The Indonesian Ulamas council's Edict Commission chairman Amin Suma said recently that the Council had decided in a meeting that smoking for Muslims was between haram (forbidden) and makruh (objectionable). An edict has been issued forbidding children, pregnant women and the council's members from smoking. It is common knowledge that the smoking of tobacco spread quickly round the world after the European exploration and conquest of the Americas. Before, this social activity of smoking is unknown in Europe; so, I suppose the whitemen had picked up the habit from indigenous people there. The history of smoking can be dated to as early as 5000 BC. It has been recorded in many different cultures across the world and early smoking has been said to have evolved in association with religious ceremonies; as offerings to deities or in cleansing rituals for instance. The world religions, I suppose do not delve into the habit of smoking. In the Buddhist's Five Precepts for instance, the fifth precept, Surā-meraya-majja-pamādahānā veramaī sikkhāpada samādiyāmi has been said to mean I undertake the training rule to abstain from drinks and drugs that cause heedlessness. I suppose then a meeting like the one held by the Indonesian Ulamas Council is very appropriate. If a normal layman does not learn to think for himself or herself , leaders in society ought to start thinking on behalf of him or her. The sheep will always need a shepherd. And like it or not, there should be sheep everywhere, Buddhist sheep included. And if let's say, the Buddhist monks group around and talk about smoking, will they agree with the Indonesia ulamas? Based merely on the fifth precept, would smoking be discouraged or even abstained? And if there is no fifth precept to guide, will a person just abstain from smoking merely by considering the serious health hazards associated with smoking? Or should all considerations in life be based solely on the holy books or commandments?
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