As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, smoking water pipe takes the same ruling of smoking cigarettes: prohibition, because it is harmful to health, let alone a waste of money.
Sheikh Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti, director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas, stated: Water pipe is worse than smoking cigarettes because the amount and the duration of smoking is longer. Therefore, it is more harmful. As the majority of scholars nowadays say smoking is forbidden, therefore we should put water pipe under the same category.
The basis for this prohibition is the absolute harm on one’s body and others’, which goes against the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): “Harm should neither be inflicted… .” Another reason for the prohibition is the waste of money, which is also forbidden in Islam.
therefore, smoking, be it tobacco or water pipe, can be put under the category of prohibitions.