FatwaFederal TerritoriesLegal Theory & Methodology
IRSYAD USUL AL-FIQH SIRI KE- 20 : KAEDAH “ASAL BAGI SESUATU PERKARA ADALAH HARUS” DAN KAITANNYA DENGAN HUKUM MEROKOK
Can smoking be justified on the basis that the default ruling for things is permissibility?
Short answer
Smoking is forbidden, and the maxim that the default ruling for things is permissible cannot be used to justify it.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad Usul al-Fiqh
- Topic
- Legal Theory & Methodology
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Smoking is forbidden, and the maxim that the default ruling for things is permissible cannot be used to justify it. The maxim is bound by its final clause, namely that things are permissible until evidence indicates prohibition. The ruling gives three grounds for prohibition: smoking harms the body, it is wasteful, and it involves impure substances. The maxim also does not apply to acts of worship, and its sub-maxim states that harmful things are by default forbidden.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Justeru, berdasarkan panduan kaedah-kaedah feqh yang telah kami sebutkan, jelaslah bahawa perbuatan merokok itu haram, dan kaedah yang dikemukakan itu sama sekali tidak tepat untuk dijadikan hujah akan pengharusannya.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD USUL AL-FIQH SIRI KE- 20 : KAEDAH “ASAL BAGI SESUATU PERKARA ADALAH HARUS” DAN KAITANNYA DENGAN HUKUM MEROKOK”, 6 March 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-usul-fiqh/2326-irsyad-usul-al-fiqh-siri-ke-20-kaedah-asal-bagi-sesuatu-perkara-adalah-harus-dan-kaitannya-dengan-hukum-merokok. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/is-smoking-permissible-default-ruling-maxim/