The Imamate of One Who Smokes the Hookah

Question

What is the ruling on an imam who smokes the hookah? Will the prayer of an imam who smokes the hookah be valid?

Answer

Smoking the hookah produces a bad odour in the mouth, and the angels too are harmed by it. The highest degree is not to smoke the hookah at all; but if it is smoked to the extent of need, for the purpose of settling the stomach and the like, then smoking it is not haram, though one should clean the mouth thoroughly with a miswak and the like, and then go to the mosque.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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