My father, who is a heavy smoker, orders me to buy cigarettes for him. Should I obey him? Do I incur sin when I obey my father in that, knowing that disobeying him may cause problems? Please, advise. May Allah reward you the best!
Answer: It is obligatory on your father to abstain from smoking due to its many harms. Smoking belongs to the evil things that Allah (may He be Praised) prohibited. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) quoted his Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: he allows them as lawful AtTayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful AlKhabâ'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods) Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) made the good things lawful to His slaves, as stated in this Noble Ayah (Qur'anic verse) ofSurah (Qur'anic chapter) Al`Araf.and reiterated inSurah AlMa'idah when Allah says: They ask you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) what is lawful for them (as food). Say: "Lawful unto you are AtTayyibât [all kind of Halâl (lawful good) foods which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]. Allah (may He be Praised) declared that He made only the good things lawful for His Servants, and smoking is not from the good lawful things; it is from the bad unlawful things which are harmful to man. Thus, your father as well as all smokers must repent to Allah (may He be Praised) of smoking and avoid sitting with smokers. A Muslim is not permitted to help any one in smoking or doing any misdeed. Allah (may He be Praised) says: Help you one another in AlBirr and At Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. It is obligatory on you, your brothers and paternal uncles to advise your father and warn him against smoking in compliance to the Ayah mentioned above and the saying of Prophet (peace be upon him) which reads: Religion is based on advising one another. Upon this we said: For whom? He replied: For Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and for the leaders and the general Muslims. Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith. I ask Allah to guide your father to goodness and help him repent of this act and all misdeeds. I ask Him to make you an assistant in goodness; He is AllHearer, Ever Near.