There is something deeply troubling about watching a Muslim light up a cigarette right outside the masjid after prayer. This straightforward reminder addresses three critical points that every smoker in the Muslim community needs to hear, delivered with love and urgency because lives, health, and good deeds are literally going up in smoke.
Three Points Every Smoker Must Consider
First, every cigarette you light is money you are burning. At five to ten dollars a pack, purchased daily or every other day, that is thousands of dollars a year that could have been given in charity, earning you mountains of good deeds. Instead, that money is earning you the displeasure of Allah and the angel on the left writing down bad deeds. The choice between sadaqah and cigarettes should not even be a question.
“Strength is in the surrender to the Almighty. When you surrender to your nafs, this is total weakness. You are being played by the Shaytan every time you light up a cigarette.” — The Deen Show
Your Body Is a Trust from Allah
- Every cigarette puts poison in your body, running you toward cancer and effectively toward a slow form of self-destruction
- The science is clear and undeniable: smoking is not makruh (disliked) but haram (prohibited) because it causes major harm to the body
- Smoking in front of the masjid sets a terrible example for young children who see and imitate adults
- You will be held accountable not only for harming yourself but for the example you set for the next generation
Until You Quit, At Least Hide It
“It is bad enough you are doing it. Do not then go and set an example for some young kid. Go hide under a rock and smoke those cigarettes until you can break the habit.” — The Deen Show
Where there is a will, there is a way. Connect with Allah, strengthen your salah, and ask Him to free you from this addiction. Allah can make the impossible possible for those who sincerely turn to Him. Rise above this weakness, channel that money into charity, honor the body that Allah has entrusted you with, and set an example worth following for the Muslims who look up to you.
