Fataawaa Concerning Tobacco and Cigarettes (3): The Fatwaa of Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Baaz (Rahimahullaah)

[Shehzad Sattar]

Fataawaa Concerning Tobacco and Cigarettes (3):

The Fatwaa of Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Baaz (Rahimahullaah) - The Ruling Concerning Smoking Cigarettes and the Imaamah of the One Who Flagrantly Smokes

All Praise is due to Allah, alone, and may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger and upon all his family and companions.

I was asked by some brothers about the ruling concerning smoking cigarettes and the validity of the Imaamah1 of the one who does so publicly, while mentioning that this evil has become prevalent and has afflicted many people.

So the answer is as follows:

The evidences of the religion establish that the smoking of cigarettes is prohibited, and that is due to both its khubth and the great harm it possesses, for Allah (The Mighty & Majestic) has not sanctioned anything from food and drink except which is good and beneficial. And as for those things which cause detriment to one’s religion or their worldly life, or which change their normal state of mind, Allah, Exalted be He, has disallowed it. Allah (The Mighty & Majestic) is more merciful to His servants than their own selves. He is the All-Wise and All-Knowing in His speech, actions, legislation, and ordainments, and He does not prohibit anything in vain. He does not create anything in falsehood, nor does He order His servants with something in which there is no benefit, for He, Exalted be He, is the Wisest of Judges and the Most Merciful. He the All-Knowing about what is proper for His servants and what benefits them in this life and the next, as He (The Mighty & Majestic) said,

“Indeed your Lord is Wise and Knowledgeable.”

[Surah al-Anaam (6): 128]



And He (The Mighty & Majestic) said,

“Indeed Allah is Wise and Knowledgeable.”

[Surah an-Nisaa' (4): 11]



And there are numerous other ayaat that suggest the same meaning.

And from the Qur'anic evidences regarding the prohibition of smoking cigarettes, is His (The Mighty & Majestic) saying in His Noble Book in Surah al-Maa'idah,

“They ask you what has been allowed for them. Say: at-tayyibaat (all things pure and good) have been allowed for you.”

[Surah al-Maa'idah (5):4]



And He (The Mighty & Majestic) said in Surah al-A’raaf describing our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ),

“He commands them with al-ma’roof (all things ordained by Islam) and prohibits them al-munkar (all things prohibited by Islam), and he allows for them at-tayyibaat (all things good and pure) and he prohibits them al-khabaa'ith.”

[Surah al-A’raaf (7):157]



Allah (The Mighty & Majestic) clarified in these two noble ayaat that He (The Mighty & Majestic) has not permitted anything for His servants except those things good and pure, which are the beneficial food and drink. And as for the food and drink which cause harm, like those that intoxicate, narcotize, or any other food or drink harmful to one’s religion, body, or mind, they are from the prohibited khabaa'ith. Physicians and others who have knowledge in this subject are in agreement that cigarettes are extremely harmful to health. They have also mentioned that it is a cause of a wide array of diseases, amongst them cancer, and cardiac arrest. And if this is truly the case, then there should be no doubt in the prohibition of anything that has similar consequences, and it becomes an obligation to caution against it. The intelligent should not be deceived by the scores of people, who smoke, for verily Allah (The Mighty & Majestic) said in His Clear Book,

“And if you follow most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie.”

[Surah al-Anaam (6):116]



And He (The Mighty & Majestic) said,

“Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the path.”

[Surah al-Furqaan (25):44]

As for the validity of the imaamah of someone who smokes cigarettes, or for that matter anyone else amongst the disobedient, it is not befitting that their likes be taken as an Imaam. Rather, it is legislated that one choose from the righteous amongst the Muslims who are known for their uprightness and piousness, for the matter concerning the imaamah is indeed a great one. And for this reason the Messenger of Allah (U) said:

“Let the one to lead the people be the one who has memorized most the Book of Allah, and if they are equal in recitation, then the most knowledgeable of the Sunnah, and if they are equal in the knowledge of the Sun- nah, then the one who preceded in hijrah2, and if they were in equal in hijrah, then the first of them in accepting Islam.” [Muslim]

And in the Saheehayn, on the authority of the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said to Malik bin Huwayrith and his companions:

“When the time for prayer arrives, let one of you call the adhaan3, and let the eldest amongst you lead [in prayer]”

But the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have differed: Is the imaamah and the prayer of the congregation actually valid? Some have stated that the prayer performed behind him is not valid, du e to the weakness of his religion and the shortcoming in his Eemaan4, while others have stated that it is, giving reason that if the prayer is valid in regards to his own self, it necessitates that it also be valid for those following him. Also, many companions prayed behind governors and rulers which were known for their oppression and sinfulness, as Ibn ‘Umar (RadhiAllahu Anhumma) prayed behind al-Hajjaaj who was known to be from the most oppressive of people. And this is the correct opinion, that the imaamah of the one who smokes and also the prayer of those following him are both valid. But it should be known that it is not befitting that his likes be taken as an Imaam, while there are others from the righteous people that can be chosen instead.

And this reply is indeed concise, as we only intended to mention the principle ruling concerning these two matters and to clarify some of the evidences in its regard. Scholars have clarified the ruling concerning these two matters beforehand, and whoever wants elucidation in this subject, they can surely find it.

We ask Allah that He rectifies the affairs of the Muslims and guide them all to be upright in their religion and be wary from what opposes it. Verily He is the Most Generous.

And may His peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.



Sheikh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baaz Rahimahullaah

The president of the Council of Leading Scholars


Footnotes:

1. Imaamah: The role of leadership in the prayer

2. Hijrah: Emigration from a land of kufr to the land of Islaam.

3. Adhaan: The call to prayer

4. Eemaan: A term consisiting of three parts:
a. True belief and confirmation of the heart
b. Speech of the tongue
c. Actions of the limbs

Download PDF version from here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/64xydvec0paq ... FwzRa?dl=0

Also view other fatawaa on this topic by clicking on the relevant links below:

The Fatwaa of Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibraaheem Aal-ish-Sheikh (Rahimahullaah)
He is the Shaykh of Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Baaz (Rahimahullaah)

The Fatwaa of Sheikh Abdur-Rahmaan bin Naasir as-Sa’di (Rahimahullaah)
He is the Shaykh of Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al'Uthaymeen (Rahimahullaah)