:salam2:
And spend of your substance in the cause of God,
and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for God loveth those who do good. (2:195)
Before thee, also, the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration:
If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message (21:7)
Health risks
It's a myth that hookah (Shisha) smoking is safer than smoking cigarettes. The tobacco is no less toxic. Hookah smokers actually inhale more tobacco smoke than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale. Although many believe that the water in the hookah filters out all the "bad stuff" in the tobacco smoke, this isn't true. According to a World Health Organization advisory, a typical one-hour session of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Even after passing through water, tobacco smoke still contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Hookah smoking also delivers significant levels of nicotine — the addictive substance in tobacco.[24][25][26].
In 2005, the experts of the World Health Organization published an important report against the use of water pipes. One year later, this document was criticised in the Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine for serious errors and misinterpretations regarding: -biomedical aspects (chemistry of smoke, health effects); -sociological (women and children use); - anthropological (Asia, Africa, use in a real environment, types of smoking mixtures and pipes, and the consequences on modelling a complex social and human situation); - historical (about the origins of the device since the first two sentences of the WHO report are inaccurate in this respect).
It should be noted that the WHO report is not a study per se but only a summary of studies selected by its authors for the purpose of issuing recommendations aiming at supporting national bans on smoking. Notably, the report was criticized for having dismissed (this error is called "publication bias") important studies whose conclusions were not in agreement with the above recommendations.
Each hookah session typically lasts more than 40 minutes, and consists of 50–200 puffs which range from 0.15–0.50 litre per puff.[27][28]
Research shows that a single 45-minute session of hookah tobacco smoking (tobacco molasses) delivers slightly less tar and carbon monoxide (around 3-6%) than smoking a cigar.[29]
Some hookah tobaccos claim to contain 0.0% Tar, but this is misleading because tar is a by-product of plant combustion. Tar may not be added to the shisha before smoking, but burning plant material always produces tar. Hookahs are designed to heat rather than burn tobacco, but for smoke to be produced some combustion must take place- although possibly at a slower rate than burning with direct flame.
The first aetiologic study on hookah smoking and cancer ever carried out was published in May 2008. The authors conclude to various levels of carcinogenicity. Reference: Sajid KM, Chaouachi K, Mahmood R. Hookah smoking and cancer. Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) levels in exclusive/ever hookah smokers. Harm Reduction Journal 2008 24 May;5(19)
Hookahs can also be smoked with tobacco-free flavors. There have been few studies to show the impact of smoking herbal flavors in Shisha pipes.
It should be noted that health laws in the UK require that importers and manufacturers must supply the Health Authorities with data on the contents of tobacco products for approval. At this time no Shisha products have been submitted for approval and therefore all those containing tobacco are illegal for sale in the UK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah#Tobacco
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http://www.world-federation.org/Health/Articles/CHB_News_Flash_What_Shisha_Does_to_your_Lungs.htm
Water pipes (hookahs) are the first new tobacco trends of the 21st century, giving new popularity to an old form of tobacco use. Hookah use continues to grow among teenagers; however, misconceptions about the safety of hookah use are widespread and need to be addressed.
BACKGROUND/ HISTORY OF WATERPIPE TOBACCO USE:
The water pipe is used to smoke specially made tobacco by indirectly heating the tobacco with burning embers or charcoal which then filters the smoke through a bowl of water. The smoke is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece, where it is inhaled by the user.
Hookah smoking originated in ancient Persia and India, and spread throughout the Middle East and Asia during the 15th Century. In the late 20th century, sweeter additives and more flavors were developed to make the hookah more appealing. As people emigrated to Europe and the United States from the Middle East and Africa, Hookah cafes began appearing in European cities and are now growing in popularity in the United States as well. Hookahs have become popular among the urban youth, young professionals, and college students.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF HOOKAH SMOKING:
The existing evidence on hookah use indicates that smoking through a hookah carries the same or similar health risks as cigarette smoking. These adverse health effects include increased risk of lung, oral and bladder cancer and heart disease.
While studies of mainstream smoke from hookahs found that it contains similar amounts of nicotine, tar and heavy metals as other Tobacco products, some experts believe that hookah smoking increases exposure to toxic substances over other products. This is due in part to the way hookah smoking occurs in contrast to cigarette smoking. Hookah smokers use a water pipe over a much longer period of time, often 40-45 minutes, rather than the 5-10 minutes it takes to smoke cigarette.
Because the inhalation and exposure to smoke occurs over a longer and more sustained period of time, a hookah smoker could potentially inhale as much smoke in a single session as consuming 100 or more cigarettes.
Another problem with hookah smoking is the commonly used heat sources that are applied to burn the tobacco, such as wood cinders or charcoal. These substances, when burned, release high levels of potentially dangerous chemicals including carbon monoxide and metals. Some research suggests that hookah smoke is therefore more dangerous, as it contains smoke from the tobacco itself as well as smoke from the heat source used to burn the tobacco.
Although more research needs to be done to determine long term health effects of hookah smoking, available research strongly indicates that it presents many of the same risks as cigarette smoking, and should not be viewed as a safe alternative to smoking.
PERCEPTION AND AWARENESS:
Hookahs are often considered more pleasant for smokers, because the smell, taste and smoothness of the sweetened tobacco provide much less irritating smoking experience than traditional cigarette smoking. Experienced Smokers sometimes add other liquids, such as fruit juice, to change the taste and effect of the smoke. Hookah smoking also offers a more affordable method of smoking than cigarette smoking, which creates incentive for its use.
Shisha is 100 times worse than cigarettes:
“An advisory note from the WHO says that smoking a hookah may expose the smoker to more smoke over a longer period of time than occurs when smoking cigarettes.”
“Because smoking a hookah may take up to 80 minutes, the report suggests that the smoker is subjecting himself to as much smoke as somebody dragging on 100 cigarettes.”
CONCLUSION:
Whoever is thinking that they are safe with hookahs as opposed to cigarettes are only fooling themselves.
It is especially sad to see this trend catching on fire in the Muslim world.
Let’s do whatever it takes to halt this phenomenon, especially in preventing our youths from indulging in this harmful habit. Spread the word
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Other sources:
http://cancer.about.com/od/smokingandcancer/a/hookah.htm
“Harm cannot be inflicted or tolerated.” Another reason for the prohibition is the waste of money, which is forbidden in Islam. Therefore, smoking, whether it in the form of cigarettes and shisha, can be put under the category of abominations. 
