Fatwa on smoking

The Fatwa Committee of Singapore has issued two fatwas on the Islamic ruling for smoking. The first fatwa was issued in 1993, and it was revised later in 2006. The fatwa texts are as follows:

Fatwa Decision 13/9/1993

Question

The Fatwa Committee has been asked to explain the ruling on smoking. The issue was raised after an article appeared in The New Paper, in which Pertapis was reported to have said that smoking is prohibited. The report also mentioned that smoking is a sin, similar to other sinful acts such as eating pork and drinking alcohol.

Answer

After discussion, the meeting agreed with the opinion that generally, smoking is discouraged (makruh). If smoking is verified to cause harm to an individual, then it is prohibited for him. Also as there are evidences on the harm of smoking, then it should be avoided, in line with the Islamic legal maxim meaning “avoiding harm is prioritised over obtaining benefit."

Fatwa Decision 20/4/2006

Question

What is the opinion of the Fatwa Committee on smoking? 

Answer

Fatwa Committee agrees that smoking is prohibited because the harm on the smoker and the people around him is clear and definite.

The Fatwa published in 1993 concluded that generally smoking is discouraged (makruh). In deliberating the ruling on smoking, the principle of rejecting harm is observed. There is also a gradual and incremental approach in the fatwa positions (described as al-tadarruj fi al tatbiq al-Hukm), as the fatwa on smoking changed from makruh to being forbidden. In the period between the two fatwas, the content of cigarettes did not change. The only difference is the medical and scientific information available on the dangers of smoking, studies that proved the negative effects of smoking, as well as tighter regulations. Greater awareness on the danger of smoking can be cited as a reason why it was ruled as forbidden.

This goes back to the aforementioned incremental or gradual application of Islamic law (tadarruj) in the ruling, which was an approach taken by Prophet Muhammad and his companions in the history of Islamic law. An example was the prohibition of liquor at the time of Prophet Muhammad. The first revelation in this context proclaims its sinfulness despite recognising there were benefits associated with it. However, there was no explicit prohibition on liquor in this verse of the surah al-Baqarah:

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ قُلۡ فِيهِمَآ إِثۡمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثۡمُهُمَآ أَكۡبَرُ مِن نَّفۡعِهِمَاۗ

"They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit..." (al-Baqarah: 219)

 It was reported that liquor was still consumed after the revelation of this verse until a companion of the Prophet led a Maghrib prayer and recited the verses of the Qur'an in the wrong order. Following this, the following verse the surah al-Nisa' was revealed:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلصَّلَاةَ وَأَنتُمۡ سُكَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعۡلَمُواْ مَا تَقُولُونَ

"O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying" (an-Nisa': 43)

Later, a clear pronouncement that completely prohibited liquor was revealed in the surah al-Ma'ida:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَامُ رِجۡسٌ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَانِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful." (al-Ma'ida: 90).