Asalam O alaiykum.
I have two questions.
I have been a chain smoker for 7 years. My mother saw me smoking one day, she cried in front of me and asked me to quit smoking. So I responded with this sentence, ” I won’t smoke again after the one’s left in the pack”. So I made my best friends quit smoking too and so did I. We made a pact that we won’t smoke agian and will help each other out.
I have not been smoking for 2 years but now all of a sudden, I want to start smoking again, but I know if I’d start smoking again, there are possibilities that my friends would might start smoking again if they get to know that I’m smoking. Being a good friend, I don’t want them to start smoking.
I also made this reason of quitting smoking; that it brought tears in to my mothers eyes so I would not smoke ’till she’s alive because I love her a lot. Now, I feel very weak mentally.
Question#1: If I start smoking again without letting them know, would it be considered as cheating? What does Islam has to say about breaking the pact?
Question#2: If a person smokes without letting his parents know, would it be considered as a sin as it is against his parent’s will or it could hurt them?
Please response me, thank you.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The ill effects of smoking cannot be overstated. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and is the cause behind many forms of diseases. For this reason, the scholars have deemed smoking to be impermissible.
A mother will naturally want her son to abstain from what is harmful. It is not fitting for you to disobey your parents due to the emphasis Islam has laid on obeying ones parents. If you promised your mother to abstain from smoking, then it will not be right for you to go against your word.
You therefore have two very strong reasons for not smoking. Firstly, due to the shari prohibition based on its ill health effects, and secondly, as a means of obeying your parents.
Furthermore, by restarting this bad habit, your friends will lose heart and start smoking as well. On the other hand, by exercising self-control, you will be a means for other people to refrain from sinning. You will be rewarded for helping others to do good deeds as well. Consider the following hadith
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَى خَيْرٍ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ مِثْلُ فَاعِلِه
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever sets a good precedent in Islam will have the reward for that and the reward of those who do it after him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever sets a bad precedent in Islam will bear the burden of sin for that, and the burden of those who do it after him, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.[1]”
Every time you feel the urge to smoke, seek protection in Allah from the Shaitaan and the nafs and ask Allah for strength and courage. Create taqwa (fear of Allah) in yourself by adorning your life with good deeds. The more taqwa you have, the more control you will be able to exercise over your desires. Abstain from socializing with such people who smoke openly as this will strengthen your urge to smoke.
We make dua to Allah that he makes it easy for you to continue leading a smoke free life.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Shibly bin Mizan
Student Darul Iftaa
Toronto,Canada
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
[1]السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (9/ 48)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ، وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو، قَالَا: ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ، ثنا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى [ص:49] النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ أُبْدِعَ بِي فَاحْمِلْنِي. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ” لَيْسَ عِنْدِي”. فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ عَلَى مَنْ يَحْمِلُهُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَى خَيْرٍ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ مِثْلُ فَاعِلِهِ”. قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ: قَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةُ: أُبْدِعَ بِي: يَقُولُ: قُطِعَ بِي. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ