Pondering a point of etiquette

[Lakemonster]

I struggled a bit deciding whether to put this here or in the serious discussion forum as I am asking a question that may touch on religeous or philosophical points.....but it also has to do with tradition hookah etiquette.... so......here it is.
I was thinking about a traditional rule of hookah use....  traditionally they are set on the floor and not the table. I have read where this is done because the hookah is a servile instrument.
Ok.... so I may be reading into it too far..... but is this so as not to "exhalt" the thing in any way.... almost like treating it as an "idol"? I began to wonder if this had a basis in Muslim faith....some sort of fatwah that came about?
Or is it simply bad manners to set anything "servile" on the table in Eastern culture? Some reason besides theology?
What do y'all think?

[SanguineSolitude]

i think its more tradition than islam. plus to be honest i think that
the floor is more stable and gets in the way less and so probably has
some practical reasoning behind it.

[Social Smoke]

I thought this was a very interesting topic presented by
Lakemonster. As a Muslim raised American but still having a lot of exposure to
Indian, Persian, and Arabic cultures this is my take on it.




The hookah does not have any special status or respect in
the Muslim faith. Thus disrespecting the culture surrounding the hookah is not disrespecting
Islam or Muslim traditions. Actually, it has at times come under attack if not
directly than indirectly as a means of smoking by some Islamic Scholars.

More so than anything else the etiquette and traditions of the hookah are have
evolved over time and are based off of many ancient and deep rooted cultures and
civilizations of the region. The main cultures that come to mind are the
Indian, Persian, Turkish, and of course Arabic.

A common misunderstanding among both Muslims and non-Muslims alike is what
comprises true Islamic Culture. Although I am not a scholar to define what
Islamic Culture actually is, in my opinion too often is ancient Arabic or
Persian culture for instance mistaken as being Islamic.

As a general statement, most cultures from the Middle Eastern /South Asian
region are very structured and hierarchical. They are deep in tradition and
respect that dates back hundreds or thousands of years. Some of these
traditions are easy to understand while others are much harder to comprehend,
even for someone born within its boundaries like myself.

In a very small way, the hookah has created a small window into Traditional
Middle Eastern / South Asian culture (more so than Muslim Tradition) if one
wishes to look past the obvious and appreciate its culture and history.

[Sonthert]

Its more likely to break if it gets knocked over from a great height.

[steve07]

I agree with Tangiers.

[Lakemonster]

The matter of physics makes perfect sense to me.....glass breaks... coals go flying. not good.
Understood as to the variance of religeous climate as hookah evolved in a particular region. I could almost see if the rule came from theology to be Zoroastrian (or even Semetic) in origin if the rule was theology based.
The other side of the coin is that I assume (as a westerner) that tables or pedestals are an optimum choice... and seek for something deeper than preference.
Strangely enough. I do seat my hookahs on the floor.
 

[DownZero]

Placing the hookah on the floor sure makes me more comfortable than it being on a table. It's also easier to control the heat or any type of adjustment that has to be made. But I would imagine people with smaller hookahs have a different opinion. Overall, I believe it's just good etiquette to have the hookah on the floor; just like wrapping the hose around the hookah when the hose isn't in use or blowing smoke into someones face (w/o their permission)

[Cornellius]

It is because hookah on a table is a dangerous thing... If it falls you will get burned and badly hurt! Thats why its a tradition to leave it on ground level, if it falls down nobody gets hurt but carpets.

[steve07]

Darn. I had to replace the rug in my smoking room.

[alice]

Yeah, the first time I smoked my hookah in my room (on the floor), I accidentally bumped it and the coal fell off and went under the base where I couldn't see it. By the time I found it, there was a slight, noticeable burn on my rug, but at least it's in the exact middle of the rug so it has somewhat of an aesthetic value ;)I agree that having my hookah on the floor is more comfortable. Also, I personally prefer to sit cross-egged on the ground or on a cushion than in a chair when smoking a hookah (I don't know why), and it would be weird sitting on the ground with a hookah on a table above me. When smoking with others, however, we're usually sitting in a semicircle somewhere with a table inevitably in the middle of us. Instead of moving the table we just set it there.

[SanguineSolitude]

i personally dont like it when the hookah is taller than me on the
table. When i smoke i put the hookah on the floor or on a low table. if
its on a high table between you and your friends it gets in the way of
conversation, is awkward to manage, and is more likely to be tipped
over. ground all the way.

[Sincere]

With me, it's totally a pet thing.  I have a miniature daschund and she loves the smell of the shisha burning, so she's liable to bump into it accidentally.  The coffee table works great...ashes easy to wipe up and all my tools are on the table.