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There's two questions about haram nature of smoking cigarettes Why is smoking tobacco haraam? and Is smoking allowed in Islam?. However, none of the answers address whether or not nicotine is considered an intoxicant.

Wikipedia writes:

Nicotine's mood-altering effects are different by report: in particular it is both a stimulant and a relaxant. First causing a release of glucose from the liver and epinephrine (adrenaline) from the adrenal medulla, it causes stimulation. Users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and alertness.

It's not clear from this whether or not nicotine is an intoxicant.

A relevant hadith is The Prophet [SAW] forbade a small amount of whatever intoxicates in large amounts. Sunan an-Nasa'i 5609 (grade: hasan). And certainly, a "large" amount of nicotine causes nicotine poisoning (actually it's quite small: "0.5-1.0 mg/kg can be a lethal dosage for adult humans"). But I'm not sure if "poisoning" would be considered "intoxication".

Question: Is nicotine considered an intoxicant?

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  • I've once heard a preacher (IMO not a scholar) saying that most scholars consider smoking (cigarettes etc.) as haram, except for those scholars who themselves do smoke. Usually Allah asks us and scholars too to ask experts, if experts say nicotine is an intoxication then it is haram.
    – Medi1Saif ♦
    Jan 1, 2018 at 10:23
  • This wikipedia page is a list of intoxicants and nicotine is listed as a stimulant intoxicant so if your question is about whether nicotine is considered an intoxicant in Islam, you may want to edit your question to maybe something like 'Is nicotine considered an intoxicant in Islam?'
    – Muslim_1234
    Jan 1, 2018 at 11:59
  • @Armaan: I think "in Islam" is implied for every single question at the site.
    – Rebecca J. Stones
    Jan 1, 2018 at 12:11
  • It's because since you included an extract from the wiki page of Nicotine, and based on that extract you concluded that it doesn't make it clear whether or not nicotine is an intoxicant, your question seems like it is referring to the extract because since the extract is not clear in explaining whether or not nicotine is an intoxicant, you are looking for something that explains whether it is an intoxicant or not which doesn't specify 'in Islam'.
    – Muslim_1234
    Jan 1, 2018 at 12:21
  • If you had an extract from an Islamic judgment of nicotine which doesn't make it clear whether or not nicotine is an intoxicant, then I would say it would be suitable to the ask the question without 'in Islam' since it would be questioning an Islamic judgement on nicotine that may not be clear.
    – Muslim_1234
    Jan 1, 2018 at 12:25

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Nicotine is an intoxicant; and were it around during the Prophets time, no doubt he would have banned it, given what he said about wine:

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Al-Ma'idah 5:90

and

They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they should spend. Say, "The excess [beyond needs]." Thus Allah makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought. Al-Baqarah 2:219

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