Smoking (cigarette)

[Truthseeker]

Assalamu alaikum Sheikh,

Does smoking (cigarette) during the fast break it?
As one should not commit sins during fasting, people do wrong prohibited acts after they break the fast. Kindly through some light on this issue.

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Assalamu alaikum

Smoking cigarettes while fasting, the scholars said that it breaks one's fast.  So, one must definitely not smoke while fasting, espcially Ramadan fast as that cannot be broken and it is the second pillar of Islam.

Smoking cigaretters allows small particles to enter the digestive tract as well as the nasal passage because it is smoke with tiny solid particles and not just pure gas like oxygen or ventolin asthma spray (that goes to lungs only).  So smoking does break the fast as all scholars that I've known said.

If one is addicted to smoking, the least the person MUST ensure is to not smoke in fasting time.

As for you asking to throw light on leaving haram in Ramadan even after fasting, it is as you said, we ought to do that.  Fasting is for the purpose of helping us to develop taqwa (self-control out of consciousness of Allah).  This is to allow us to leave sins even while not fasting.  So, a person who fasts learns self control for fear of Allah's punishment for hope of Allah's reward for leaving sins while fasting.  Then we ought to use this self control to try to leave sins even after fast is finished in the evening of Ramadan and after Ramadan is finished - this is the very purpose and essence of fasting! 

So, lets all try to work on this little by little leaving more of the haram one may be used to doing.  We pray Allah blesses our fasting and gives success from it that lasts a long time after and brings rewards for us in Paradise.

Wassalamu alaikum