"Study of Quranic Juristic Verses about Permissibility or prohibition Smoking from the Viewpoint of Shia and Sunni"

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Theology, shiraz University, shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

After the spread of tobacco among Muslims, Islamic scholars have discussed its ruling; some Shiite jurists, such as Sheikh Horr Amoli, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi etc. and many other Sunni scholars, have forbidden smoking. This study, which is done by descriptive and analytical method, shows that one of the reasons for this group of scholars is the verses of the Qur'an, which have been referred to in jurisprudential and interpretive sources. Comparing Shiite and Sunni scholars' views on these verses shows that there is a difference in how to prohibit people from smoking; because some scholars consider it as a minor sin, and some others believe that it has as the same punishment as drinking wine. Hence, they differed about the justice of the person who uses tobacco and the possibility of saying prayer as an Imam. Analyzing the Qur'anic absolute verses about the prohibition of killing others and himself, wasting the blessings of God, the ugliness of lavishness, using of evil things, etc. can be used for prohibiting on tobacco use.

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