1) The Harm Principle (Qur’an 2:195 – “Do not throw yourselves into destruction”)
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Smoking is proven to cause cancer, heart disease, and premature death.
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Based on this, many scholars now consider it haram due to its clear and significant harm to the body, which violates the Islamic principle of preserving life.
2) Wastefulness (Israf – Qur’an 7:31)
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Money spent on cigarettes is seen as wasteful, especially since it brings no benefit.
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The Qur’an warns against extravagance and squandering resources.
Additionally, Usul-al-fiqh methods cite two other factors that might be subsumed under the harm principle:
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Sadd al-dharā’iʿ (blocking the means): Tobacco leads to addiction and serious health problems.
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Hifz al-nafs (preservation of life): One of the five maqāṣid (objectives) of the Shari‘ah.
