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What is the ruling, reward, and punishment for someone who sells cigarettes or alcoholic beverages, or works in shops that sell them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Selling cigarettes is forbidden due to the harm they cause, and in accordance with the verse: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression," and the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm."

As for alcohol, its sale and its price are forbidden, based on the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Indeed, when Allah forbids a thing, He also forbids its price," and his saying, peace be upon him: "Allah has cursed alcohol, its drinker, its pourer, its seller, its buyer, its distiller, its producer, its carrier, and the one to whom it is carried." Therefore, it is obligatory to advise those who abandon what is lawful to acquire lawful earnings, for whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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