Trading in cigarettes
Question: What is the Islaamic ruling regarding one who trades in cigarettes which are sold under licence from the cigarette company?
Response: Smoking is haraam, growing tobacco is haraam, and trading in it is haraam, because of the great harm which it causes. And it was narrated in the hadeeth:
((There should be no causing harm nor reciprocating harm)),
and because it is (regarded as) one of the evil things (al-khabaa.ith).
Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says, in describing the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam):
{he allows them as lawful at-Tayyibaat [all good and lawful things] and prohibits them as unlawful al-Khabaa.ith [all evil and unlawful things]}, [Soorah al-A’raaf, Aayah 157].
And Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says (interpretation of the meaning):
{They ask you what is lawful for them. Say: ‘Lawful unto you are at-Tayyibaat [all good and lawful things]}, [Soorah al-Maa’idah, Aayah 4].
And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions.
The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa fatwaonline.com