Is Smoking Cigarettes Haram?
Is smoking cigarettes permissible in Islam?
Islamic Ruling
Historical note: Classical scholars did not address cigarettes (tobacco reached the Islamic world in the 16th century). Earlier scholars debated it; many ruled it makruh (disliked). The ruling shifted to haram as medical evidence of harm became conclusive.
Key principles applied:
1. La darar wa la dirar — No harm to self or others (Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ)
2. Prohibition on self-harm (Quran 2:195)
3. Harm to others (secondhand smoke) compounds the prohibition
Major fatwas: Al-Azhar (Egypt), Dar al-Ifta (Egypt, 2000), Saudi Arabia's Permanent Committee for Research and Fatwas, and the World Health Organisation-affiliated Islamic scholars have all declared smoking haram.
For existing smokers: Struggling to quit while intending to stop is not the same as embracing the habit. Seek support to quit as it is an act of worship to protect Allah's trust — your body.
Quranic Evidence
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Quran 2:195
And do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands.
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Quran 7:157
[The Prophet] who makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil.
Hadith Evidence
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Sunan Ibn Majah 2340
"The Prophet ﷺ said: "There should be no harming of oneself or others.""
Views of the Four Madhabs
Contemporary scholars (majority)
Haram due to proven medical harm. Some say makruh tahrim. No contemporary major scholar defends it as permissible.
Scholar's View
Fatwa of al-Azhar (1998): "Smoking is haram because it causes self-harm which is forbidden in Islam."
This ruling is presented for educational purposes based on established scholarly sources. For matters specific to your personal situation, please consult a qualified Islamic scholar (mufti) from your madhab.
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