The dangers of smoking

People should make use of what Almighty Allaah has made lawful for
themand beware of what He has prohibited. He left nothing which is
good without making it lawful out of His grace, and nothing which is
evil except that he prohibitedit out of His mercy. So, just as He
conferred uponyou the bounty of making the good lawful, He also
conferred upon you the bounty of making the evil prohibited. People
should therefore offer praise to Him for both cases by willingly
taking the lawful things and shunning the prohibited saying: 'we hear
and obey.'
Nowadays smoking has spread to every section of our society, even to
young boys in the markets and in their homes. No one can deny the
harmful effects that ithas on one's body, financial condition, society
and religion.
The Affects Smoking on the Body
People smoke for different reasons )as theyclaim(, some smoke to relax
when they feeling tense, others smoke to feel more alert when they
feeling dull, while others smoke when they're depressed or bored, or
to overcome feelings of anger or grief.The question here is; how can a
mere cigarettebe so many things to so many people? The answer lies in
the chemicals in cigarettes and the powerful psychological effects
theyhave.
There's hardly a part of the human body that's not affected by the
chemicals in the cigarettes you smoke. Let's take a tour of your body
to look at how smoking affects it.
The Head & Mouth
As a smoker, you're at risk for cancer of the mouth. Tobacco smoke can
also cause gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. The teeth become
unsightly and yellow. Smokers may experience frequent headaches. And
lack of oxygen and narrowed blood vessels to the braincan lead to
strokes.
Lungs and Bronchi
Moving down to your chest, smoke passes through the bronchi, or
breathing tubes. Hydrogen cyanide and other chemicals in the smoke
attack the lining of the bronchi, inflaming them and causing that
chronic smoker's cough. Because the bronchi are weakened, you're more
likely to get bronchial infections. Mucus secretion in your lungs is
impaired, also leading to chronic coughing. Smokers are 10 times as
likely to get lung cancer and emphysema as nonsmokers.
Smoking and the Heart
The effects of smoking onyour heart are devastating. Nicotine raises
blood pressure andmakes the blood clot more easily. Carbon monoxide
robs the bloodof oxygen and leads to the development of cholesterol
deposits on the artery walls. All of these effects add up to an
increased risk of heartattack. In addition, the poor circulation
resultingfrom cholesterol depositscan cause strokes, loss of
circulation in fingers and toes and impotence.
Smoking and the Body's Organs
The digestive system is also affected. The tars in smoke can trigger
cancerof the esophagus and throat. Smoking causes increased stomach
acid secretion, leading to heartburn and ulcers. Smokers have higher
rates of deadly pancreatic cancer. Many of the carcinogens from
cigarettes are excreted inthe urine where their presence can cause
bladder cancer, which is often fatal. High blood pressure from smoking
can damage the kidneys.
Nicotine—A Stimulant
Nicotine, the chemical that makes addicts out ofcigarette smokers, is
a stimulant with propertiessimilar to those of cocaine and amphetamine
)speed(. Nicotine provides the pick-me-up that smokers feel. It
increases heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate, and makes the
smoker feel more alert. Unfortunatelythese effects wear off after 20
minutes or so and the smoker is left craving another pick-me-up.
Acetaldehyde and CarbonMonoxide—Sedatives
Acetaldehyde, a byproduct of both cigarette smoke and alcohol, has
some sedative properties. The carbon monoxide in cigarettes makes you
feeldull the way you would in a stuffy room with not enough air. These
chemicals seem to dampen some people's feelings of tension, angeror
strong emotion.
Other Psychological Effects
For many, the act of smoking itself—pausing in one's work, lighting
up, exhaling a certain way—becomes a comforting ritual in itself.The
smoker may be involved in a private fantasy that relieves feelings of
boredom and meaninglessness. Smoking may go hand in hand with other
activities, such as drinking coffee or alcohol or eating dessert.These
"triggers" are why quitting smoking involves more than just kicking
the nicotine habit. Sooner or later everyone who smokes does so to
relieve the craving for nicotine—a powerfully addictive drug. The
addicted body sends messages of uneasiness and need to the conscious
mind until the smoker gives in and lights up.
Understanding Is Power
Take a close look at the feelings that make you want a cigarette and
those that you have after you light up. Understanding these feelings
will put you in charge when you're ready to quit smoking. Do not be
deceived by smokers who might appear to be of strong stature; unlike
their outward appearance, they are not healthy in light of their lack
appetite, the condition oftheir lungs, coughs, tuberculosis and
feebleness which might be felt upon very little exertion.
The Good news
Despite the bad health effects of smoking, the good news is that when
you quit smoking your body begins to repair itself. Ten years after
you quit, your body has repaired most of the damage smoking caused.
The Affects Smoking on the financial condition
Just ask any of them about the money that they expend daily on
smoking, which, if spent on what is beneficial for a person and his
family such as good food, drink,clothes, etc., would be of much
benefit for ones religion and worldly life. Rather, a smoker uses up
most of his money on thisvain pursuit which only adds to his immediate
and deferred injuries. Weseek Allaah's guidance for us and for them.
As for the traders who earn money from buying and selling such items
and become wealthy after being poor and richafter being needy, then
these are all ill-gotten gains and sinfulness. Such people are rich
financial terms but very poor in their hearts; wealthy in this world
but have nothing in the Hereafter, due to these ill-gotten gains which
they made in this worldlylife. They do not know when death will come
to them forcing them to leave their wealth to their heirs while their
hearts still long for it. Indeed poverty is better than wealth gained
by disobeying Allaah.
The Affects Smoking on the community
Smoking diffuses social diseases that spread corruption amongst
society, but most smokersdo not care about the spread of this
phenomenon among people; in fact they may actually enjoy seeing it
spread among people to entertain and ease their own disastrous
lifestyle. Therefore, they intentionally smoke in public before the
youth, who become accustomedto this bad habit and regard it as a
normal practice of the community. This leads to the inevitable outcome
of the youth indulging in this fad to the extent thatthey rapidly
become addicted to it. How many are the diseases that afflict those
who use the remnants of cigarettes which are thrown in streets and
public places!
The Affects Smoking on the one's religion
Most scholars, who are pure of all maladies and are well versed in the
rulings of Islamic Law, know for certain it's prohibition from the
Islamic texts and principles of Islamic jurisprudence. Smoking is
disobedience of Allaah and His Prophetand disobedience opposes faith,
which decreases bycommitting sins just as it increases by doing good.
Those upon whom Allaah has conferred His bounty of being protected
against this habit should praise Him for this bounty and ask Him for
steadfastness and to protect his brothers who are plagued with this
addiction so that they may give it up. They should also ask Allaah
repeatedly to guard themand approach all possiblemeans that might help
others to shun it such as having a strong will, avoiding the places
where this vice is practiced and replacing itwith that which Allaah
has made lawful of food and drink, for Allaah has made lawful any gate
that might lead to good. They should also think of the affairs of
those whom Allaah has released from the fetters of this habit and to
what extent they regained their health and recovered from the diseases
that afflicted them because of this addiction - surely all praise is
due to Allaah.
Those who wait until cancer or emphysema has set in aren't so
lucky—these conditions are usually fatal. It's one more reason to take
the big step and quit now, but a more worthy reason to quite is to
adhere to the command of Allaah to eat and drinkhealthy and refrain
from harmful matters. Allaah Says )what means(: "O you who have
believed! Eat from the good ]i.e., lawful[ things which We have
provided for you and be grateful to Allaah,if it is ]indeed[ Him that
you worship."]Quran 2: 172[.