Smoking and Islam

I read the Closing Bell "A Way of Life (Almost) Going up in Smoke"¹ with great interest. But may I please draw your attention towards something that has hurt my feelings and, possibly, the feelings of many Muslims around the world.

The article stated with regard to smoking that "for Muslims, confusion reigns because the Prophet Muhammad ... said nothing about tobacco ... because he probably did not know it existed." This reflects a lack of knowledge of the Islamic Jurisprudence and the true nature of the teaching of the prophet of Islam. It is unfortunate that such an error regarding one of the foremost religions of the world has been laid before the readership of The Scientist.

Muhammad clearly stated that "all intoxicants are forbidden in Islam." Smoking a cigarette falls just short of this categorical ban on intoxicants. So Muslims do smoke. If someone stops smoking,...