Help Me Quit Smoking

09/07/2012| IslamWeb

Question
I am a married young woman who suffers from addiction to smoking. I tried to quit several times, but all my attempts failed. I am still trying to quit smoking, as my husband disapproves of smoking. I supplicate to Allah The Exalted to forgive me and help me quit smoking and repent to Him.
I hope that you will help me spiritually and practically to give up smoking. Is Allah The Exalted satisfied with me? Please note that I am sparing no effort in trying to quit; I strive to abstain from smoking. It is Jihaad against my inner self and my physical desires.
May Allah bless you.

Answer
In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.
Dear sister,
Assalaamu ‘Alaykum,
We implore Allah The Almighty to guide you to doing whatever pleases Him, to safeguard you against His wrath, and to rectify your intentions and offspring as well as ours. We supplicate Him to guide us to what is good for us and shield us against the evils within ourselves.
A Muslim woman who abstains from eating and drinking in Ramadan out of obedience to Allah The Exalted can definitely quit smoking, which neither nourishes one nor satisfies hunger. Failure is not the end of one's attempts; successful people are those who turn their failure into building blocks in the edifice of their success. We would like to offer you some tips to help you give up smoking:

1) Knowing the Islamic ruling on smoking:
Our great religion aims at safeguarding one’s religion, life, mind, offspring, and property. Smoking negatively affects these five-fold tenets. It contradicts the Islamic principle that there should be neither harm nor malice; as it incurs both harm and malice upon the smoker as well as others. Smoking is seen as an evil vice according to wise people, even smokers themselves. It is a destructive and harmful habit.
Smoking has a negative impact on the spouse, children, and parents. It is well-known that thousands of people die every year because of smoking. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah Is to you Ever Merciful.} [Quran 4:29] Allah The Almighty also Says (what means): {…do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction…} [Quran 2:195]
2) Knowing the ingredients of cigarettes:
According to researchers, cigarette smoke is dangerous for anyone who breathes it, smokers and non-smokers alike, due to the harmful chemicals it contains, some of which are as follows:

• Benzene can be found in insecticides and gasoline. It is present in high levels in cigarette smoke and accounts for half of all human exposure to this hazardous chemical.
• Carcinogens: A carcinogen is any substance that can cause or aggravate cancer. Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) are known to be some of the most potent carcinogens present in smokeless tobacco, snuff and tobacco smoke.
• Nicotine is a chemical that is the addictive element in cigarettes. Ammonia compounds are commonly used to boost the impact of nicotine in cigarettes.
• Tobacco smoke contains pesticides, formaldehyde and toxic metals and metal compounds that have the potential to harm our health when absorbed or inhaled.
• Cigarette smoke can contain high levels of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.

3) Realizing the negative social effects that smoking has:
You have to realize that your addiction to smoking harms your spouse and children, and may drive your husband to develop an aversion to you. Your husband and children are passive smokers and are harmed more than you are. Bear in mind that your children are very likely to grow up to be smokers and go astray in the future.
We would like to advise you to resort to Allah The Exalted frequently, and to keep your mouth busy with the remembrance of Allah and the recitation of the Noble Quran. When you crave a cigarette, you may consume candy or use the Siwaak. You should avoid being alone; for the devil is nearer to the one who is alone. You should also adopt a gradual plan to quit smoking by reducing the number of cigarettes gradually and keeping them to a minimum. You need to consult a reliable Muslim doctor.
Bear in mind that a believer has a strong will, resolution, and faith in Allah The Exalted which shields him from falling into the abyss of sins. Your yearning for the rewards of Allah The Exalted motivates you to hasten to obey Him and strive to please Him. You will be rewarded, Allah willing, for your honest attempts and sincere efforts to quit smoking and to keep away from all that incurs the wrath of Allah.
Remember that continuing smoking despite your husband’s disapproval is a sin, for Allah The Exalted rendered the wife’s obedience to her husband an act of obedience to Him. You should be grateful to Allah The Exalted for having a pious husband who is enjoining you to quit smoking and shun this sin. Undeniably, your care to ask and seek knowledge on the matter indicates that you are a good person. You should let the goodness and obedience within you triumph. Bear in mind that Allah The Exalted commands us to show enmity of Satan, to abstain from following our ill desires and whims, and shun disobedience and misdeeds.

I hope that your efforts are comprehensive and your attempts to quit smoking are honest. The evidence of your sincerity in quitting smoking is abandoning your evil companions who commit the same sin with you, keeping away from the sinful environment, and harboring true hatred to such a sin.
We implore Allah The Exalted to guide you, grant you steadfastness and bestow upon you the blessings of gaining His Satisfaction.
May Allah grant us success.