Sample khutba prepared by BIMA for Muslim Council of Britain on smoking.
Inshallah, we can help to reduce cigarette smoking addiction in Muslim countries as it kills more Muslims per year than all wars combined.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Ever Merciful
MCB & BIMA KHUTBA TEMPLATE FOR #STOPTOBER
Sample Friday Prayer Speech (Khutbah)
PART ONE:
إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا ، من يهده الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله
يا أيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته، ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون.
Salamun-alaikum, Peace be with you,
Ayat to be read
In surah Baqarah verse 195, The Quran tells us “Do not with your own hands throw yourself into ruin” (2:195)
And again in Allah tells us in The Quran tells us in Surah-Al Baqarah (2:168), “Eat what is lawful and good in the Earth.”
Introduction to smoking
Islam takes a holistic approach to health, just as religious life is inseparable from secular life, physical, emotional and spiritual health cannot be separated: when a part of a person is injured or unhealthy, the other parts suffer. If a person is physically ill or injured it may be difficult to concentrate on anything but pain.
The 2 ayahs that were quoted talking about consuming not just that which is lawful, but good. In addition, Allah tells us not to throw ourselves into ruin.
There are many unhealthy things in this world that we can choose to intake – but few are as unhealthy and kill as many people on a daily basis than cigarettes.
This is the topic of today’s khutbah especially as October is designated as STOPtober month where people try to make the extra special effort to give up smoking.
How common is it?
Smoking is a problem for the whole world not just Muslims. But we Muslims need to be aware that it is rampant in our communities. By some statistics more than 60% of all Indonesian men smoke. In this country, nearly or more than 50% of all Pakistani and Bangladeshi men smoke.
It is not just the older population either. Smoking is particularly common amongst young Muslims too. And if they do not smoke, then they are smoking sheesha or hookah which is just as dangerous if not more so.
Muslims are meant to be the exemplary group to the rest of the world. Yet, instead of leading the way against this harmful vice – we are struggling with the addiction in our hundreds of Millions.
Is it haraam?
There are those that will say that we cannot declare smoking Haraam because the Prophet (SAW) did not declare it so. However, the opinion of the majority of Muslim scholars is that smoking is something not acceptable in Islam.
We are reminded time and again that we should not ruin ourselves with our own hand. We are reminded that we should consume that which is good. We are reminded that we should not kill ourselves.
And smoking is literally ruining ourselves with our own hand.
Smoking has no good in it whatsoever, not even tangential.
Smoking is slow motion suicide.
Those who want to get involved in a fiqh debate on smoking are only fooling themselves. Whatever your opinion is, there is no good and plenty of harm so why not we agree on that and stop it?
What are the harms of smoking
The harms of smoking are not unknown to anyone. Every cigarette pack now contains pictures of horribly tarred lungs, of cancer ridden patients and of blocked blood vessels from someone who died of a heart attack.
Smoking kills.
And it does not just kill the person smoking.
Second hand smoking kills the people around them.
It kills the finances of those who smoke. The amount of money saved by someone who smokes just one pack a day would be enough to go on Hajj. Every year.
Can you imagine that. Hajj every year and a chance to be as sinless as a newborn. Or paying for an orphan to get an education. Or a widow to feed her family.
Instead, you burn that money to kill yourself and make your own children orphans. Is this not a cursed act? Should we not be doing more to stop it?
2nd half of Khutba
So now what? We agree that smoking is bad. We agree that smoking is harmful. We agree that smoking is killing ourselves.
Now what do we do?
Alhumdulillah in Islam there are many opportunities that help people break their bad habits. Here are some practical steps that we can and should take individually and some collectively.
Use Ramadan as a chance to stop
In Islam, we don’t need a STOPtober. We have our own in built month of detox. That is Ramadan. A good Muslim will spend most of the day going without a cigarette and somehow he or she will be able to do it. This is the best chance to give it up. And it happens every year.
We should assist our fellow Muslims
A Muslim is one who wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. This is what the Prophet (SAW) taught us.
If we follow this advice then those of us who are lucky enough not to be addicted to cigarettes should encourage and assist those who are to give up.
Seek assistance from the professionals
The Prophet (SAW) taught us that we should seek advice and help from professionals when it comes to a worldly matter. Smoking is a medical issue so Islamically, it is advisable to seek assistance from your GP or other such medical professional for assistance on how to quit smoking.
They may be able to point you towards medication, patches, gels and many other alternatives that will help you get rid of this addiction.
Avoid the company of those who smoke
Muslims are advised to keep good company because your company reflects often on your own character and your own activities.
Avoiding those who smoke will help make a clean break.
Keep your hands busy with something else
Those who smoke often miss the feeling of the cigarette in their hands.
Instead of cigarettes, put a tasbeeh in your hand.
Instead of a cigarette, do zikr with your hands.
Instead of a cigarette use a miswak.
Make duaa to Allah
At the end of the day, Allah is the one who will be able to help you break any addiction no matter how powerful
Sincerely make the intention to give up, and no matter how many times you fail – do not give up giving up.
In conclusion, smoking is a vice that is killing hundreds of thousands of Muslims across the world every single year. It is orphaning children. It is widowing our sisters. It is putting burden on our healthcare system. It is lining the pockets of large tobacco companies. It is draining the wealth, the lives and the energy of the Ummah.
It is time we did something about it.
It is time that the Imams, the Medical community and the Muslim public decided enough was enough. Let us end this misery.
Whatever you do, make no mistake, you are continuing the work of the Prophet (SAW) – “And we have not sent you except as a Mercy to all Mankind.” We are the Ummah of the Mercy of Mankind and it is time that we started living up to this great privilege.
(Surah ‘Al-Imran Ch:3 V:159)
لَهُمْوَشَاوِرْهُمْفِيالْأَمْرِۖفَإِذَاعَزَمْتَفَتَوَكَّلْعَلَىاللَّهِۚإِنَّاللَّهَيُحِبُّالْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ
“And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”
(Rely on Allah sincerely, with full determination not to return to smoking ever, if one has a strong faith and Trust in Allah (SWT) then Allah will surely guide him to the right path and he will be able to give up this evil habit for good.)
Closing Duaa of khutba Haja.
