ISLAMABAD: Islamic scholars issued ‘Fatwa’ that termed smoking impermissible, undesirable, and unlawful because of its negative impacts on human health.
They were speaking during a National Conference on Islamic Injunctions on Smoking for declaration regarding smoking decree organized by the Council of Islamic Ideology and SPARC – A child rights NGO.
Lethal effects of smoking are increasingly noticed by society, which is not only felt by smokers, but also by families and residents of the surrounding community who are exposed to cigarette smoke, especially the younger generation, scholars feel the need to remind the public of these dangers.
Ali Muhammad Khan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, said that in a young country such as ours, an exaggerated impact will be seen as this population ages and develops myriad health problems associated with tobacco, including chronic lung and heart disease and almost all cancers.
In the absence of changes in tobacco taxation for years, policy planning to influence tobacco consumption and meet international targets needs urgent revision, he added.
Qibla Ayaz, Chairman of, Council of Islamic Ideology, mentioned that smoking is harmful to human and a danger to oneself and to others in the hadith narrated by Ibn Majah, “There is no danger to oneself and to others.” Cigarettes have proved to be a source of several diseases that harm oneself and harm others, who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
He stated that considering the harms of cigarettes, the Council of Islamic Ideology and leading Islamic scholars present in the conference are in harmony, that according to Islamic sharia, smoking is in the category undesirable and needs to be stopped.
During the conference Malik Imran Ahmed, Country Head, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Pakistan, while referring to other Islamic countries, he mentioned that in 2000, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Nasr Farid Wasil, ruled that smoking was forbidden in Islam because of its harmful health effects. He added that our country is particularly vulnerable to weak tobacco control implementation as the impact is most sensitively seen in the country’s youth. About 1,200 children in Pakistan between the age of 6 to 15 years start smoking every day with 170,000 death yearly.
He also mentioned the total costs attributable to all smoking-related diseases and deaths in Pakistan for 2019 are Rs 615.07 billion whereas, the tobacco industry’s total tax contribution (120 billion in 2019) is approximately just 20 percent of smoking’s total cost he said.
He requested the government to acknowledge the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology and to take measures to eradicate smoking and declare the sale of tobacco products is illegal. We appeal proper legislation on tobacco taxation to limit its consumption.
The Council of Islamic Ideology also committed to having a special session at The Council to discuss the Islamic injunctions on tobacco and will declare its stance on this issue.
