[yazetaw]

From the book "Kicking the Habit" by Shaykh Yunus Patel (RA)

Quitting cigarettes…

There are many who write to me, complaining of their addiction to smoking, and who are keen to quit the bad habit. The prescription I give, which Alhamdulillah many have found effective as a remedy, is as follows :

1.) As Muslims, we are always taking the pure name of Allah Ta’ala and praising Him in some way or the other. Consider the Salaam (or greeting) that we are encouraged to make in abundance to our brother Muslims – Beside the fact that it is a Dua and a form of Ibaadat (worship), it contains the pure name of Allah : ‘As-Salaam’.

Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi (Rahmatullah ‘alaih), has quoted the following Hadith in his Tafseer (commentary) of the Qur`aan Sharief, ‘Ma’ariful Qur`aan’: Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (RA) related that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) said: “Salaam is one of the names of Allah Almighty with which He has blessed the people of the earth. So make Salaam a common practice among you because, when a Muslim goes to a gathering of people and offers his salaam to them, he is blessed with a station of distinction in the sight of Allah Ta’ala as he reminded everyone of Salaam, that is, reminded everyone of Allah Ta’ala…”

…Does it then befit a Mu’min (Believer) to utter the name of Allah Ta’ala with the accompanying odour of tobacco ?

2.) In relation to the above point, we should keep in mind that the Qur`aan Sharief as well as the Ahadith encourage us to occupy the tongue in the Zikr of Allah Ta’ala.

Allah Ta’ala states in Surah Ahzaab :

“O THOSE WHO BELIEVE! REMEMBER ALLAH IN ABUNDANCE.”
[Surah Ahzaab 33 : 41]

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) has mentioned in one of numerous Ahadith relating to the Zikr (Remembrance) of Allah Ta’ala : “Keep your tongue always moist (i.e. busy) with the Zikr of Allah.”

We have to read duas when wearing clothes, before and after leaving the toilet, when driving, entering and leaving home, before and after eating and drinking, etc. …On different occasions, duas are to be recited. All of these contain the name and ‘hamd’ (praise) of Allah Ta’ala. Often, Ayaah (verses) of the Qur`aan Sharief are read in the form of dua.

Furthermore, a Muslim has to sometimes say regarding a future action : ‘Insha-Allah’ , or sometimes congratulate by saying : ‘Masha-Allah’ ; in his grief and sorrow he will say: ‘Inna Lillah…’ and for the bounties which he is blessed with, he will say: ‘Alhamdulillah’ , when thanking someone, he will say : ‘JazakAllah’ , etc.

We have also been encouraged by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) to read Durood and Salaam upon him in abundance. In fact, the practice of conveying Durood is rendered by Allah Ta’ala, Himself.

Allah Ta’ala mentions :

“VERILY, ALLAH AND HIS ANGELS SEND BLESSINGS ON THE PROPHET : O YOU WHO BELIEVE, SEND (YOU) BLESSINGS ON HIM AND SALUTE HIM WITH ALL RESPECT.”
[Surah Ahzaab 33 : 56]

3.) Consider the fact that when in the mother’s womb, Allah Ta’ala preserved our mouths from being polluted, by having us nourished by our mother’s blood, through the medium of the umbilical cord attached to the navel, and not the mouth. Why ? …Because the Shariah classifies and catergorises blood as Najis (filth).

Thus, from the inception of our physical creation, Allah Ta’ala preserved the mouth from impurity and reserved it for the Tilawat (recitation) of the Qur`aan Sharief, Durood Sharief upon Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) as well as nasihat (advice) tended for the benefit and goodness of others.

When Allah Ta’ala took such care in protecting our mouths from filth, we too should take care in preserving the cleanliness of our mouths.

4.) Added to this, we should abstain from smoking, out of respect for the Malaa`ikah (angels) who are exceptionally and extremely sensitive to smell. Our Beloved Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) has instructed that a person who has eaten garlic and onions stays away from the Musjid , until he rids his mouth of the odour, due to the fact that annoyance was caused to the angels as well as musallies . What then would be said of the smell of cigarettes and tobacco ?

…Some of the Sunnats of the Ambiyaa (‘Alaihimus Salaam) are hayaa (modesty), itr (scent) and siwaak (tooth-stick). …Why the ‘siwaak’ or miswaak ? …Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) used the miswaak in abundance, even though there was never any bad odour emitted from the mouth or even the body of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam). Beside the fact that Hazrat Jibra`eel (‘Alaihis Salaam) was delivering Wahi (revelation) from Allah Ta’ala, this practice of miswaak was to also teach us the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the mouth.

5.) Moreover, we should consider the fact that we generally cause distress and inconvenience to so many non-smokers, who find smoking a very disagreeable habit. This then is a violation of their rights.

So many women endure this offensive and bad habit of their husbands. Had these women been the smokers and the husbands, non-smokers, then they would know how unpleasant and disturbing the habit is

I, personally, get a headache if I have to sit in a car, in which the driver or passengers or even the ashtray has a cigarette smell. Although I adopt sabr (patience), the truth is that I feel like stopping the driver and getting off. If, in the Musjid, I happen to stand next to a person with the filthy smell of cigarettes, I feel like moving away if the Salaah has not commenced. …Just imagine, how many others must be experiencing the same feeling.

…An important branch of Shariah is Islamic Social life (Mu’aasharaat). Simply explained, it is to consider others before ourselves – i.e. by refraining from annoying, inconveniencing and hurting others. This is one of the branches of Shariah which the true Walis (friends) of Allah Ta’ala greatly emphasize and impress upon.

It is unfortunate that we don’t give such matters, importance. Due to scant regard for Mu’aasharaat we are losing the noor of the Zikr and Ibaadat that we make.

6.) I always tell the persons interested : So much of money is saved in giving up smoking. …Consider as to how many Haj you have already burnt ? How many widows, orphans, poor and needy could have been sustained with that which you burnt. And the fact of the matter is that all those cigarettes were of no benefit to your physical health and well being.

When so many have given up drug addictions, what then are cigarette addictions?

The next time you take a cigarette then reflect over the following: I am burning money, harming my health, inconveniencing others, and my mouth is so filthy that no angel or human being wants to be near me.

Make dua to Allah Ta’ala : I have got this weakness. Give me the strength to give it up. Request the pious ones to make dua for you. Virtue and acceptance are realized in the duas of the pious.

May Allah Ta’ala make it easy for us and all brothers and sisters to give up all bad and evil habits.

[THE ABOVE ADVICE WILL, INSHA-ALLAH, MAKE A MUSLIM, CONSCIOUS OF DEEN, QUIT THE HABIT. TO THE OTHERS, ALL THE ARGUMENTS BY ANTI-SMOKING ACTIVISTS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT.]"

WEBSITE : http://yunuspatel.co.za