'An Advice to Those Afflicted with Smoking' - Shaykh Mohammad bin Sālih Al-Uthaymeen رَحِمَهُ الله

'An Advice to Those Afflicted with Smoking' Shaykh Mohammad bin Sālih Al-Uthaymeen رَحِمَهُ الله
And no doubt, that an entire month (i.e. the month of Ramadān) passes by the believer, and he adorns himself with (lofty) mannerisms, then, without doubt, his direction and path will change. He will turn back to Allāh after (previously) fleeing from Him.
And he will turn back to obedience after disobedience. And his manners will improve. Because an entire a month a person spends (engaging) in that which is pleasing to Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, has to have an effect upon him, in any case. And in light of this occasion (i.e. Ramadān), I (would like to) send a message to those whom Allāh has afflicted and put to trial with smoking. Smoking is Harām (impermissible).
And it has become (even) clearer to the scholars now that it is Harām (impermissible). And that the one who smokes is disobedient to Allāh and His Messenger. And that if he persists upon smoking, then he transitions from the confines of uprightness to the confines of immorality and sinful disobedience. He becomes a Fāsiq (sinful and disobedient).
And the month of Ramadān is a vast arena for the one whom Allaah wants for him guidance. So STOP smoking! Because an entire day will pass him by whilst he hasn't smoked. So he is patient and tolerant during the night (of Ramadān, by not smoking) then the next day comes, and after a week has passed, his situation will change. Perhaps in the first week, it will be really difficult upon him. (But) from what we've followed up upon and been patient with, we've found that those affairs in which Allāh wills to change, (usually) change within one week. And this is why the 'Aqeeqah, slaughtering for the (new-born) infant is when? On the seventh day, an (entire) week has passed. And this (i.e. waiting period of one week helps) develop and advance a thing. Many of the people (when they) fall ill and are patient upon it, then after (the passing of) one week their circumstance changes. Either (their health) worsens or improves.
So I say that those who have been afflicted with smoking, they will find within the first week great difficulty. But they should endure and be patient. Because, even if the price is dazzling, the product is expensive. The price is dazzling, they will spend and it will be a burden upon them, but the product is expensive. May Allāh protect them from this evil (act of) smoking. So after one week passes, their circumstances change, and after the passing of the second week, they progress even more, and so-on so-forth.
So this blessed month does not pass by except that Allāh saves and protects whom He wills from His slaves from this evil (act of) smoking. But what remains upon him is to fulfill this covenant of protection by way of steering clear of, and keeping away from those who smoke. So that he does not regress after (having been upon) uprightness. Source: binothaimeen.ne... Translated by: Abu Inaayah Seif