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Friday, August 20, 2010

Ramadhan is the Best Time to Quit Smoking ~.~

Assalamulaikum


Dear Brothers & Sisters


Ramadhan is coming to an end and I am writing to you again. This time my topic is “Ramadhan is the Best Time to Quit Smoking”. Alhamdulillah, I hope with the blessings of the month of Ramdhan, some of you have learnt to cut down on your cigarettes and perhaps others have ceased from smoking for a one month period and waiting to restart all over again at the appearance of the crescent on the month of Syawwal. This is what my late father used to do. Every year on the eve of the fasting month, my dad will ask me to put his lighter and cigarette-case in the bureau. He will completely stop smoking for a month and struggles very hard the one month period without a puff of cigarette. At the end of Ramadhan, as soon as the RTM announces the end of Ramadhan and start of the Syawwal, with a radiant face he will request for his lighter and cigarette case. One thing good about my old man is, he will save the money which he used to buy cigarettes and give it away as charity to the poor and needy who will be sitting in a long row at the cemetery on a Hari Raya Day. The sad thing about my father is, he died of stroke (seventh nerve repulse) due to his addiction to nicotine. Alhamdulillah, though he suffered a lot but the suffering was not long. For two months he was bedridden and was on tube-feeding. As a fresh graduate who has just returned after five and half years away from Malaysia , I took care of my father and saw the suffering he went through. When he breath for the last time in his life, I was at the bedside and the one who hold him in my arms and said the Syahadah on his ears.






Besides my dad, a good teacher of mine from Banda Aceh, who is a chain smoker, died of cancer. He came to Malaysia for treatment but his cancer has gone to the advance stage and nothing could be done at that stage. Very sad, a few days before he died he was nothing more than a bag of bones. Perhaps another case to mention here is, about my client who is a passive smoker also died of lung-cancer. During my counseling sessions with her, she cried and complaint of her husband who normally puffs his cigarettes during bedtimes. The one question that I could not answer her was this question: “Why it’s me who has to pay a price for his addiction?” The only thing I could answer her is, Taqdir(fated). These are a few cases mentioned on the hazard of smoking. I strongly believe that out there are many who might have to face the consequences of smoking or even might cause harm to some innocent souls who have not tasted cigarette at all in their lives. These innocent ones can be your dear ones and near ones.






In spite of the on-going worldwide campaign on anti-smoking by governments and health organizations, there are millions who inhibit in this planet still choose to smoke. Their reason in none the other than the mere pleasure they derive from smoking cigarettes. Surprisingly, although many smokers might admit that it’s a wasteful thing to do, but they could not run away from it the moment the nicotine level in their blood drops. Even though most smokers call their craving for cigarettes as a habit, the plain truth is that, it is an addiction like drugs. Smoking cigarettes too kills like the use of illicit drugs and speed while using our highways.






In recent times, smoking in this country has somehow becomes fashionable. Some claim their reason for smoking is due to their stressful lifestyle while others think that their minds work the best with a few puffs of a cigarette. At the moment, matured adults as well as teenagers smoke. Worse to state, even the number of women who smoke for one reason or another, has increased tremendously. One can witness this phenomenon when one enters eateries and restaurants. In such places, one can observe women smoke equally in style like men. Despite the government’s ruling on the matter of smoking in public places is clear, many choose to ignore it knowingly or unknowingly. Being unethical they pollute these places and put the non-smokers at equal risk with them. In addition to this scenario, one should not be surprised to see the current trend among many secondary school students who smoke like nobody’s business while on their way and back from schools.






One hardcore smoker even admitted by saying: Saya sanggup berpisah dengan isteri, bukan dengan rokok (I dare the separation with my wife but not with the cigarette). I don’t know how serious he was when he said those words. Perhaps it was a statement made to amuse others. Whatever it is, I think he really didn’t mean to say that he loves his cigarette more than his wife. Some twenty years ago I witnessed someone who is a chain smoker advising his brother who is a drug addict. His words are still fresh in my psyche. He said to his brother, “ You foolish boy, stop using drugs and mend your way of life and stop killing yourself.” At that moment, I thought to myself, how one could stop using drugs without going into a rehab programme. I also thought that the elder brother was not fair asking his younger brother to stop using drugs immediately without going for any treatment. I was wondering then, why the elder brother failed to understand that fact that a cigarette filled with heroin is equal to 100 sticks of cigarettes. The argument that was going through in my mind then was, why don’t you too stop smoking and send your brother for treatment. Thinking about what I witnessed then in the light of the present awareness campaign, I only got one reason as to why the elder brother behaved in such a manner. During those days, people are afraid of drugs and knew very little on the hazards of smoking. Those were the days whereby one can watch advertisements shown on cigarettes of all brands on TV and in cinemas.






Taking the opportunity during this Holy month of Ramadhan, please take heed on this call to quit smoking. As abstinence from food, drink and other pleasures forms the core emphasis of the fast, a Muslim smoker who successfully avoids smoking for thirteen hours should consider quitting smoking for good. The rational for the call to stop smoking is based on the following:






- Nicotine and other highly dangerous chemical added to the tobacco during the process cigarettes are produced can be harmful to your body.


- One has to think that through smoking one can get lung-cancer, stroke and other deadly ailments.


- Smoking cigarettes is equal to burning one’s hard earned money.


- If you contact any deadly disease due to your pleasure seeking attitude, it affects the whole family.






- Think about your family in case you depart early from this world due to your ailment caused by smoking. In such a situation, your children will miss you during their graduations and weddings. Some will not make it to the colleges and universities due to the fact that you left them early and that caused a lot of financial difficulties.






- Think about the amount of money you have used to buy cigarettes. If that money has been saved up, you could effort to buy a low-cost flat or send your son or daughter to college on your own without being dependent on other source of financing, or even gone on a Haj or Umrah pilgrimage with your wife.






- By smoking, you are polluting the environment, and worst still you are putting the lives of other, who are non-smokers at the risk of getting cancer and other serious ailments because of your irresponsible act of smoking at public places.






- From the Islamic perspective, Islam prohibits whatever that is detrimental to the human body in the short term or in the long term. Although the issue on smoking is still being debated and argued(haram or makruh) among the fuqahas (jurists), I in my own way used to think that if the Prophet of Islam is around at the present age and with the given information on the hazards of smoking, he will surely make a ruling that Muslims should not smoke.






Finally, since this article is written with the sole intention of highlighting on the danger of smoking, it is deemed, it has achieved its aim if it can convincingly persuade at least one of you out there to quit smoking.






Wassalam, my “Selamat Hari Raya” to all readers.


maarji2020@yahoo.com (sir abbas)










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Friday, August 20, 2010

Ramadhan is the Best Time to Quit Smoking ~.~

Posted by NUR AFRAH maksudnya CAHAYA KEGEMBIRAAN at 6:18 AM
Assalamulaikum


Dear Brothers & Sisters


Ramadhan is coming to an end and I am writing to you again. This time my topic is “Ramadhan is the Best Time to Quit Smoking”. Alhamdulillah, I hope with the blessings of the month of Ramdhan, some of you have learnt to cut down on your cigarettes and perhaps others have ceased from smoking for a one month period and waiting to restart all over again at the appearance of the crescent on the month of Syawwal. This is what my late father used to do. Every year on the eve of the fasting month, my dad will ask me to put his lighter and cigarette-case in the bureau. He will completely stop smoking for a month and struggles very hard the one month period without a puff of cigarette. At the end of Ramadhan, as soon as the RTM announces the end of Ramadhan and start of the Syawwal, with a radiant face he will request for his lighter and cigarette case. One thing good about my old man is, he will save the money which he used to buy cigarettes and give it away as charity to the poor and needy who will be sitting in a long row at the cemetery on a Hari Raya Day. The sad thing about my father is, he died of stroke (seventh nerve repulse) due to his addiction to nicotine. Alhamdulillah, though he suffered a lot but the suffering was not long. For two months he was bedridden and was on tube-feeding. As a fresh graduate who has just returned after five and half years away from Malaysia , I took care of my father and saw the suffering he went through. When he breath for the last time in his life, I was at the bedside and the one who hold him in my arms and said the Syahadah on his ears.






Besides my dad, a good teacher of mine from Banda Aceh, who is a chain smoker, died of cancer. He came to Malaysia for treatment but his cancer has gone to the advance stage and nothing could be done at that stage. Very sad, a few days before he died he was nothing more than a bag of bones. Perhaps another case to mention here is, about my client who is a passive smoker also died of lung-cancer. During my counseling sessions with her, she cried and complaint of her husband who normally puffs his cigarettes during bedtimes. The one question that I could not answer her was this question: “Why it’s me who has to pay a price for his addiction?” The only thing I could answer her is, Taqdir(fated). These are a few cases mentioned on the hazard of smoking. I strongly believe that out there are many who might have to face the consequences of smoking or even might cause harm to some innocent souls who have not tasted cigarette at all in their lives. These innocent ones can be your dear ones and near ones.






In spite of the on-going worldwide campaign on anti-smoking by governments and health organizations, there are millions who inhibit in this planet still choose to smoke. Their reason in none the other than the mere pleasure they derive from smoking cigarettes. Surprisingly, although many smokers might admit that it’s a wasteful thing to do, but they could not run away from it the moment the nicotine level in their blood drops. Even though most smokers call their craving for cigarettes as a habit, the plain truth is that, it is an addiction like drugs. Smoking cigarettes too kills like the use of illicit drugs and speed while using our highways.






In recent times, smoking in this country has somehow becomes fashionable. Some claim their reason for smoking is due to their stressful lifestyle while others think that their minds work the best with a few puffs of a cigarette. At the moment, matured adults as well as teenagers smoke. Worse to state, even the number of women who smoke for one reason or another, has increased tremendously. One can witness this phenomenon when one enters eateries and restaurants. In such places, one can observe women smoke equally in style like men. Despite the government’s ruling on the matter of smoking in public places is clear, many choose to ignore it knowingly or unknowingly. Being unethical they pollute these places and put the non-smokers at equal risk with them. In addition to this scenario, one should not be surprised to see the current trend among many secondary school students who smoke like nobody’s business while on their way and back from schools.






One hardcore smoker even admitted by saying: Saya sanggup berpisah dengan isteri, bukan dengan rokok (I dare the separation with my wife but not with the cigarette). I don’t know how serious he was when he said those words. Perhaps it was a statement made to amuse others. Whatever it is, I think he really didn’t mean to say that he loves his cigarette more than his wife. Some twenty years ago I witnessed someone who is a chain smoker advising his brother who is a drug addict. His words are still fresh in my psyche. He said to his brother, “ You foolish boy, stop using drugs and mend your way of life and stop killing yourself.” At that moment, I thought to myself, how one could stop using drugs without going into a rehab programme. I also thought that the elder brother was not fair asking his younger brother to stop using drugs immediately without going for any treatment. I was wondering then, why the elder brother failed to understand that fact that a cigarette filled with heroin is equal to 100 sticks of cigarettes. The argument that was going through in my mind then was, why don’t you too stop smoking and send your brother for treatment. Thinking about what I witnessed then in the light of the present awareness campaign, I only got one reason as to why the elder brother behaved in such a manner. During those days, people are afraid of drugs and knew very little on the hazards of smoking. Those were the days whereby one can watch advertisements shown on cigarettes of all brands on TV and in cinemas.






Taking the opportunity during this Holy month of Ramadhan, please take heed on this call to quit smoking. As abstinence from food, drink and other pleasures forms the core emphasis of the fast, a Muslim smoker who successfully avoids smoking for thirteen hours should consider quitting smoking for good. The rational for the call to stop smoking is based on the following:






- Nicotine and other highly dangerous chemical added to the tobacco during the process cigarettes are produced can be harmful to your body.


- One has to think that through smoking one can get lung-cancer, stroke and other deadly ailments.


- Smoking cigarettes is equal to burning one’s hard earned money.


- If you contact any deadly disease due to your pleasure seeking attitude, it affects the whole family.






- Think about your family in case you depart early from this world due to your ailment caused by smoking. In such a situation, your children will miss you during their graduations and weddings. Some will not make it to the colleges and universities due to the fact that you left them early and that caused a lot of financial difficulties.






- Think about the amount of money you have used to buy cigarettes. If that money has been saved up, you could effort to buy a low-cost flat or send your son or daughter to college on your own without being dependent on other source of financing, or even gone on a Haj or Umrah pilgrimage with your wife.






- By smoking, you are polluting the environment, and worst still you are putting the lives of other, who are non-smokers at the risk of getting cancer and other serious ailments because of your irresponsible act of smoking at public places.






- From the Islamic perspective, Islam prohibits whatever that is detrimental to the human body in the short term or in the long term. Although the issue on smoking is still being debated and argued(haram or makruh) among the fuqahas (jurists), I in my own way used to think that if the Prophet of Islam is around at the present age and with the given information on the hazards of smoking, he will surely make a ruling that Muslims should not smoke.






Finally, since this article is written with the sole intention of highlighting on the danger of smoking, it is deemed, it has achieved its aim if it can convincingly persuade at least one of you out there to quit smoking.






Wassalam, my “Selamat Hari Raya” to all readers.


maarji2020@yahoo.com (sir abbas)










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