breaking that oath?

It is impermissible to swear on the Holy Quran in vain, and it is also impermissible to subject it to such an act since breaking the oath after swearing on the Quran entails an expiation.

What is the ruling on attending relatives` parties held in public halls, or hotels since if we don`t, we will be subjected to their admonition?

If such parties involve mixing between men and women, or forbidden acts such as listening to songs with sinful lyrics, then attending them is forbidden from the view point of Sharia since people`s admonition is nothing compared to Allah`s, The Almighty`s, wrath.