Q: What is the ruling on smoking? Is it Haram (prohibited) or Makruh (reprehensible)? What is the ruling on selling and trading in it?
A: Tobacco is Haram, since it is an evil thing that involves much harm. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) made good things including food, drinks, and so on, lawful for His servants and made evil things unlawful for them.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) 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 (lawfulgood) foods which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)].
In describing His Prophet (peace be upon him) in Surah AlA`raf, Allah (Glorified be He) says, he commands them for AlMa'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from AlMunkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); 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)
All kinds of tobacco and intoxicants are not from the good lawful things but are from the bad unlawful things. It is not permissible to smoke, sell, or trade in for its serious harms and evil consequences.
It is obligatory upon whoever smokes or trades in tobacco to hasten to make Tawbah (repentance to Allah), return to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), regret the past sins and to be determined never to repeat them again. Whosoever repents sincerely, Allah (Exalted be He) will accept his repentance. Allah (Exalted be He) says, And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful Allah (Glorified be He) also says: And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Penitence wipes out all misdeeds done before it. The Prophet (may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) also says: "He who repents from his sins is like the one who did not commit a sin."
May Allah set right the affairs of Muslims and protect them against all that contradicts His Shari`ah (Law). He is AllHearer and Responsive!