Shisha (aka hookah or arghila) is a popular pastime activity that is increasingly spreading among young adults. We explore here the social, historical, health, and religious aspects of the shisha phenomenon, placing it within the greater context of the philosophy that defines halal and haram in Islam.
Ali Albarghouthi – Is Shisha Allowed In Islam?
AI: Summary ©
The shisha culture in Islam is associated with the holy grail and is used to indicate a man's Christian position. The use of "has" in religion is important, as it is used to indicate success and the loss of one's behavior. The potential health risks of shisha are discussed, including the harm it can bring to society and the potential health benefits of shisha. educating oneself about the phenomenon and its potential harm is also emphasized.
AI: Transcript ©
In Alhamdulilah Hina Ahmed who want to stay in who want to start
one oh the villa Himanshu Dorian fusina sejahtera Marina Maja De La Villa Roma youth Lin sala de la
ilaha illallah wa hula Sheree calahonda Mohammed Abu Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam.
In Iran Heidi Chiquita
higher Alhaji Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Sharon Moody, much better to have a coup d'etat in
all praise and thanks belongs to Allah the Most High and merciful. We thank him and we seek his aid and help and ask Him to forgive us. And we seek His refuge from the evil of ourselves in the sins that we commit. Indeed, whom serve Allah guides, no one can lead us astray and whom so Allah leads us astray. No one can guide neighbor witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah alone, that Mohammed salaallah alayhi wa sallam is a slave and messenger. The best of speech is the book of Allah. And the best of guidance is the guidance of Mohamed salah and he will send them and the worst of religious matters are those that are innovated that religious innovation that began
every bit is misguidance and every misguidance will be an alpha, about
one of the practices that have been rising in popularity
is the smoking of shisha.
And it has been enjoying this popularity among Muslims.
In some Muslim countries, especially the area that they call the Middle East, but also recently in western countries as well.
And shisha or hookah or Geeta may seem very familiar to Muslim and is very familiar to Muslim because in some Muslim countries, that is part of our culture. A lot of people engage in that practice, they may know someone that engages in that practice. And in western countries, it also be feels very familiar as well. You go to a lot of restaurants that offer halal food, and they see you You see that they also offer that as well. shisha also is offered there as well. A lot of the people who are operating these facilities, the shisha bars, the hookah lounges are Muslims, or at least they come from Muslim countries. So when we look and we see all of that, it is very familiar to us.
And that may act as an element to attract Muslims to this practice, because after all, it's part of our culture. It's our people who are introducing this. So that's an easy bridge for us to accept that practice. So we want in this hotbar to try to understand the shisha phenomena.
And to see if Islam has something to say about it and it will follow we will explore this within the greater context of understanding what is headed and what is haram in Islam? Why is it headed and why is it Haram in Islam?
And to begin with, we know that one of the names of Allah subhana wa tada is that hacking
and hacking means the wise and the wise means the one who does for a purpose for a wise purpose. Meaning that what a lot does he does for wisdom, there's wisdom that lies behind it. It's not arbitrary.
But there is a purpose
that is that lies at the end.
And when we want to understand what is haram and what is highlighted in Islam as in a sense, the philosophy behind it,
there is one area in particular that will teach us and is very instructive in that purpose. And soon after Allah subhanaw taala talks about booboo serene and Musa alayhis salaam and their worship of the golden calf. And after Moosa supplicating to Allah subhanho wa Taala then Allah says, Allah IWC bhuvi, Manisha he was at Kula,
he says my punishment, it will touch whomever I wish, but my mercy has encompassed everything. Notice here how the punishment is selected and specific, but the Rama is very general and encompasses every single being in existence.
Then he says, first,
Lila Dena takuna ye tunas ricotta Valentina, whom Biya Tina you may know, Allah vena cava owner Rasulullah Nabeel ami Allah da doo doo mokuba it will in G. So I'm going to write it get a decree this Rama bite because Allah says my arm encompasses everything. So he says, I'm going to write and give this to those who have Taqwa. And they give this account
and they have amen in our signs. And they follow the messenger, the illiterate prophet they find in the Torah and the G.
So when you follow Mohammed Salah Ronnie you and your son and then you would follow the Rama from Allah, and there is no doubt about that, because he is the prophet of Rama and his religion is the religion of Rama. Now you want to understand more how in more detail, how is this Rama? Or is there Rockman is religion. Allah says, continues.
He commands and enjoys them
and forbids them.
So what is my rule? We've heard a lot what his mouth is from what is known, meaning that what the hearts and the minds and the Fitzroy knows to be true and virtuous, that's what the prophets a lot he was sent him as commanding.
And what is monka monka is from
what you are repulsed by what disagrees with you on your nature, meaning that you're Fitzroy your mind and your heart disagrees with that thing hates that thing. So that's what the prophets, a lot of you send them for bids. And you look at the structure of the religion that the prophet SAW you send them abroad? What is it commanding? It's asked you to be honest. To take care of the needy, to give charity to be kind to everyone around you, parents, children, neighbors, the poor, to be honest at all times.
What it does is it forbid it asks you don't lie, don't cheat, don't kill. Don't swindle, don't harm anyone. Don't force indicate, don't drink, don't harm yourself or anyone around you. You look at all of these things. And above all of that it commands you recognize that there is one Lord one god one creator, and live a devoted life to Him, humble life less materialistic life, combined all of these things and you will say Subhanallah this religion creates a virtuous individual and a virtuous
society.
And there is evidence that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam is speaking on behalf of the Creator.
As once they've asked an Arab a bedwin Khalid Okay, four out of 10 now Mohammed and Rasulullah How did you know that Mohammed is a messenger of Allah.
Carla mia morbi Shane sakala una what am enhancing in
Arabic. He says he didn't commence
thing, and the mind comes and objects and says, I wish that he had forbidden this. And he didn't forbid anything and the mind comes in objects and says I wish that he had commanded this.
That is a person that is speaking from the fifth law is not signing, they're a miracle, nothing but the message of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that it agrees with the fitrah to the extent that you recognize this must have been from the creator that is a loss upon our data. And of course, there will be those who are immersed in sin
attached to it intoxicated by tool defended particular types of sin, no, I want this to be highlighted. No, I hate for this to be Hara, they will say this, but these are not the people that we are talking about. We're talking about here being tactical.
Now, that has not been solid uncompromised by sin, the wise and noble person who can look at a sin and say this is destructive, and this is harmful, even
if the religion did not say that this is how long it should be Haram.
But something in our religious says that it is hard. And this is virtue even if religion did not say that it should be an obligation, it should be an obligation like taking care of your parents, you know that it should be an obligation if a religion doesn't emphasize that you know that there's something wrong with it. If a religion does not speak against injustice, you recognize that this is something missing from it. That's how they recognize that a profit sorting system was speaking the truth.
And the idea then continues, what you can do lahoma a bad boy
and he makes Hillel for them. What is good for them and makes haram for them what is bad for them by even
so there is absolute fundamental wisdom in the halal and haram whatever is good for you, whatever is hallette Allah has made allow
whatever is beneficial is allowed and is held. If there is harm in it, if there is destruction in it for the individual or society, Allah had made it.
And part of the role of Allah subhanho wa Taala is the highest he had made the handle much more abundant and
much more abundant than the harem, you think about what did Allah forbid to eat? How many animals one two or what what have you all the rest is Hana. How many drinks did he forbid one or two or what have you, all the rest is held on how many clothes we cannot wear one or two. All the rest is holiday. So most of this dunya is halal for us. Only the exception is haram and that's part of the role of Allah subhanho wa Taala and the aroma that you find in particular in this religion, you have to recognize that you have been very fortunate to be of the own Mohammed Salah Allah you and you suddenly have to thank Allah for it. You really have to thank Allah for it because you have been
enjoying this Rama. Allah says Wanda continues
cannot allow him he removes away Mohammed removes away the shackles and the burden that was on top of them.
You know that the legislation before Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came because the people before were stubborn and obstinate and rejecting of the truth a lot put burden on them to discipline them because that fitted their personality to reform that personality. that burden was taken away from this oma.
If you're in touches your clothes, what do you do here? You wash it, when you can pray for previous nations. If you're in touch is a part of the clothes What do they have to do? Cut it out and throw it away?
They cannot there are days where they cannot do any work. It is hard on them to do any type of work. When you make a mistake committed an offense and you want to repent what do you do? You repent ask a lot of forgiveness. Even Allah will forgive for other people before us you will find it in the Quran when they want it to repent put it a lot tell them what to do unto second kill yourselves.
Allah has removed a lot of burden in Islam from upon us.
Now how do we decide what is halal and what is haram in Islam? It is not up to me and it's not up to you.
Because if it is our who's gonna decide or you are going to decide we'll decide what's going to benefit us.
I want what to be highlighted is the thing that is benefiting me and I want the harm to be the something that harms me and you the opposite effect.
The person who is loaning with interest I want interest to be
found the person who is selling alcohol, I want alcohol to be hot on. If I'm the person who is suffering from interest, I want interest to be harmed. If I'm the person who is addicted to alcohol and want it to stop, I want alcohol to be held on.
So Allah subhanho wa Taala part of His mercy as well did not leave that up to us. But he revealed it in the Koran and revealed a scale.
A scale
if there is something that is not mentioned specifically in the Quran,
if it is halal,
or if we want to see that, oh, say that it is Halloween, it must be beneficial and devoid of harm.
But if it is harmful, and if it is destructive, then we have that scale in the Quran, where you have rewarding him with it makes the guys haram on them, then we understand that it is haram
so that we have ways to deal with things that are new.
And as we discussed them, and we as we try to conclude whether this is halal and haram, we have to be aware of our own desires. A lot of the arguments that we have about this being hunted or being Haram, it's not about the evidence, but about my desire for it to be halal and your desire for it to be heard on.
I am attached to it, you're not attached to it, I like it, you hate it. So we start looking at the evidence differently weighing it differently. And that's not the way to approach any topic in Islam. You want to understand what Allah once you approach it objectively as objectively as you can. And you leave you identify what you desire is and you leave that behind.
Because you want to hear his voice, you don't want to hear your own voice, you already know what you like and what you dislike.
So we have to pay attention to that part.
Now, let's take you quickly, two examples.
One is the example of alcohol.
When it was revealed to Muslims, that this is something that is forbidden, it wasn't even part of the fabric of their society, part of their culture. They wrote poetry about it. They had held gatherings around it. Some tribes did not want to enter Islam because alcohol was forbidden.
Yet the wise among them, even before Islam was revealed, they recognized if I am a normal person that respects myself, and my dignity. And my honor, I will not touch alcohol, they recognize that on their own. And so when that revelation came stopped drinking, they stopped drinking and they left it behind. And they recognized the panel as part of
the harm and alcohol they don't understand they did not understand all of the harm in it, as we do today. But they understood part of the harm and that was sufficient for them to leave it because Allah said so.
Now we understand just recently now we understand that even light drinking increases your risk of cancer,
not having to I'm not talking about heavy drinking a light drinking.
And they said that the research has concluded that there is no safe amount of drinking. Even if you engage in light drinking, you increase all types of cancer and the possibility of that in your body. So what the researchers are recommending you must have alcohol free days. When you go out do not always for alcohol choose non alcoholic beverages.
See Subhanallah
wasabi did not understand that particular facts. But now the more that you see you have it you understand
that this is destructive and that Allah subhanho wa Taala does not like it and it's not good for you. So there is wisdom behind it.
When cigarettes first arrived into Muslim lands, the Muslim scholars when they saw that they were split, Was this something that is haram or halal. Some of them said aloud.
Some of them said mukou. Why mcru because of the foul smell it produces. And because it wastes money, there is no benefit in it. So they said McCool always said for the same reasons this is hard on
me now as the evidence started to mount about the harms of smoking. It was clear in everybody's mind of how destructive it is.
of how it threats your body.
And in light of all of that it was clear in everybody's mind that this should be hot.
That no sane human being would buy cancer and introduce it into himself. No sane person
should be allowed to kill himself and yet called the Salah.
Because killing yourself in Islam is haram is absolutely forbidden.
So this is how it progressed based on our understanding of what it does to our bodies. Now let's turn our attention to this shisha.
Now, where did it come from?
Now shisha, they say not historically, it may have been invented, or someone came up with the idea during the Mughal dynasty or the safavid. dynasty. So in Muslim lands, and the idea there, there was one historical account that says that one physician, after seeing the rampant use of tobacco, he wanted to sort of to decrease or to lessen the harms of tobacco smoking. So we thought maybe if the smoke passes through water, it will filter some of the toxins in tobacco. So we invented this, and it spread from there into the Ottoman empires and then the territory of the Ottoman empires, and people continue to smoke it. Tobacco only.
And shisha relieves basically the smoking of tobacco.
Now, what happened is that in the 1990s, people used to smoke shisha with tobacco only, they added things to it. They added flavors, and molasses, and that made it sweeter, sweeter in taste, and sweeter and smell.
And also, it was introduced into the cafe culture. So then people could go to the coffee shop, and they could sit and they could talk. And they could smoke shisha as well, and it made was made more attractive by the smell and smell and the taste. And it spread among the young, especially in the so called Middle East. And from there, it started to spread into Western countries. And you notice that more and more Muslims are engaging in that practice.
Now before I go into why is shisha popular? Let's see what some have said. Or some reports are saying about the effects of shisha on the body.
There is a report from the World Health Organization issued in 2015. That goes and collects the conclusions of several research done globally about water pipe smoking, or shisha. And the first thing that they say about it is that it is addictive.
It is addictive because it delivers nicotine into your system.
And nicotine is an addictive substance. And they had a lot of research to show that if shisha smokers, right frequent smokers, if you ask them to stop smoking for 24 hours or more, they will exhibit withdrawal system symptoms, such as for instance restlessness and cravings. And these symptoms will go away when they smoke shisha again, they held the same experiment with the as the cigarette smokers and teaches smokers to stop smoking and they measured the symptoms. And they found that they have the same system symptoms, cigarette smokers, and the shisha smokers.
They found that the majority of those who smoke shisha get addicted to it, and they cannot leave it even when they try.
And they were interviewing some people who would say I am trying to leave it but every time I try, I fail. And I cannot leave it.
And some smokers when they want to quit smoking, they start smoking shisha because it satisfies some of the cravings. The problem with that is it actually stopped them from actually quitting because it still delivers nicotine into their body.
And there is a speculation or a problem or a potential problem that those who get addicted to smoking shisha will start smoking cigarettes. Why? Because you'd need that daily dose of nicotine. And the cigarettes can be a little deliberate. It's more, it's cheaper, and it's more mobile.
So if you need it, you may actually resort to smoking cigarettes after smoking, shisha. So it's a stepping stone towards smoking cigarettes.
Now that's as far as it being addictive. Is it harmful? Now when you understand the structure of the shisha, you'll understand what we'd be talking about. The backhoe is being burned by charcoal. That's what shisha is. You burn the tobacco and the charcoal is also burning. And I produces smoke that comes from both tobacco and charcoal it passes through the water, and then it gets inhaled. So the product that you are putting inside your body inside your lungs come from both tobacco and also comes from burning charcoal. So as far as tobacco is concerned, the World Health Organization says that there are significant
toxins and carcinogens in shisha smoke carcinogens, cancer producing toxins.
from tobacco Of course, you get the nicotine but also heavy metals into your body. From the charcoal you get the carbon monoxide into your system
and carbon monoxide that can cause poisoning. So some people actually faint after they
they collapse and faint after the smoke that shisha others their lung capacity starts decreasing because they are inhaling all of that carbon monoxide in addition to all the other toxins that I cannot name
What is it all this all this linked to? What does it do to the body?
they state that in a one session of C shisha smoking.
And that takes about an hour. He said based on how many puffs Do you take on the size of the shisha etc, etc. It will be equivalent to smoking one to 10 to 10 cigarettes.
The effect on the body from one cigarette to at least 10 cigarettes. In a cigarette you take 20 puffs? In a shisha session you take 200 puffs?
Now what is added in the shisha is all the CO that is going into your body, the carbon monoxide.
What does that do to your system and affects your respiratory system? cardiovascular system,
it is linked to decreased fertility.
And of course, not the least of which is cancer.
And all types of cancer cancer from the top to the bottom from the top from the place that it enters till it exits. So it's linked to mouth cancer and oral cancer, cancer of the esophagus cancer of the lung cancer of the bladder, all of that bile smoking and because of smoking, shisha.
So they recommend that report and also from the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, they recommend that there should be regulations and tougher regulations to regulate the use of the shisha because a lot of people do not know and do not understand that there are dangers associated with it. They think like the person who invented it first, that as long as it passes through water, that the water filters it, and the research shows that none of that is actually true.
otoconia there was a lot he would have confessed.
hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen. Hamdan Katia, Catherine, even with our country will suddenly will suddenly monitor Sunni Mohammed
Abu Salim.
Let us just briefly try to understand why is it popular?
One of the reasons that it's popular is perhaps because it's new. For some people, it's something that is novel, everything that is new, they're curious about and they want to try. So this is one reason. The other reason maybe is that people don't think or don't believe that it's harmful, the thing is safe. And the fact that it is not safe, it's really not safe. Now, more research is going to be done on the effects of shisha, but really it is not safe. And that people have been smoking it for a while can attest to it, what it's doing to the lungs and what it is doing to their health. So we are not allowed to betray our body. And to compromise it in this way. Because it is a loss of
panatela had entrusted us with it. So we're not allowed to tamper with it and play with it in this way. Another reason that it is popular It is because of the social aspect.
It's part of this culture, the coffee culture, the cafe culture, where people can sit with their friends, talk and converse, and it becomes a favorite pastime.
And the smell of the shisha, right, the sound of the shisha, the atmosphere that surrounds it, all of these are attractive enough to bring new people into the smoking of this thing.
So we have really to educate yourself more about this phenomenon, and about this practice. And you can go online, you can read some research yourself and decide for yourself, Is it dangerous? Or is it not? Are all these things that they were saying is it documented, verified research or is it not? And if it is verified,
research, then you have to ask yourself, if you were to place it objectively, will you put it among the Taliban
Objectively among the beneficial or the harmful
what would you put it? Leave your desire leave your habits you leave your culture behind leave what is convenient behind? Leave what is attractive you're standing before Allah as our agenda and allies asking you yeah Abdi, my slave? Yeah. Tell me now honestly leave all things behind your weaknesses behind Honestly, this header or is this how
and at least you know not let's not change reality if we are weak let us be weak. But let's not change Islam. Let's not change what is hot and what is hot. I'm about it.
And we have the Laszlo did. I mean, there are scholars who have spoken against the shisha alleging that they are in the permanent committee. She had been bad, she probably knows. I mean, all of them has said that she is hot on just like smoking cigarettes. So we have we have the word of trustworthy scholars who are telling us that this because of all the harms that it brings, is head on. And we have also the testimony of many scientists are telling us that it brings so many harms to your body.
So brothers and sisters, though it may have some attraction, Allah subhanaw taala had given us a lot more on the side of the hand. That is enough for us. If is the social aspect, let's find other social gatherings and things to do. Instead of shisha. If you are weak around people who are smoking shisha, avoid them. If we are weak, if you are going to enter a place a restaurant where they offering this thing, and you think that is tempting, it becomes incumbent upon you not to enter that place. Hear me again, hear me again, if you're going to enter into a hotel, restaurant, or whatever, and that site and that smell, and that atmosphere is going to attract you that it's wrong for you to
enter it.
If you're strong, that's different.
If you're not sure, then be safe and don't enter it.
And keep your mind and keep your body healthy as our last panel data has given them to you. It's an Amana when you're gonna give back to Allah subhanho wa Taala rather him not asked you, I've given you a healthy body, other people were sick. I created them sick. I've given you a healthy body and you destroyed it. What excuse do you have for destroying it?
Your ally was born.
So preserve your body and preserve your family and preserve your community. And let go of that habit. And read more if you're not convinced, read more until Allah subhanho wa Taala puts that truth in your heart We ask Allah subhana wa Taala the most merciful to protect this home that your loved to ask you that you protect us and our families and our communities from the Quran. Allah protect us and our families and our communities from the harm we make. Make the Hillel sufficient for us he Allah make the handout sufficient for us he Allah make the halal sufficient for us, he Allah make us of those who follow the guidance of your Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he Allah
make us of those who follow the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he Allah make us of those who follow the AMA in your religion yeah Allah. Allah we ask you that you forgive all of our sins, He Allah strengthen our email and increase the amount in our hearts renew email in our hearts. Make use of those who are close to you, your law makers of those who love you. He Allah we asked you that you love us back your love we asked you that you love us back. Allah we ask you that you love us back. You along we asked you that you protect us and protect all the Muslims. Aloha manana so local hire akula who are now becoming a shuriken Li
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