on the basis of authentic quotations, sound judgments, and the opinions of reputable physicians." The Mufti cites a sahih hadith (verifiable saying of the Prophet) saying "do not harm yourself or others." He further referenced a Quranic verse saying that the Prophet "forbids that which is unwholesome." United Arab Emirates In addition to issuing a fatwa against smoking, the United Arab Emirates instructed imams in all mosques to read a sermon against smoking on June 11, 1999 following Friday prayers. Tobacco industry pushback From the 1970s to the late 1990s, tobacco companies including British American Tobacco and Phillip Morris were involved in campaigns to undermine fatwas against smoking in Muslim majority countries by branding any Muslim who opposed smoking as a fundamentalist' who wished to return to sharia law", and to be "a threat to existing government". The tobacco industry was also concerned about the World Health Organization's encouraging an anti-smoking stance by Muslim scholars. A 1985 report from tobacco firm Philip Morris squarely blamed the WHO: "This ideological development has become a threat to our business because of the interference of the WHO ... The WHO has not only joined forces with Muslim fundamentalists who view smoking as evil, but has gone yet further by encouraging religious leaders previously not active anti-smokers to take up the cause." See also Tobacco Protest Religious views on smoking Smoking in Syria References Further reading Katib Chelebi, The Balance of Truth, Chapter 5 External links Fatwa Regarding Tobacco and Cigarettes Smoking: A Social Poison Muhammad al-Jibaly (1996) Smoking in Islam about.com Sharia Fatwa Fatwas Tobacco smoking Tobacco and religion