The ruling on selling Cigarettes
Question :
What is the ruling on smoking cigarettes or selling them?
Answer:
Smoking cigarettes is forbidden, and so is selling them, buying them and renting out shops to those who will sell them, because that is cooperating in sin and transgression. The proof of its forbiddance is Allâh's Statement:
"And do not give the foolish people your property which Allâh has made a means of support for you.
The point of evidence from this is that Allâh has prohibited us from giving our wealth to the foolish, because the foolish person will use it in that which is not beneficial. Allâh explains that this wealth is a means of support for the people for the benefits of their religion and their worldly affairs. And spending wealth on cigarettes is not from the beneficial matters of the religion, nor is it from the benefits of the worldly matters. Spending wealth on that is contrary to the reason that Allâh made the wealth for His servants. From the evidences of its forbiddance is Allâh's Statement:
"And do not kill yourselves."
The point of evidence from this Verse is that it has been confirmed in medicine that smoking cigarettes is a cause of incurable diseases like cancer that eventually cause the person who smokes to die. Thus, the person who smokes is doing something that causes his destruction. Also, from the evidences that prove its forbiddance is His Statement:
"And eat and drink and do not be wasteful. Verily, He (Allah) does not love those who are wasteful."
The point of evidence from this Verse is that since Allâh has prohibited wastefulness in the lawful things, which means transgressing the limit in them, then verily, the prohibition of spending money on something that has no benefit is even greater. From the evidences of its forbiddance is the Prophet's prohibition of wasting wealth. There is no doubt that spending wealth on buying these smokes is wasting the wealth, because if he spent the wealth on that from which no benefit is derived, this is no doubt wasting it. There are other evidences as well, but the intelligent person is sufficed by one evidence from the Book of Allâh or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh . In reference to the correct view that proves its forbiddance, it is that every intelligent person is not possibly going to indulge in something that is a cause of harming him, his becoming ill and the depletion of his wealth in spending on it. This is because the intelligent person must protect his body and his wealth. No one is negligent concerning this except one who is deficient in his intellect and thinking. Also, from the rationale evidences concerning its forbiddance is that the person who smokes, if he loses his cigarettes, his chest becomes tight and he becomes very uneasy and troubled. He does not feel relieved unless he returns to smoking them. Also, from the rationale evidences concerning its forbiddance is that smoking them makes the acts of worship more difficult for the smoker, especially fasting. For verily, the smoker considers fasting to be very difficult, because he is forbidden from his smoking from the time Fajr begins until sunset. During the days of summer this is a very long time and thus, the smoker will detest the fast. Therefore, I advise my Muslim brothers, in general, and those who are being tested by smoking, in particular, to warn against cigarettes, whether it is selling them, smoking them, renting out places in order to sell them from those places or supporting them in any manner whatsoever.
Source:
Ash-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaimin
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 4 Pages 422-423-424
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