Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

asalamualikum....my question is relating to the smoking of marijuana. i have heard many places that it is not stated in the quran that it is haram, but then again i have heard that it is implied...wat is ur opinion???? thank you

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Smoking Marijuana

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 90-91:90 O ye who

believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination of Satan's handiwork; Eschew such (abomination) that ye may prosper.

91 Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?

Anything that intoxicates when consumed is forbidden for the believers, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day. There is absolutely no doubt that marijuana is an intoxicant; and as such, it is absolutely prohibited in Islam.

Although the term ‘haraam’ has not been specifically used in the Holy Quran regarding the consumption of intoxicants; the Messenger of Allah (saws) has forbidden and made its consumption haraam for the believers. The command used by Allah Subhanah in the Quran is ‘fajj-tanebu’ which basically means to eschew, turn far away from it, or do not even go near intoxicants, gambling, etc.

Some scholars have opined that the command ‘fajj-tanebu’ is even stricter than haraam! And their reasoning is Allah has made the eating of swine haraam for the believers; but there is no harm if one stands near it. But the command used for intoxicants is to eschew from it, or not even go near it!!! Thus it is not only forbidden to consume any type of intoxicants (wine, alcohol, drugs, marijuana, etc.) in Islam, it is also forbidden to go near it, or sit with someone who is consuming it. That is how strict the command regarding any type of intoxicants is!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4477 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "He who believes in Allah and the last day, must not sit at a cloth where wine is being circulated."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3672 Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas

The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Every intoxicant is khamr (wine) and every intoxicant is haraam. If anyone drinks wine, Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he repeats it a fourth time, it is binding on Allah that He will give him tinat al-khabal to drink.” He was asked: ‘What is tinat al-khabal, O Apostle of Allah?’ He replied: “Discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell. If anyone serves it to a minor who does not distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful, it is binding on Allah that He will give him to drink the discharge of wounds, flowing from the inhabitants of Hell.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3677 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade wine (khamr), game of chance (maysir), drum (kubah), and wine made from millet (ghubayrah), saying: “Every intoxicant is haraam.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3669 Narrated by An-Nu'man ibn Bashir

I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Wine is made from grape-syrup, raisins, dried dates, wheat, barley, millet, and I forbid you from every intoxicant.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan