Why smoking is denounced

Smoking is great problem which clasps the world now. It refers to the deed of lighting a cigarette, a pipe, a cigar, a water pipe, or any other object made from tobacco or materials of similar effects. The object is then sucked on with the lips to take out smoke. This smoke is inhaled into the chest and then exhaled from the nose and mouth as a thick white smoke. People are now negating its danger, even though they are aware of them.

Great Danger

Smoking materials contain poisonous materials, such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, arsenic, etc. But the smoker swallows them in small proportions. And his smoking leads him to the following problems or diseases. It does not mean that all these diseases may appear in him, but he is most likely to suffer from one or some of them, and his suffering increases as he grows older.

Problems and Diseases caused by smoking

1.  Cancer

2.  Tuberculosis

3.  Heart attacks

4.  Asthma

5.  Coughing

6.  Severe craving

7.  Premature birth

8.  Infertility

9.  Infections in the digestive system

10.              High blood pressure

11.              Nervousness

12.              Mouth and teeth diseases

13.              Muscles slackening

14.              Confusion that curtains the thought

15.              Trembling of the hands

16.              Insomnia.

17.              Ageing

There is no doubt, that smoking causes damage to either body and mind and the holy Quran denounces the deeds which cause damage to the body and mind as it says:

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمۡ رَحِيمً۬ا

Do not kill yourselves, Allah is indeed merciful to you.(An-Nisa' 4-29)

وَلَا تُلۡقُواْ بِأَيۡدِيكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلتَّہۡلُكَةِ‌

Do not cast yourselves, with your own hands, into destruction. Al-Baqarah 2:195

Smoker must recognize that he disturbs not only himself but also others. He irritates people by the foul smell and poisonous nature of his smoking. If they suffer from asthma or allergies, they are forced to move away from his vicinity. Furthermore, perhaps he may have an infectious disease, such as tuberculosis or influenza. While smoking, his exhaled smoke and coughing carry the disease to those around him. This type of irritation is strictly denounced by the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam says :

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ أَكَلَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَقْلَةِ الثُّومِ و قَالَ مَرَّةً مَنْ أَكَلَ الْبَصَلَ وَالثُّومَ وَالْكُرَّاثَ فَلَا يَقْرَبَنَّ مَسْجِدَنَا فَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَتَأَذَّى مِمَّا يَتَأَذَّى مِنْهُ بَنُو آدَمَ

Whoever eats garlic or onion, let him avoid us and our Masjid, and stay in his home. The angels are surely hurt by things that hurt the human beings^. ( Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Jabir and other Sahaabah )

Those with pure nature have no doubt that the smell coming from the mouth of a smoker is worse and more foul than that from the mouth of one who ate garlic or onion. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam again says:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلَا يُؤْذِي جَارَهُ

Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt his neighbor. (Al-Bukhaari)

Furthermore, Islam strictly condemns extravagance (Israf) as the holy Quran says:

إِنَّ ٱلۡمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓاْ إِخۡوَٲنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ‌ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورً۬ا

And do not waste (your resources) extravagantly. Indeed the squanderers are the brethren of the devils (Al-lsra' 17:27)

And the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) says:

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الْأُمَّهَاتِ وَوَأْدَ الْبَنَاتِ وَمَنْعًا وَهَاتِ وَكَرِهَ لَكُمْ ثَلَاثًا قِيلَ وَقَالَ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ وَإِضَاعَةَ الْمَالِ

 ….Allah hates for you three things: gossiping, begging, and wasting money. (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

By the above verses and Hadiths, Islam considers those who spend money for buying smoking materials as extravagant and brothers of devils

These noble teachings of Islam can rescue the modern society which considers that offering cigarettes to the guests is the first rule of hospitality. Indeed, Islam has something to do with the world in which the epidemic of smoking is widening to such an extent that it has become hard to be controlled as the surveys show.

   How can the modern society, especially, the Muslims get addicted to smoking, if they are ready to accept the teachings of Islam.  

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