Why Nicotine is Not Haram in Islam with Five Proofs
C.J Ahmed-22.04.2023
Nicotine is a pharmaceutical drug used to treat various medical conditions and is obtained from tobacco. The argument against Nicotine is due to it being used for smoking and smoking is not haram due to the Quran and the authentic hadiths being silent on this matter. The scholars have varied opinions with regards to smoking and some consier it haram while others consider it as disliked (Makruh). Below are the proofs on why smoking is halal.
1) Analyzing the Arguments of Those Who Say That Smoking is Haram
The most famous verse among those who ay that smoking is haram has nothing to do with smoking in the first place. The verse is as follows,
“And make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction.”(Quran-2:195)
The above verse was revealed regarding Jihad and is taken out of context to mean that smoking is haram. The following authentic hadith clearly explains why the above verse as revealed,
Narrated AbuAyyub:
AbuImran said: We went out on an expedition from Medina with the intention of (attacking) Constantinople. AbdurRahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of the company. The Romans were just keeping their backs to the walls of the city. A man (suddenly) attacked the enemy. Thereupon the people said: Stop! Stop! There is no god but Allah. He is putting himself into danger.
AbuAyyub said: This verse was revealed about us, the group of the Ansar (the Helpers). When Allah helped His Prophet (sal) and gave Islam dominance, we said (i.e. thought): Come on! Let us stay in our property and improve it.
Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, revealed, "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your hands contribute to (your destruction)". To put oneself into danger means that we stay in our property and commit ourselves to its improvement, and abandon fighting (i.e. jihad).
AbuImran said: AbuAyyub continued to strive in the cause of Allah until he (died and) was buried in Constantinople. (Abu Dawud-Book 14, Hadith 2506-Graded Sahih by Sheikh Albani)
There is a similer vere in the Quran which is also quoted by those who view that smoking is haram in which Allah (swt) says,
"Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you." (4:29)
The above verse is given a looe interpretation to give an umbrella fatwa to forbid smoking. Once again this verse to has nothing to do with smoking. This verse is amout committing suicide and murder and trying to argue that smoking is a form of suicide is erroneous. Th other verse is as follows,
"And He makes good things halaal for them and bad things haraam."(Quran-7:157)
The above verse is about foods which are made halal nd if smoking is haram, it would have been clerly prohibited in the Quran or authentic hadiths but there is no mention of such prohibition.
There is a famous hadith that s used to forbid smoking and it has nothing to do with smoking.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The prophet (sal) said,“Do not cause harm or return harm. Whoever harms others, Allah will harm him. Whoever is harsh with others, Allah will be harsh with him.” (Baihaqi-Graded Sahih by Albani)
The above hadith is taken out of context. This hadith talks about harming people by which has been mentione clearly in other verse and hadiths such as killing or maiming or injuring a Muslim and including smoking in to this hadith is nothing but including ones own opinion basedon your own like and dislikes. If Allah (swt) and his messenger (sal) have not sanctioned something in Islam, then no one has the right to make it forbidden according to their personal opinions.
2) Smoking is Not a Form of Suicide
Suicide is injuring yourself physically using various means such as taking sleeping pils in a large amount or stabbing or harmig oneself with the intention of taking your life and some try to compare suicide with smoking. They argue that smoking slowly kills you hence it is suicice. If we try to this foolish argument and compare suicide to smoking, then eting cholates is suicide, eating junk food is suicide, drinking soft drinks is suicide and even taking certain mdications is aslo suicide because all of them can contribute some one or more health problems in the long run. According to them, lmost every ativity will become haram bsed on this foolish argument.
3) Even Eaing Sweets Can Cause Health Problems
Not only smoking, Eating sweets can also cause health problems. Taking too much sugar is linked to higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease that can lead to stroke and heart attack and this is explained in detail in Harvard medical schhol article published in January 6, 2022 which you can read the full article here https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:~:text=%22The%20effects%20of%20added%20sugar,%2C%22%20says%20Dr.%20Hu.
4) Even the Prophet (sal) Liked Eating Sweets
Those who say that smoking is haram du to its health effects overlook the fact that eve eating sweets too can cause health problems. Trying to forbid something in Islam based on science cannot be accepted because for something to be prohibited in Islam, it needs to be proven from the Quran and the authentic hadiths.
Narrated `Aisha:
Allah's Messenger (sal) used to love sweet edible things and honey.(Bukhari)
Narrated `Aisha:
The Prophet (sal) used to like sweet edible things and honey.(Bukhari)
The above hadiths prve clearly that te prophet (sal) lovd edible sweets and it is a Sunnah to eat edible sweets such as honey. Are these so called scholars going to accept the scientific opinion over the Sunnah and state that eating sweets is haram? If sweets is halal then smoking is also halal. Th other point is marrying cousins. Marrying cousins is not haram in Islam but some doctors are of the view that marrying close cousins can cause harm to the child. This view of doctor are refuted by scientists in great length because the the probability of children being born as deformed is extremely less and unlikely to happen which I am not going to discuss in this article due to brevity.
5) Islam is Silent on the Issue of Smoking
Islam is silent when it comes to smoking ciggerettes or other siiler subtances and ilnce is from the mercy of Allah (swt).
. Islam is silent on this topic. Silence is a mercy from Allah (swt). The prophet (sal) said:
" The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.”
(Hasan Sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122).
Nicotin is not haram because Smoking tobacco is not haram in Islam.
Nicotine is a pharmaceutical drug used to treat various medical conditions and is obtained from tobacco. The argument against Nicotine is due to it being used for smoking and smoking is not haram due to the Quran and the authentic hadiths being silent on this matter. The scholars have varied opinions with regards to smoking and some consier it haram while others consider it as disliked (Makruh). Below are the proofs on why smoking is halal.
1) Analyzing the Arguments of Those Who Say That Smoking is Haram
The most famous verse among those who ay that smoking is haram has nothing to do with smoking in the first place. The verse is as follows,
“And make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction.”(Quran-2:195)
The above verse was revealed regarding Jihad and is taken out of context to mean that smoking is haram. The following authentic hadith clearly explains why the above verse as revealed,
Narrated AbuAyyub:
AbuImran said: We went out on an expedition from Medina with the intention of (attacking) Constantinople. AbdurRahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of the company. The Romans were just keeping their backs to the walls of the city. A man (suddenly) attacked the enemy. Thereupon the people said: Stop! Stop! There is no god but Allah. He is putting himself into danger.
AbuAyyub said: This verse was revealed about us, the group of the Ansar (the Helpers). When Allah helped His Prophet (sal) and gave Islam dominance, we said (i.e. thought): Come on! Let us stay in our property and improve it.
Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, revealed, "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your hands contribute to (your destruction)". To put oneself into danger means that we stay in our property and commit ourselves to its improvement, and abandon fighting (i.e. jihad).
AbuImran said: AbuAyyub continued to strive in the cause of Allah until he (died and) was buried in Constantinople. (Abu Dawud-Book 14, Hadith 2506-Graded Sahih by Sheikh Albani)
There is a similer vere in the Quran which is also quoted by those who view that smoking is haram in which Allah (swt) says,
"Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you." (4:29)
The above verse is given a looe interpretation to give an umbrella fatwa to forbid smoking. Once again this verse to has nothing to do with smoking. This verse is amout committing suicide and murder and trying to argue that smoking is a form of suicide is erroneous. Th other verse is as follows,
"And He makes good things halaal for them and bad things haraam."(Quran-7:157)
The above verse is about foods which are made halal nd if smoking is haram, it would have been clerly prohibited in the Quran or authentic hadiths but there is no mention of such prohibition.
There is a famous hadith that s used to forbid smoking and it has nothing to do with smoking.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The prophet (sal) said,“Do not cause harm or return harm. Whoever harms others, Allah will harm him. Whoever is harsh with others, Allah will be harsh with him.” (Baihaqi-Graded Sahih by Albani)
The above hadith is taken out of context. This hadith talks about harming people by which has been mentione clearly in other verse and hadiths such as killing or maiming or injuring a Muslim and including smoking in to this hadith is nothing but including ones own opinion basedon your own like and dislikes. If Allah (swt) and his messenger (sal) have not sanctioned something in Islam, then no one has the right to make it forbidden according to their personal opinions.
2) Smoking is Not a Form of Suicide
Suicide is injuring yourself physically using various means such as taking sleeping pils in a large amount or stabbing or harmig oneself with the intention of taking your life and some try to compare suicide with smoking. They argue that smoking slowly kills you hence it is suicice. If we try to this foolish argument and compare suicide to smoking, then eting cholates is suicide, eating junk food is suicide, drinking soft drinks is suicide and even taking certain mdications is aslo suicide because all of them can contribute some one or more health problems in the long run. According to them, lmost every ativity will become haram bsed on this foolish argument.
3) Even Eaing Sweets Can Cause Health Problems
Not only smoking, Eating sweets can also cause health problems. Taking too much sugar is linked to higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease that can lead to stroke and heart attack and this is explained in detail in Harvard medical schhol article published in January 6, 2022 which you can read the full article here https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:~:text=%22The%20effects%20of%20added%20sugar,%2C%22%20says%20Dr.%20Hu.
4) Even the Prophet (sal) Liked Eating Sweets
Those who say that smoking is haram du to its health effects overlook the fact that eve eating sweets too can cause health problems. Trying to forbid something in Islam based on science cannot be accepted because for something to be prohibited in Islam, it needs to be proven from the Quran and the authentic hadiths.
Narrated `Aisha:
Allah's Messenger (sal) used to love sweet edible things and honey.(Bukhari)
Narrated `Aisha:
The Prophet (sal) used to like sweet edible things and honey.(Bukhari)
The above hadiths prve clearly that te prophet (sal) lovd edible sweets and it is a Sunnah to eat edible sweets such as honey. Are these so called scholars going to accept the scientific opinion over the Sunnah and state that eating sweets is haram? If sweets is halal then smoking is also halal. Th other point is marrying cousins. Marrying cousins is not haram in Islam but some doctors are of the view that marrying close cousins can cause harm to the child. This view of doctor are refuted by scientists in great length because the the probability of children being born as deformed is extremely less and unlikely to happen which I am not going to discuss in this article due to brevity.
5) Islam is Silent on the Issue of Smoking
Islam is silent when it comes to smoking ciggerettes or other siiler subtances and ilnce is from the mercy of Allah (swt).
. Islam is silent on this topic. Silence is a mercy from Allah (swt). The prophet (sal) said:
" The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.”
(Hasan Sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122).
Nicotin is not haram because Smoking tobacco is not haram in Islam.