MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA—The Council for Religious Opinion and Reform of Muhammadiyah Central Board has firmly ruled that smoking is haram (forbidden). This position is stated in the Fatwa of The Council for Religious Opinion and Reform of Muhammadiyah No.6/SM/MTT/III/2010 on the Law of Smoking.
The fatwa declares that smoking is classified as khabā’its (impure and harmful acts) prohibited by Islamic law. It contains elements of self-destruction. This phenomenon is warned against in Qur’anic verses. It is stated in Q.S. Al-Baqarah [2]:195 and an-Nisā’ [4]:29, and it endangers both oneself and others.
The ruling further emphasizes that cigarettes are addictive and toxic substances. It contradict the principle of lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār (no harm and no reciprocating harm). Smoking also undermines the higher objectives of Islamic law (maqāṣid asy-syarī‘ah). The act of smoking deny the protection of life (ḥifẓ an-nafs) and wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl).
Impact on Fasting in Ramadan
With this clear religious stance, the issue of smoking does not stop at its prohibited status alone but also affects acts of worship, including fasting in Ramadan.
In a Tarjih Sermon delivered by Asep Shalahudin, a member of the Council for Religious Opinion and Reform of Muhammadiyah’s Central Executive Board, on Wednesday (11/02), several actions that invalidate fasting were explained.
“The next is smoking,” Asep firmly stated. He added that beyond declaring smoking haram in its fatwa, Muhammadiyah also holds that smoking invalidates the fast.
Jurisprudential Reasoning
From a fiqh perspective, smoking is considered an act of introducing a substance into the body through the mouth. The material is then reaching the internal body. Therefore, in the context of fasting, smoking is equated with eating or drinking. The reason is because a tangible substance deliberately enters the body during the daytime of Ramadan.
This affirmation reflects Muhammadiyah’s consistent position. Something already deemed haram due to its harmful nature and contradiction to the objectives of Islamic law cannot be regarded as neutral within the framework of fasting.
Indeed, Ramadan, with its spirit of self-restraint and spiritual purification, should strengthen efforts to quit smoking.
This is also in line with the fatwa’s directive that smokers are obliged to strive to quit according to their ability. Smoking is not only legally forbidden but also invalidates the fast if done during the daytime in Ramadan.
