SMOKING: "Gone up in Smoke"

According to expert estimates, Pakistanis burnt up Rs.125 000.00 EVERY HOUR in the form of smoking cigarettes. On a daily basis this adds up to the mind-boggling figure of THREE MILLION RUPEES. These estimates are for 1965. In that year Pakistan could have purchased 17 Supersonic fighter jets or 500 tanks with the money that it’s citizens sent up in smoke. 10 warships could have also been bought for the amount spent on smoking during the course of the year. This was thirty years ago. Today these figures will be several times higher. (Courtesy Al-Ashraf June 95 -Karachi)

This is the situation in one Muslim country alone. If the money spent by all Muslims throughout the world on this extremely detrimental habit was to be collected, it would probably be enough to feed ALL the famine-stricken people of the world for several years. Unfortunately this great amount of Muslim wealth is going down the drain — or rather "up in smoke." Allah Ta’ala has warned us against wasting His bounties. Allah Ta’ala says: "Do not waste. Verily the wasters are the brothers of Shaitaan!" (Surah 17 Verse 26/27). Indeed wastage occurs daily in many things. One has to refrain from all types of wastage. Smoking,however, is perhaps among the things upon which the MOST amount of wealth is wasted DAILY.

It has been proven medically that smoking gradually destroys the body. This body does not belong to us. It is an Amaanah (trust) from Allah Ta’ala. To deliberately inflict destruc-tion upon the body is forbidden in the Quran and Hadith. Smoking is therefore tantamount to deliberately destroying property left in trust!!!

The statistics on passive smoking clearly indicate that the smoker also harms those around him. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has said that a Believer is one who causes no harm to others.

Another aspect of smoking is the offensive and repugnant odour which emanates from the mouth of the person who has smoked (it certainly is repugnant to those who do not smoke even if the smoker himself has become accustomed to the offensive smell). This should be especially considered with regards to the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) wherein he is reported to have said: "Those who have eaten (raw) onions or garlic should not come to the Musjid.(ie. they should first totally remove the smell and then come to the Musjid)"( Mishkaat pg.70) This is specifically due to the offensive smell.

The following Hadith makes this absolutely evident. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Whoever has eaten from these foul-smelling trees (onion and garlic) should not come close to our Musjid (before removing the odour) for verily the angels also are annoyed and irritated by those things which annoy and irritate humans." (Bukhari; Muslim—Mishkaat pg. 69) Hence to enter the Musjid with the offensive smell of cigarettes in one’s mouth is indeed extremely reprehensible moreso because it also disturbs the pure angels of Allah Ta’ala.

However it is often noticed that a person is smoking while on his way to the Musjid or he will be seen taking the last few puffs right outside the musjid. This is directly contradicting the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa-sallam).Therefore one should totally refrain from this practice.