I swore I would never smoke again but I could not control myself and I smoked. What shall I do?

I swore I would not smoke again but I could not control myself and I smoked.  What shall I do?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

If one merely promised to himself that he would not smoke and happened to smoke thereafter, he will be sinful for breaking a promise.  One must repent and try his utmost to quit smoking.[i]

However, when a person declares in one of the Names of Allah or one of His Attributes or on the Quran to do something or to leave something, then such a statement is considered a valid oath.  Hence, if one swore an oath not to smoke by saying for example,

“I take an oath/ I swear/ I swear by Allah that I will not smoke,” and happened to smoke thereafter, he will be sinful for breaking an oath and in addition will have to pay the consequent expiation (kaffārah) for breaking an oath.

One should avoid taking oaths on the Quran as it is not appropriate to do so.  It is only appropriate to take an oath in one of the Names of Allah or one of His Attributes.[ii]

The method for the expiation for breaking an oath is:

If one wishes,

1)     he may feed ten destitute people, morning and evening (or one person for ten day), or,

2)     he may clothe ten destitute people, giving each one of them a garment, the minimum being that in which salāh is valid.

Alternatively, he may give the equivalent of any of the above in money.

If one is unable to practice on any of the above due to genuine financial constraints, he may fast for three consecutive days.[iii]

One must try his utmost to quit smoking.  The harms of smoking cannot be enumerated due to the length of the harms and are in reality innumerable.  The devastation caused by smoking not only affects one’s body, instead it ruins the home, the society, one’s family and all those places where a smoker visits after smoking.  How many people unfortunately enter the masjid having just smoked and as a result trouble the angels, jinn and the humans performing salāh?

Thus, unshakeable willpower and a firm resolution to quit must be the driving force behind someone wishing to quit smoking.  On a daily basis, read and contemplate the harms of smoking.  Think about all those people who are afflicted with a disease due to smoking.  Visit the hospitals and see the harms of smoking.  Tell others the harms of smoking and encourage others to quit smoking also.

If there is a campaign to quit smoking or a clinic in your area which helps one to quit, consider enrolling in such initiatives.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mawlana Faraz ibn Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com