Dear Shaikh, Firstly I wish to extend my thanks to all that are involved in the operation of this website for the wonderful service they are providing. Secondly, I wished to enquire about the following: I am a pipe smoker, and smoke tobacco in my pipe. The tobacco itself can be natural (100% natural leaf), aromatic (as in flavoured with vanilla or cherry ... etc), or fermented tobacco. However, the aromatic tobacco contains traces of alcohol that is used during manufacturing for the purpose of carrying the flavour that the tobacco is to be flavoured with. For instance, to make a vanilla scented tobacco, the essence of vanilla is mixed with alcohol and poured onto the tobacco leaves, and when the leaves have absorbed that essence the alcohol is discarded with only traces of it remaining in the tobacco: therefore the alcohol is not added intentionally to remain, but is rather used during a process of production. As for the fermented tobaccos (they are called Perique and Cavendish tobacco), they undergo a fermentation process that is meant to bring about as much of their natural flavours as possible. In these tobaccos the alcohol is the by-product of a fermentation but most of it evaporates in the later stages of production. Exposure to air and heat eliminate traces of alcohol. Thus when the tobacco is lit, the fire will evaporate any alcohol left. Therefore aromatic and fermented tobaccos both contain very little traces of alcohol that will vanish when the tobacco is lit. Moreover, while smoking a pipe, the smoke reaches only the oral cavity (the mouth) and is quickly blown back out, thus the alcohol is not consumed as when drinking alcoholic beverages. My question is the following: Knowing that both these tobaccos contain very minor traces of alcohol and that most of the alcohol vanishes, is it haram to consume these two types of tobaccos because they contain alcohol? Thank you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Smoking tobacco is forbidden according to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, because it causes fatal harm and grave consequences; Allaah says (what means): {They ask you, [O Muhammad], what has been made lawful for them. Say, "Lawful for you are [all] good things."} [Quran 5:4]

Allaah also says (what means): {O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allaah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.} [Quran 2:172]

Regarding the purpose for which Allaah had sent his Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, He says (what means): {…and [he] makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil.} [Quran 7:157]

It is well known among all rational people that if any person is asked to classify tobacco as something good or evil, any rational person will answer that tobacco is something evil. Also, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "There should be no harm nor reciprocal harm." [Maalik]

By the testimony of specialist physicians, it has been established that smoking is the cause of lung cancer for nine out of every ten lung cancer patients. Smoking also causes heart diseases, brain stroke, emphysema and bronchitis.

What makes its unlawfulness even greater is the fact that it is aromatized or fermented with alcohol which is itself impure and forbidden.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 81589 and 118590.

Allaah Knows best.