The Lajnah ad-Da’imah was asked the following question:
Question:
I want to stop smoking and I ask Allah to help me achieve this goal. My question is: There is a patch placed on the arm which helps the smoker to get over the difficulty of stopping smoking. Is it allowed to use this patch during Ramadan, taking into consideration that this patch automatically produces the nicotine substance whenever the body needs it? Please provide me with the answer, may Allah reward you well.
Answer:
We ask Allah to guide you to repent from the habit of smoking and to help you stop, since it is extremely harmful and has no good at all. As for your question with regard to the permissibility of using a patch which is stuck to the arm and helps you stop smoking, and whether is it permissible for you to use it during Ramadan while you are fasting or not, our answer is that it is not permissible for you to use that patch, since we have asked the specialists about this patch and they said that it provides the body with nicotine that reaches the blood. Therefore, this will invalidate fasting the same way smoking does, because the effect of both is the same. On the other hand, you should have a strong determination to stop smoking by another means, since there are many people who repented and stopped smoking without using this patch. Remember that whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, He will replace him with something better than it.
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Mentioned by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
