Vaping is officially considered “haram” in Malaysia.
In a report by The Malay Mail Online, National Fatwa Council (NFC) chairman Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin declared that vaping or smoking electronic cigarettes is forbidden for Muslims.
Abdul Shukor made the announcement after chairing the Special Muzakarah (Conference) of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs in Malaysia last night (21st December). The muzakarah was attended by state muftis, deputy muftis, and members appointed by the Conference of Rulers.
He said that the decision was made after those in the meeting took into consideration all aspects, including from the point of view of syariah, medical, and scientific. They also examined studies from the viewpoints of wastage and unhealthy culture.
He said:
From the syariah aspect, it is detrimental to health. Islam forbids its followers from using things that can harm them directly or indirectly; immediately or gradually that can lead to death, damage the body, result in dangerous illnesses or harm the mind.
“E-cigarettes and vapes are categorised as repulsive due to its harmful effects and smell bad. They also have an element of wastage, which is by spending money on things that are harmful and non-beneficial,” he explained.
According to Abdul Shukor, the council also took studies from the health point of view into account. They obtained information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which had collected information on the effects of vaping worldwide.
He said:
In fact, health experts also found that vape and e-cigarettes could not help smokers and heavy smokers to quit smoking.
He also said the order was issued based on “Qaedah Saad al-Zarala”, a method which will reportedly prevent something far more worse in the future. He compared the use of e-cigarettes and vape to drinking poison and smoking conventional cigarettes, which contained a variety of toxic substances.
“We are seeing women and school children showing interest in vape. The decision is made to prevent an unhealthy culture from spreading to future generations,” he added.
“Local authorities or the governments can decide on the banning of vape if there is public interest and benefits,” Abdul Shukor said.
He added:
Tonight’s decision is also in line with the opinions of several other Muslim countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The NFC chairman also recommended all states to use the national fatwa council’s decision as a reference. Only 4 states have banned the sale of vapes, namely Penang, Kedah, Johor, and Kelantan.
What do you guys think? Is it even necessary to categorise vaping as “haram”? Sound off your thoughts in the comments box below.
Sources: The Star Online, The Malay Mail Online, Yahoo!
