To the Smoke Seller
Since 2012-11-26
As long as there are some brothers who are afflicted by the disease of selling and trading in smoke (cigarettes, cigars, smoke…), then it becomes obligatory on us to remind and warn them against the dangerous and harmful effects of their action.
In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Brotherhood in Islam has many rights. Verily, the Muslim has some duties towards his brothers, as religion of Islam is to give sincere advice. None of you is (truly) a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
As long as there are some brothers who are afflicted by the disease of selling and trading in smoke (cigarettes, cigars, smoke…), then it becomes obligatory on us to remind and warn them against the dangerous and harmful effects of their action.
From this standpoint, the pen began to write these words to our brothers who sell smoke so that they may find attentive ears and heeding hearts. This is what we think of them, and this is what we hope about them. Surely, the reminder is very beneficial to the believers. The believer is taught when he is reminded.
Dear brother, O seller of smoke, these simple words I would like to present to you, hoping that they will be acceptable and will have an effect on your heart.
Firstly, remember that you are a Muslim and that you are a slave of Allah. What a great of honor! What a noble servitude!
The Muslim, and you are one, loves Allah and His Messenger, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, gives preference to their love to any other love and prefers their obedience to any other obedience.
If this becomes fully clear for you, then is selling smoke a kind of obedience to Allah and His Messenger?
Is it something of what Allah and His Messenger love?
Dear brother, there is no doubt that you agree with me that smoke is not a kind of obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and it is not a kind of what Allah and His Messenger love. Then, how can you accept selling and promoting it?
Secondly, smoke is one of the harmful materials. Harmful materials are forbidden. Your Lord, Glorified and Exalted says in His perfect verses (i.e. Noble Quran), {He allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods),} [Surat Al-A’râf 7:157]
{وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَآئِثَ} الأعراف: 157
Transliteration: wayuhillu lahumu alttayyibati wayuharrimu AAalayhimu alkhabaitha
Then how would you, O dear brother, make something harmful the source of your livelihood?
Thirdly, smoke causes harm to yourself and the one who buys it; rather, to the nation as a whole. Your Messenger, Prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, “There should be no harming or reciprocating harm.”
Fourthly, you are poor and in dire need to your Lord Glorified and Exalted. You supplicate Him day and night. You cannot do without Him for a blink of an eye. If a disaster afflicts you, when the earth is confining for you with its vastness, when you cannot find anyone to relieve you from your disaster, you will surely turn to your Lord. You will implore Him, supplicate Him sincerely so that He may answer your invocations, and fulfill your needs. Then, how do you hope that He will answer your invocations while you have blocked the way of answering your invocations by consuming and selling what is forbidden?
Did you not know that consuming unlawful livelihood is one of the gravest things that prevent answering supplications?
On the other hand, are you dispensing and doing without your Lord?
Fifthly, your nation is in a pressing need to the healthy, powerful, and intelligent individuals. Is your participation in building the entity of your nation done by selling smoke?
No, on the contrary, you seek to destroy its health, weaken its powers and corrupt its minds.
Sixthly, do you accept that fatal diseases spread in your society and among the people of your religion, that they destroy people around you and harm the young and the old?
I do not believe that you accept this.
Then, why do you sell smoke while it is the major cause of several fatal diseases?
Have you not known that smoking is a cause of cancer and its various kinds such as cancer of the lung, lips, pharynx, mouth, esophagus, tongue, pancreas, bladder, kidney and the other different kinds of cancer?
Have you not known that it is a cause of many other diseases such as asthma, dyspnea, coughing, phlegm, tuberculosis, cirrhosis, apoplexy, angina pectoris, renal failure, tooth decay and blackening, loss of the sense of smelling and increase of the diseases of allergy?
Have you not known that it badly affects the heart and the brain, weakens the degree of intelligence, and causes blindness and Blepharitis?
Moreover, it causes sterility, affects the fetus badly, pollutes air and causes fires.
Do you accept to be a destructive element in your nation, dragging it a series of afflictions?
Seventhly, have it ever come to your mind that you may kill someone whose life is protected by the revealed laws of Islam without a rightful cause, or that you may be a cause for that?
Do you dare to commit this great sin and reprehensible crime?
You will say a clear and loud no.
Then do you not know that you cause the killing of several souls of whom you know or do not know and this is through selling and promoting smoke?
Do you not know that smoke is a main cause of premature death?
Furthermore, most of the number of deaths of the materialistic world is due to smoking, where one million and five hundred thousand persons die yearly in the world due to smoking alone, and three hundred and fifty thousand persons in the United States of America alone.
Eighthly, will you be pleased if the children of the Muslims become deviated and you are the cause of this?
You surely will say, no.
Then do you not know that smoke is one of the greatest causes of deviation?
Smoking is the beginning of the end. It is the way of several kinds of corruption such as narcotics and the like. O dear brother, how would you be pleased with corrupting the children of the Muslims?
Do you not fear that you will be punished with the deviation of your children?
Ninthly, will you be pleased with helping your enemies to defeat your nation?
You will say, as usual, no.
I will say to you, by selling, promoting and trading in smoke, you devastate the economy of your nation and help spending its properties in what causes it harm. In the same time, you support the companies of the enemies that export smoke.
Due to your efforts, you become for the manufacturer,
Of these fatal poisons the best helper
You grant them the money, were not for it,
They would have not found a way to plot against this religion.
Tenthly, dear beloved brother, do you not trust the sufficiency of Allah to you?
Do you not know that He is the One Who provides you?
Do you not believe that no soul will die until it has completed its appointed term and received its provision in full?
You will say, Yes.
Then where are this trust, that knowledge and sound faith, while you are selling smoke knowing that it is forbidden?
Can you not be sufficient with the lawful matters?
Eleventh, you may be greedy for gaining more money and you may be afflicted with the love of increasing it.
On the other hand, what is the benefit of money if it loses its blessing?
Have you not known that prohibited earnings corrupt money and wipe out its blessing?
Then what good do you expect from the money when its blessing has been wiped out?
Twelfth, you may say that you know the prohibition of smoke, its harmful effects and you do not seek money from it; however, I take it as a means of attracting customers.
I will say to you: Dear brother, who is the one who attracts customers to you?
Who is responsible for all provisions?
Is it smoke? Or is it Allah Glorified and Exalted and Whose Names are Most Sublime?
In fact, your action is prohibited. That is because means take the same ruling of the objectives. It is a kind of thinking bad of Allah Glorified and Exalted.
Thirteen, you may say that you take nothing from the earnings of selling smoke, but it is the seller whom I have charged with selling it. He is the one who buys and sells it. I have no sin nor blame in this.
I will say to you, whom do you really want to deceive? Do you deceive yourself? Or do you deceive people? Or do you deceive your Lord?
You will certainly bear the responsibility of this and the sin is surrounding you. You are the main cause of it. You can prevent the seller from selling smoke. You are sinful because you did not change the prohibited mattes while you are able to do so. You are sinful because you are one of those who cooperate in the sin and transgression.
Had the seller deceived the people or sold them a commodity that its validity date has expired, you would have not accepted this and you would not have said that it is the responsibility of the seller.
But rather, you would have been angry and you may have punished or replaced him, fearing that customers may dislike your shop.
Dear beloved brother, turn to Allah with repentance and go back to your right guidance. Try to think about the harmful effects of smoke on you and others. Know that you will help others to give up smoking if you stop selling it.
Seek the help of Allah Glorified and Exalted. Know that whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than that. Compensation takes many different kinds. You may be compensated with money that is better for you than the first, or your money will be blessed even if it is little, or that Allah will ward you off disasters that no one knows except Him or you may be provided with content and heart satisfaction.
The best thing you can be compensated with is the kindness of Allah, His Love, the power of your heart, its vigor, contentment, pleasure with Allah, and feeling comfort and tranquility with remembering Him Glorified and Exalted.
Then remember the reward of giving up smoking. Try to think about the great virtue of repentance for what really counts is the perfection of the end not the imperfection of the beginning.
Then raise your hand to you Lord and ask Him to help you against yourself and against the devils of humans and that of the jinn who stand against you and prevent you from turning back to your Lord.
Beware of surrendering to the whispers of the devil that your provision will be cut if you stop selling smoke. Seek refuge with Allah from the accursed devil. Remember that Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, and the Most Strong. Remember your standing before the Hand of the Lord of the ‘Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists), The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifâq (hypocrisy)].
In addition, remember the consequences of selling smoke. Verily, you share the sin of everyone you helped smoke.
Dear beloved brother, these words are written by someone who loves you, feels sympathy with you, hopes for you success and seek your honor. I ask Allah to lead you to the right guidance. I ask Him to make smooth for you the path of ease (goodness), and to prevent you from taking the path of evil.
Allah knows best. Prayers and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al-Hamad
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