How did shisha smoking become a part of Muslim society?

by No_name_Johnson

I'm guessing tobacco was introduced early after Columbus's expiditions but how quickly did tobacco smoking become a part of social life in the Muslim world? Also, was there any religious opposition to the smoking of tobacco akin to the ban on alcohol consumption?

textandtrowel

Europeans began importing large quantities of tobacco in the 1610s, and that's about the same time that they first introduced tobacco to the Ottoman empire. The water pipe seems to have been invented somewhere in the Middle East shortly thereafter, since Eurasians didn't smoke prior to the Columbian exchange.

There was a recent thread on the spread of cannabis smoking, in which you'll find more details:

And if you want to know even more, the article we were discussing is available online. The author was interested especially in marijuana, but he also speaks to your question, specifically regarding issues of religious acceptance:

Happy hunting!