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smoking
moonie
05/14/03 at 21:41:49
[slm]

i have a friend that smokes he wanted to know how to quit and if it is harram or not?? he has been smokeing for about 3 years now and hes only 17 he has tryed quitting but he has not beed succsessful.
if u could give me some info on this that would be great
thanks


Re: smoking
Yasmeena
05/14/03 at 21:55:06
[slm]

Smoking is definately haram.  If your friend is a Muslim, Allah ta 'ala will help him quit.  I smoked for over 30 years and know this for a fact.

[wlm]
Re: smoking
a_Silver_Rose
05/14/03 at 23:23:09
[slm]

Question:


Is smoking cigarettes Haraam?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be on His Prophet  SAWS.

Smoking is one of the things which has caused a lot of problems and harm these days and it has spread like wild fire. Before we discuss this topic in detail, we should know that Allaah the Almighty has divided things in the world into two types, good or permissible (al-tayyibaat, al-halaal) and evil or prohibited (al-khabaa'ith, al-haraam), and there is no third type. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning) in surat al-A'raaf (7:157):

"And He makes good things halaal for them and bad things haraam."

Considering this fact, smoking can either be permissible and good or prohibited and evil.

Thus, we present some of its characteristics and let the person asking the question see himself in which type lies smoking.

There is no disagreement among the physicians and sane people that smoking is harmful for health. It is one of the major causes of lung cancer and other diseases. It is also one of the major causes of death. Since, it is known that the Islamic law prohibits everything that is harmful for a human being. Allah said (interpretation of meaning):
"Do not kill yourself. Allah is Merciful unto you." (Surat al-Nisaa' 4:29)

In addition, His Prophet  SAWS (peace be upon him) said:

"There is no harm or causing of harm (in Islaam)." (Arabic "laa darar wa laa diraar")

He SAWS (peace be upon him) also said:

"A person will not be able to move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about ... his body as to what he engaged it in."

Smoking also goes against the saying of the Prophet SAWS:

"Your body has a right on you."

There is no disagreement among the physicians and sane people that smoking is harmful for the health of others who inhale the polluted breath of the smoker. Medical research has proven the harmful effects of smoking mothers on their children.
The offensive smell caused by smoking is a source of pain to the worshippers of Allah among humans and angels. The angels are offended and suffer from the same things that the human beings suffer from. Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who cause harm to believing men and women without any reason do a great sin." (Surat al-Ahzaab, 33:58)

The money that is spent on cigarettes is used on buying a harmful thing and is therefore an extravagance. Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):
"… and do not be extravagant wasters. Those who are extravagant are kinsmen of Satan." (Surat al-Israa' 17:26-27)

Extravagance (in Islam) means spending on something haraam.

Spending money on cigarettes is a waste of resources as well. The Prophet  SAWS (peace be upon him) said:

"A person will not be able to move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about ..... what he owned as to how he spent it."

Considering all that has been presented, it can be clearly seen that smoking is an evil among many others. It is not permissible to indulge in it, or buy and sell it, or even to offer it to others. It is incumbent on a person who is addicted to it that he must make all efforts and get whatever necessary treatment to stop it. If the unbelievers have understood the harm caused by smoking and made laws regarding it, the Muslims should be even more eager to stop it and treat those who are addicted to it.

We ask Allah the Almighty to cure everyone indulging in this evil and help him in giving it up. Allah is the Best Guide to the Right Path.



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My dad has been smoking ever since he came to the US (for over 30 yrs)
I remember when I was little we would try to get him to quit all the time. I used to hide his cigaretts many timz.  Every Ramadan would/ and still does say that he will quit... never happend. ANd he gets mad easier if he doesnt have his cigaretts. ANway one day my dad told me that his dad died aftter he quit smoking for such a long time. So I think my dad thinks hes gonna die if he quits. ANd after that I havent ever even tried to tell him to quit.  :( my dad is really close to alotta of the youth , they always tell him to quit...
05/15/03 at 15:31:44
a_Silver_Rose
Re: smoking
bhaloo
05/14/03 at 23:46:37
[slm]

Besides smoking being bad for one's health, it affects the health of others around the smoker.  Studies have shown that second hand smoke is really bad.  I know whenever I've been around smokers I tend to get a runny nose, not to mention I can't stand it when people smoke them.  I guess tobacco companies have been increasing the dosage of nicotine in the cigarettes to make it more difficult for people to quit.
Re: smoking
ahmeth
05/15/03 at 09:48:32
There is lot fatwas, someone says haram someone say no (makruuh)...I can prove so much thinks what we do everyday that make or reason for cancer too, example copymachine, mobilephones, asbests, etc etc, they also than haram? Not only smoke cigarettes make cancer...My grandfather is die with 75 year old but not about cigarettes or cancer...My uncle is die because he was working at  mining (coal-kohle)he is die, he had problems with lung (over work in mining ) was this work haram work?... [wlm] ;-) (with original bearth)
05/15/03 at 09:56:15
ahmeth
Re: smoking
lala
05/15/03 at 12:35:49
Info on quitting:
your friend may need a little more help so maybe check out this link
http://www.quitnet.com/qn_main.jtml

Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to improve your general health. Quitting can not only help you to breathe easier and feel better overall but it may reduce your risk of developing any of the following illnesses:

lung cancer
oral and other head and neck cancers
bladder cancer
chronic bronchitis
emphysema
coronary artery disease (high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease)
In effect, quitting smoking now may save your life.

Even if you already have a health problem, it is never too late to benefit from quitting. People who quit smoking tend to enjoy a better quality of life and have improved treatment outcomes. Kicking the habit may also reduce your risk of developing additional smoking-related illnesses. So, regardless of your current physical condition, quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health.


-peace
Re: smoking
a_Silver_Rose
05/15/03 at 15:34:56
[slm]

[quote]There is lot fatwas, someone says haram someone say no (makruuh)[/quote]
yes this is true

[quote]I can prove so much thinks what we do everyday that make or reason for cancer too, example copymachine, mobilephones, asbests, etc etc, they also than haram? Not only smoke cigarettes make cancer...My grandfather is die with 75 year old but not about cigarettes or cancer...My uncle is die because he was working at  mining (coal-kohle)he is die, he had problems with lung (over work in mining ) was this work haram work?...   (with original bearth) [/quote]

This is very different Brother. There are no benefits in smoking. There is simply no use in it.
Re: smoking
moonie
05/15/03 at 16:58:06
[slm]

the thing is silverose what my buddy says is that he smokes because hes got a lot of stress.


Re: smoking
Ameeraana
05/15/03 at 22:30:30
[slm]

 Well, pot/weed is haram right? Drugs are haram right? Cigarettes give a high also and are addicting, right?
  Just because cigarettes give a much smaller "high" than pot/weed does it is still a drug.  Look at how cranky people get when they don't get to smoke... its the same sort of reaction people get when they can't get to their drugs. Sure, cigarettes are by (non-Islamic) law legal to smoke, but then again, alcohol is legal by those same laws also.  A drug is a drug is a drug is a drug.  
 

Ameera
other/better ways to deal with stress
a_Silver_Rose
05/15/03 at 23:51:35
[quote]

the thing is silverose what my buddy says is that he smokes because hes got a lot of stress. [/quote]

[wlm]
I understand Brother. Smoking may help temporarily but in the long run it just causes harm (if not more stress, because of the addiction and having to pay lots of money for cigarettes). There are other ways to deal with stress such as exercise :) ANd Brother why not use a permanent solution and turn to Allah (swt)  :)
Also Brother if you read the article below you will notice it says stress can lead to cancer. How dangerous to mix stress with cigaretts!

Here is something I found that hopefully will help your friend, insh'Allah.

[color=Teal]Dealing With Stress: In Light of The Tragedy

By Nora Belfedal

24/09/2001

Modern research on stress has often focused on the fact that, as Americans, we have little reason for real stress, and we often exaggerate it. Many therapies are focused on reducing our perception of stress. However, in light of the disaster, many American Muslims are truly experiencing true stress - the primal kind of stress involved in the fight or flight mechanism of the adrenal glands. Perception therapy will provide little help to those people who either ran for their lives as the WTC collapsed, or are hiding in fear of a retaliatory strike against innocent American Arabs and Muslims.

Stress, however, is not useful in the long term. Although it may prove beneficial when we are faced with danger, it only harms the body when prolonged. Muslims who are feeling stressed by Tuesday's events should take countermeasures to protect their health and help them manage their lives more efficiently and peacefully.

Stress-related diseases include hypertension, headache, ulcers, depression, allergies, stroke, asthma, arthritis, diabetes and even cancer (Greenberg, p.51). When the hypothalamus experiences a stressor, it releases the stress hormones cortisol and aldosterone. It also instructs adrenal medulla to secrete adrenal hormones, which are responsible for physiological changes while experiencing stress such as accelerated heart rate, increased oxygen consumption, perspiration, increased blood pressure and increased blood sugar levels. Stress decreases the amount of saliva in the mouth and increases hydrochloric acid secretion, which often results in ulcers (Greenberg, p.33). Inhibiting the immune system response, stress helps develop mutant cells that can lead to tumors (Greenberg, p.45).

Muslims can deal with prolonged stress better when they understand where it comes from. Stress, doctors say, usually comes from fear of the unknown, the future, and death. However, Allah has already provided us with prevention against those fears. "And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast" (Qur'an, 2:155). The Prophet (SAW) said, "Your most ardent enemy is your evil self which resides within your body. If this soul is not checked, it will lead to unusual stress" (Bukhari).

Furthermore, since Muslims are told in the Qur'an that humans are on this earth only as passengers, we should not have this fear of loss. A Muslim's destiny is predetermined, so worrying about it is fruitless. We only have "limited free will" to believe in God or not, or to chose good deeds or bad ones.

Rejecting faith in Allah, though, is against nature and a sign of disease. "In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie" (Qur'an, 2:10). Having no one to turn to during a crisis, the non-believer can become violent or turn to alcohol. Psychiatric diseases are on the increase because people sometimes lie to themselves to maintain ephemeral pleasures. "In order to contain that conflict, the mind sends signals to glands for secretions of hormones like adrenalin which leads to rapid heart rate, perspiration, tremorÂ… the basis of lie detect[ion]," says Dr. Shahid Athar.

The believer will be in peace, however, at the highest state of faith (ihsan) for he knows that regardless of whatever turmoil and challenge he endures, he will return to his Lord.

"The closer the belief, the greater the spiritual health," says Dr. Louis Greenberg. It has been shown that some people are genetically predisposed to depression, but a person's faith may play an important role in front of stress (Greenberg, p.64).

In summary, here is a list of what Muslims can do to counteract the effects of stress:

1. Increase dhikr (remembrance of Allah): "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction (Qur'an, 13:28)."
2. Increase prayers: "O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely, Allah is with the patient (Qur'an, 2:153)." Regardless of the type of meditation, recent studies have verified the physiological effects of meditation. Most of those mediations consist in focusing on something, repeating some words and breathing (Greenberg, p.142, 143).
3. Perform ablutions: The most important component of relaxation is what Hans Loehr calls "the rituals of success." These rituals may be as simple as making ablution; yet, they must be performed properly for it is not enough to pass water on the body parts - those parts must be massed.
4. Ask for forgiveness: Even if a person has not done anything wrong, he must insure the forgiveness of Allah. "Then I said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord; surely, He is the most Forgiving'" (Qur'an, 71:10).
5. Recite the Qur'an: The Prophet (SAW) said, "Â… Qur'an is a remedy for illnesses of the mind" (Bukhari). "The echo of sound has a medical effect and is now widely utilized," says Dr. Greenberg. "The recitation of or listening to the Qur'an has an effect on the body, the heart and the mind! It is said that the letter Alif echoes to the heart and the letter Ya' to the pineal gland in the brain. Dr Ahmed El Kadi of Akber Clinic (Panama City, FL) conducted and published the effects of listening to Qur'anic recitation on physiological parameters (i.e., the heart, blood pressure, and muscle tension), and reported improvement in all factors, irrespective of whether the listener was a Muslim or a non-Muslim, Arab or non-Arab. Obviously, it can be postulated that those who understand and enjoy the recitation with a belief in it will get maximum benefits," writes Dr Athar.
6. Make the hereafter one's main concern: "Whoever has the hereafter as his main concern, Allah will fill his heart with a feeling of richness and independence; he will be focused and feel content, and this world will come to him in spite of it. Whoever has this world as his main concern, Allah will cause him to feel constant fear of poverty; he will be distracted and unfocused, and he will have nothing of this world except what was already predestined for him," said the Prophet (SAW). One of the greatest causes of stress is money - how to pay the loans, whether one's job will be lost, what will happen to the family if the father dies, etc.
7. Think positively: Muslims should forget about the bad things of the past and think of good things, always having hope that he can be better. Trying to change the past is a foolish and crazy waste of time, "for saying 'if onlyÂ…'opens the way to Shaytan" said the Prophet (SAW). The Prophet (SAW) also said, " Know that victory (achievement) comes through patience, and that ease comes through hardship." Muslims understand that there's no reason for panic in the case of crisis - no reason to be distressed or worried for we know that after hardship come ease!
8. Do not waste time on thoughts of fear or stress: "The search of time is one of the most frequent causes of stress" (Seyle, p.102). Laziness is the mother of all evils, and the Prophet (SAW) used to seek refuge in Allah from it. Understanding that this life is short and time precious, Muslims should try to work hard and pursue worthy knowledge (Munajjid).

In conclusion, a surprisingly effective remedy for stress is to "remember death". The Prophet (SAW) said, "Remember frequently the one who will destroy all your pleasures - death! For there is no one who remembers death when in straitened circumstances, but his situation will become easierÂ…"


References

Athar, Shahid, MD. "Modern Stress and Its Cure From Qur'an." www.islam-usa.com.

Greenberg, Jerrold S. CSM = Comprehensive Stress Management. WCB: McGraw-Hill. 1999.

Munajjid, Sheik Muhammad. Book of Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid: Dealing with Stress and Worries.

Sahih Bukhari.

Seyle, Hans. The Stress Without Distress. N.Y.: Lippincott. 1974.

Shakir Translation. Holy Qur'an.

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Re: smoking
se7en
05/16/03 at 00:58:10
as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,

bro mohsin, this is an *excellent* article on smoking and Islam:

http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa090600a.htm

here is an excerpt:
[color=black]
Recent Opinion of Scholars

In more recent times, as these dangers of tobacco use have come to be proven beyond any doubt, scholars have become more unanimous in pronouncing tobacco use clearly haram (forbidden) to believers.  They now use the strongest terms to condemn this habit.  For example:  "In view of the harm caused by tobacco, growing, trading in and smoking of tobacco are judged to be haram (forbidden).  The Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said, 'Do not harm yourselves or others.'  Furthermore, tobacco is unwholesome, and God says in the Qur'an that the Prophet, peace be upon him, 'enjoins upon them that which is good and pure, and forbids them that which is unwholesome'"  (Permanent Committee of Academic Research and Fatwa, Saudi Arabia).

For a comprehensive look at smoking in Islam - the history, the rulings, and a full explanation with citations from Islamic resources, the best online article is [url=http://islam.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://qss.org/articles/smoking.html]Smoking: A Social Poison by Muhammad al-Jibaly[/url].

[/color]

wasalaamu alaykum :-)
05/16/03 at 00:58:49
se7en


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