When discussing the ruling on smoking in Islam, many people immediately associate the issue with Muhammadiyah. This is understandable, as the fatwa declaring smoking unlawful (haram) issued by Muhammadiyah’s Religious Opinion and Reform Council in 2010 received widespread public attention.
In reality, the prohibition of smoking has been adopted by numerous scholars and fatwa institutions throughout the Muslim world. Muhammadiyah is not the only institution to have reached this conclusion. The ruling is the result of ijtihad based on Islamic legal sources as well as scientific findings concerning the harmful effects of smoking on human health.
Among the institutions that have declared smoking unlawful are the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Qatar, the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Fatwa of Saudi Arabia, Lajnah Dā’imah and Jordan’s Dār al-Iftā’.
These rulings demonstrate that the prohibition of smoking is a widely held position among contemporary Muslim scholars rather than an exclusive opinion of a single organization.
Although the evidences, legal methodologies, and emphases of their arguments may differ, these institutions arrive at the same conclusion: smoking causes clear and substantial harm and therefore conflicts with the objectives of Islamic law in safeguarding human welfare.
For Muhammadiyah, the fatwa prohibiting smoking is supported by several interconnected religious considerations.
First, smoking is regarded as falling under the category of khabā’ith—things that are harmful and impure. Allah says:
وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ
“He permits for them all good things and forbids for them all harmful and impure things.” (QS. al-A‘raf [7]: 157)
Second, smoking is viewed as a form of gradual self-destruction. Numerous medical studies have shown a strong connection between smoking and an increased risk of various life-threatening diseases. Muhammadiyah therefore relates smoking to Allah’s command:
وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ
“Do not throw yourselves into destruction.” (QS. al-Baqarah [2]: 195).
As well as:
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا
“Do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is Most Merciful to You.” (QS. an-Nisa’ [4]: 29)
Third, the harm of smoking affects not only smokers but also those exposed to secondhand smoke. Accordingly, Muhammadiyah bases its ruling on the well-known Prophetic principle:
«لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ»
“There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.”
Fourth, cigarettes contain addictive substances and toxins that weaken the human body over time. In this regard, Muhammadiyah refers to the hadith:
«نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ كُلِّ مُسْكِرٍ وَمُفَتِّرٍ»
“The Messenger of Allah prohibited every intoxicating and debilitating substance.”
Fifth, spending money on cigarettes is considered wasteful because it is used for something that ultimately damages health. This consideration is linked to Allah’s words:
وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ
“Do not squander your wealth wastefully. Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils.” (QS. al-Isra’ [17]: 26-27)
Sixth, smoking is viewed as contrary to the maqāṣid al-syarī‘ah—the fundamental objectives of Islamic law. Smoking damages health, threatens human life, harms family welfare, burdens household finances, and diminishes overall quality of life. Consequently, it conflicts with the preservation of life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), intellect (ḥifẓ al-‘aql), lineage (ḥifẓ al-nasl), and wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl).
For these reasons, Muhammadiyah concludes that smoking can no longer be regarded merely as a personal habit. Rather, it is an act that contradicts the fundamental principles and objectives of Islamic teachings.
Reference:
Council for Religious Opinion and Reform of The Central Board of Muhammadiyah, “Bolehkah Warga NU Mengikuti Fatwa Majelis Tarjih Tentang Rokok?”, Suara Muhammadiyah ed. 109, 2024.
