The Legal Ruling on Smoking and Its Punishment

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: My question is that does smoking cigarettes and in particular certain drugs such as weed and marijuana that intoxicate more than tobacco, carry the same punishment as drinking alcohol i.e. being impure for forty days?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are well, insha’Allah.

According to many contemporary scholars, smoking is unlawful (haram) or prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) and sinful due to its major individual and societal harms as established by modern medical research.

Others hold that it is minimally disliked, and can become impermissible and sinful if done such that grave harm is feared in one’s particular case.

See also: The Legal Rulings on Chewing Tobacco and Smoking Cigarettes

Marijuana and Drugs

Marijuana is unlawful (haram) as it is a drug which intoxicates. Thus it would take the same ruling as alcohol. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Every intoxicant is prohibited.” [Bukhari]

As for the being impure for forty days, please see the following article:  Drinking Alcohol: Are My Prayers Not Valid for 40 Days?

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam

Tabraze Azam