Health Guidelines from Qur'an And Sunnah

The Qur'an is not a book of medicine or of health sciences, but in it there are hints which lead to guidelines in health and diseases. Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) has been sent as an example to mankind so his traditions in matters of health and personal hygiene are also a guide for his followers.

We start our discussion with the following verse: "Everything good that happens to you (O Man) is from God, everything bad that happens to you is from your own actions". (Qur'an 4:79).

The human body can be compared to some degree with a machine created by man. The fascinating tape recorder has many mechanical and electronic parts but life does not come to it till an electrical current is passed through.

Similarly, in the components of the human body there are the anatomic parts and fluids but also the spirit (the soul). As the care of a machine requires keeping it clean, giving it some rest, and passing electricity of proper voltage, and using it carefully and wisely, so are there requirements for the body and of the body as a whole.

Before we come to the physical care of human body, let us talk about the spiritual care. The spiritual care involves the acts of worship. The problem is that Iman (faith) cannot be translated into belief, nor Salaat into prayer, Nor Wudu into washing hands, face and feet nor; Sawm into fasting nor Zakat into charity nor Hajj into pilgrimage to Mecca.

A. Iman:

Belief in God is the first and foremost important need for spiritual stability. Belief in God includes belief in His attributes, His angels, His books, the Day of Judgment, the Heaven and Hell and belief that - all good and bad is within His reach.

Imam Rumi has called faith being superior to prayers. In illness, according to Imam Ghazali, the awareness of God increases and man becomes closer to God by realizing his own weakness.

Without true belief, neither our prayer, nor charity, nor fasting nor pilgrimage will be accepted. The essence of belief is to rid ourselves of all false gods around us, or within us, and to worship no one except God alone.

B. Salat: There are three health aspects of Salat:

I. Wudu: Washing all the exposed areas of the body, hand, feet, face, mouth, nostrils etc. 5 times a day is a healthy preventive procedure. Hand washing is being emphasized more and more in hospitals now in order to prevent the spread of germs. However, non-Muslims did not know that handwashing is so important - it has been ordered in Qur'an (5:7) 1400 years ago. And for complete cleanliness bathing is advised (4:43).

2. Recitation of Qur'an:

This has a healing effect on the body, mind and heart. These healing effects are due to the effect of sound (echo) and the meaning. The letter Alif resounds unto the echoes to heart and the letter YA resounds unto echoes to the pineal gland in the brain.

The movements in Salat are mild, uniform, and involve all muscles and joints. The caloric output is desired to keep the energy balance.

C. Zakat (Charity):

The word itself means purification and growth. Here it is meant to imply the purification of legitimately earned wealth. Many of our crimes are committed with money or for the love of money, and in the love of money one becomes violent in behavior. "And he is violent in his love of wealth" (Qur'an 100:8).

In Islam the ownership of wealth belongs to God. We are the disposers of that trust. Therefore, this concept establishes peace at heart and our behavior in the loss of money or unusual gain. In either way, we thank God.

D. Sawm:

The Islamic fasting: Islamic fasting is prescribed as way training of our mind and body in self-restraints. "O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you, so that you can learn self-restraint." (Qur'an 2:183).

Therefore, during the period of fast one may not only get rid of nibbling food, coffee, smoking but also of anger and excessive sexual passion. In fact, the fast not only gives rest to the stomach but also stabilizes the secretion of hormones which control our behavior.

E. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah):

The moral is Prophet lbrahim 's submission and absolute surrender to God's will, the opportunity for repentance, and the social and political gathering of the Ummah depicting brotherhood and equality.

However, this can be used for programming and testing us for physical endurance, a requirement for all able men and women. The long walks, the heat, the sun, the thirst, the physical exercise, etc. is to remind us of the Day of Judgment.

We should perform Hajj when we are young and physically well rather than wait for old age. We should keep ourselves in good shape before and after the Hajj. After describing the pillars of faith as a basis for the spiritual health, let us talk about the maintenance of the physical structure in which the spirit resides.

(A) Nutrition:

Allah loves His creations so much that He is concerned even with what we eat and put in our body.

Our muscles, bones, lungs, liver, brain and secretions are made from the raw product we feed it. If we provide the factory with junk raw products, the factory will not produce tough bones, strong muscles, good pump (heart) and clean pipes (vessels). "O mankind: Eat of what is lawful and good on earth" (Qur'an 2: 168).

Forbidden to us are dead meat, blood and flesh of swine (see Qur'an 5:3) and intoxicants (Qur'an 5:91, 92, and 2:219).

The blood and meat of the dead could be full of germs and other harmful elements like antibodies. Pork meat is high in cholesterol, salt and may have worms, and alcohol and other intoxicants that cloud our inhibition and interfere with our normal capacity of judging good and bad.

Therefore, a person under the influence of alcohol may want to take off his dress, engage in unlawful sexual acts, become violent and abusive without even knowing what he is doing. On medical damages due to alcohol, whole books have been written.

The second component in nutrition (after permission of the lawful and probation of the unlawful) is the moderation in the lawful.

Obesity is a major American tragedy, a form of malnutrition, affecting millions of people, of all age. Ninety-nine percent of obesity is due to overeating. Allah advises as to be moderate in quantity. "But waste not by excess for God loves not the wasters" (Qur'an 7:31).

Certain types of food i.e. fruits are especially emphasized in Qur'an (36:57, 43:73, 16:67) "And from the fruits of date palm and grapes you get wholesome drink and nutrition: Behold in this is a sign for those who are wise" (Qur'an 16:67).

Fruits are low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals, and fiber and sugar is fructose and not sucrose. In a recent study by Dr. Anderson fructose has been shown to cause no rise in blood sugar and even lowers the high blood sugar of diabetics. Honey is fructose.

(B) Cleanliness:

Allah is pure and likes purity. He is clean and likes cleanliness. Therefore, cleanliness of body and mind is stressed in Qur'an (4:43). Miswak (brushing teeth) is not a new invention of last 200 years. This was stressed as part of our daily routine by Prophet Mohammed.

He also advised us on flossing (Takhlil) as is now being advised by all the dentist. In fact, he is known to have said that if it was not a hardship for Muslims, he would have advised using Miswak before each prayer i.e. five times a day.
Cleanliness of our mind is prerequisite for total cleanliness (body and mind).

(C) The Value of exercise in maintaining health

Though we do not find much in Qur'an about specific exercise, recommendation, the Prophet's life was full of recommendations.

He, himself used to walk at a fast pace, even race with his wife, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).

Most importantly, he used to work with his hands whether at home, in the kitchen, or with his companions collecting wood for fire, fighting during wars etc.

It is a pity that Muslim men and women have become sedentary and, because of the excessive consumption of starches, obesity has crept into them. We should keep ourselves fit to go for Jihad and feel healthy in peacetime.

The State of disease

Many of the common chronic illnesses (i.e. coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer disease, obesity and depression) also have a common man-made etiology, that is rich food, too much food, too much salt, too much sugar, smoking, stress and alcoholism.

If we give up excessive salt, sugar and cholesterol from our diet, and do not drink and smoke, and stay active, it is possible that the pump (the heart) won't be rusted from inside.

What should a Muslim do when disease is confirmed?

A. Accept it as a will of God as Kaffara (expiation) for his sin, and ask him to remove the affliction. "And if God touches thee with affliction, none can remove it but He: if He touches thee with happiness He has power over all things." (Qur'an 6:17).

B. Many Muslims won't seek early medical attention, contrary to the Prophet's practice and teaching. In Christianity there is a sect believing in faith healing who have let their members die rather than go to the physician.

Usamah Bin Shareek (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: "I was with the Prophet and some Arabs came to him asking "O Messenger of Allah, do we take medicine for any disease." He said, "Yes, O you servants of Allah! Take medicine as Allah has not created a disease without creating a cure except for one. They asked which one, he replied old age'.

C. Increase your knowledge of health and disease, of medications and side effects. This knowledge is not the monopoly of doctors. You can have it and use it in preventing the illness, recognizing it early when symptoms appear, seeking early medical attention, then monitoring the course of the disease, implementing the treatment (i.e. knowledge of diet for diabetics) and recognizing side effects of the medicine.


In summary, our healthy bodies is a gift from God. We are the trustees. We should not misuse it, nor provide wrong raw products for the factory and we should keep superb maintenance of this delicate and sensitive machine, in order to enjoy it. It is the container of our soul.

Keep our angels safe….

Allah's Apostle said, "When night falls (or it is evening), keep your children close to you for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night elapses, you can let them free. Close the doors and mention the Name of Allah, for Shaytaan (Satan) does not open a closed door." — Bukhari 4:523, Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah

In singapore, as for my family, I will call my kids to come home when they are at playground once its 630pm in the evenings.

I only bring them out after mahgrib prayers if there is no urgent matters. I was informed that between 630pm-mahgrib prayer time, this is where the shaytan starts to recruit his "troops". Beware of evil thoughts or actions at these times, remember the following…

a) seek Allah's forgiveness [saying, Astaghfirullah ('I seek Allah's forgiveness')];

b) seek protection from the Shaytan [saying, A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ar-rajeem ('I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed shaytan')]

c) cut out the things that result in that bad thought immediately [e.g. shut the window with such images]

d) then thank Allah, wholeheartedly, for enabling you to overcome your desires and shaytan [saying, Alhamdulillah ('All praise is due to Allah')]; this makes Shaytan despair, and strengthens one's resolve.

Is our Iman ( faith ) strong to go to Paradise ?

Did we make a mistake in the way we preach?

Most time, preaching from the muslims do not approach using love but through threats.

" If u do this wrong, u will get punishment from hell". "ok so what" that will be the reply.

We cant convince ppl like that. In this world, we are tempted by many temptations, many will prefer to believe what they see rather than the unseen.

One of the articles of faith: A believer is to believe in the angels. We cant see angels, cos they belong to the unseen. Unless u r the chosen one that Allah will reveal it to u. :)

Thats why in other religions, if there is an event, there will BE thousands of ppl in churches or temples.. but seldom we can see thousands in mosques. :(

There is methodology of preaching in islam. The concept of love in preaching originates from islam. :) if you r going into the research of sunnah and hadiths of how Prophet Muhammad (pubh) , u will find methodology in preaching, they are yet being to put into practice.

We have to admit even the scholars are now starting to research in the methodology, this is a pressing issue in every scholar's Dawah efforts. Better to be late than sorry. :) Every muslim should possess great skills in dawah like what our early muslims did. (PROOF: 1.5BILLON muslims in the world)

Alhamduillah.

We cant use hard approaches, it wont work on ppl now. We use love and patience. :) Islam also taught us how we should love animals and plants, so we should even love our brothers and sisters MORE for the sake of Allah.

If you know islam, u will know its the religion for all creatures. It's a beautiful religion, better than anything in the world. :)

ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE, LOVE AND MERCY.

Thanks to Nasibriyanilounge.com

I have received an awesome gift from Nasibriyanilounge.com as I was ranked the 4th in the lounge. haha. Mashallah.

Basically i wish to thank them for giving opportunities for muslims community to pose and ask questions there.

Inshallah, the community will continue to do dawah to others.

SEX IN TV? RISE OF TEENAGE PREGNANCIES

WASHINGTON (AFP) - - A study published Monday claimed it had established for the first time a link between TV programs with sexual content and teenage pregnancies.

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Researchers interviewed 2,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 three times between 2001 and 2004 and found that those with the highest exposure to sex on television were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy than those with the least exposure.

"Adolescents receive a considerable amount of information about sex through television and that programming typically does not highlight the risks and responsibilities of sex," said Anita Chandra, the lead author and a behavioral scientist at RAND, the nonprofit research organization that funded the study.

"Our findings suggest that television may play a significant role in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States," she said.

Researchers said the study demonstrated that programs with sexual content create the perception there is little risk of sex without contraception.

By the third interview, 744 of the 2,000 teenagers in the survey said they had engaged in sexual intercourse and 718 of the youths shared with RAND information about their pregnancy histories.

Of that group, 91 teens -- 58 girls and 33 boys -- were involved in a pregnancy.

The rate of teenage pregnancies has increased for the first time in 15 years, measuring 41.9 births per 1,000 Americans aged 15 to 19 years in 2006, according to the Center for Prevention and Disease Control (CDC).

"The amount of sexual content on television has doubled in recent years, and there is little representation of safer sex practices in those portrayals," said Chandra.

The findings have implications for broadcasters, parents and health care providers, she added.

The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among industrialized nations, with nearly one million adolescent females becoming pregnant each year, with the majority of these pregnancies unplanned, according to RAND.

FOR The Man In Our Lives

We live in societies where there is an overload of "what a woman must do for her husband". The information in itself is Islamc but it turns harmful when it is not balanced with information about what a husband must and can do for his wife - men forget, society lets them and society consists of both men and women. Such lingo and talk need a more important and prominent place in our daily lives.


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Advice to Husbands, From a Husband
By: Sherif Mohammed
I start my advice to the couples by talking about World War II, The British military and the Egyptian desert! One of the most decisive battles of WWII was the battle of El Alamein, which took place at El Alamein in Northern Egypt on the summer of 1942. It is well known that the Germans had occupied North Africa and advanced into Egypt. They were hoping to take control of the Suez Canal, then occupy the oil fields in Iraq and Iran, then attack the Soviet Union from the south, etc. The British were determined never to let any of that happen, so they summoned their best soldier, General Bernard Montgomery and mustered an enormous force to stop the German relentless advance. It was a big battle. The German dreams were shattered, the British won, and so many soldiers died and were buried in the desert of El Alamein.

What concerns us here is not what happened next to the British or the Germans. What concerns us now is that after the war, the families of the soldiers who died in El Alamein came to visit their graves. Some of them left few words inscribed on the tombstones of their loved ones buried there. School children in Egypt sometimes go on trips to the site of the battle of El Alamein and read the words written on the different tombstones. Among these are the words inscribed by a young English woman who came to visit her husband's grave. She wrote: "To the world, you were just a soldier. But to me, you were the whole world"

By getting married you are not just getting a wife, you are getting your whole world. From now until the rest of your days your wife will be your partner, your companion, and your best friend. She will share your moments, your days, and your years. She will share your joys and sorrows, your successes and failures, your dreams and your fears. When you are ill, she will take the best care of you; when you need help, she will do all she can for you; when you have a secret, she will keep it; when you need advice, she will give you the best advice. She will always be with you. When you wake up in the morning the first thing your eyes will see will be her. During the day, she will be with you, if for a moment she is not with you, physically, she will be thinking of you, praying for you with all her heart, mind, and soul. When you go to sleep at night, the last thing your eyes will see will be her; and when you are asleep you will still see her in your dreams. In short, she will be your whole world and you will be her whole world.

The best description that I personally have ever read describing the closeness of the spouses to each other, is the Quranic verse which says: "They are your garments and you are their garments"

Indeed, spouses are like garments to each other because they provide one another with the protection, the comfort, the cover, the support, and the adornment that garments provide to humans. Just imagine a journey in the winter of Alaska without garments! Our spouses provide us with the same level of comfort and protection, cover and support in the journey of our lives on this earth as garments would do in the Alaska journey.

The relationship between the spouses is the most amazing of all human relations: the amount of love and affection, intimacy and closeness, mercy and compassion, peace and tranquility that fills the hearts of the spouses is simply inexplicable. The only rational explanation for these most amazing of all human feelings is that: it is an act of God. Only God Almighty in His infinite power, boundless mercy, and great wisdom can create and ingrain these amazing feelings in the hearts of the spouses. In fact, God is reminding those who search for His signs in the universe, that these feelings in the hearts of the spouses are among the signs that should guide humans to His existence.

As He says in the Quran: "And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquility with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect."

But the human heart is not a static entity, it is very dynamic. Feelings can and do change with time. Love may wither and fade away. The marital bond might weaken if not properly cared for. Happiness in marriage cannot be taken for granted; continuous happiness requires constant iving from both sides. For the tree of marital love to remain alive and keep growing, the soil has to be sustained, maintained, and nurtured. Therefore, here are a few tips on how to keep the tree growing:

In our world, we live a hectic life surrounded by tight schedules and bombarded by deadlines. For couples, this means that you might not find anytime to spend together, alone away from the endless work commitments. You must never allow this to happen. Try to periodically secure some time for do some special activities alone away from the rest of the world. Remember that our Prophet Muhammad (saws) had found the time to go out to the desert and race with his wife Aisha (ra). She outstripped him but later after she had gained some weight, he outstripped her.

Do go out with her regularly and frequently to do all sorts of activities: go to the mall, visit family and friends, go to the mosque, have picnics, etc. Remember that the Prophet (saws) took his wife to watch the young Ethiopians playing and dancing their folk dances.

Always keep some romance in your life. Modern life has almost transformed us into robots or high tech machines without emotions. Show of emotions is necessary to keep the marital bond away from rusting and disintegrating. Remember, that you will be rewarded by God for any emotions you show to your wife. As the Prophet (saws) said:

"One would be rewarded for anything that he does seeking the pleasure of God even the food that he puts in the mouth of his wife". Never underestimate the importance of seemingly little things as putting food in your wife's mouth, opening the car's door for her, etc. Remember that the Prophet (saws) used to extend his knee to his wife to help her ride her camel...Try to always find some time for both of you to pray together.

Strengthening the bond between you and God is the best guarantee that your own marital bond would always remain strong. Having peace with God will always result in having more peace at home. Remember that the Prophet (saws) gave glad tidings for those couples who wake up at night to pray together. The Prophet (saws) even urged the spouse who rises up first to wake the other spouse up even by throwing cold water on his/her face.

Always try your best to be good to your wife by words and by deeds. Talk to her, smile to her, seek her advice, ask for her opinion, spend quality time with her and always remember that the Prophet (saws) said "the best of you are those who are best to their wives"

Finally, it is common that spouses vow to love and honor their spouses until death do them part. I do believe that this vow is good or even great, but not enough! It is not enough that you love your wife. You have to love what she loves as well. Her family, her loved ones must also become your loved ones. Don't be like my colleague who was unhappy about his wife's parents coming to visit for few weeks. He candidly said to her "I don't like your parents." Naturally she angrily looked at him straight in the eye and said " I don't like yours either!"

Also, it is not enough that you love her until death do you part. Love should never end and we do believe there is life after death where those who did righteousness in this world will be joined by their spouses and offspring. The best example in this regard is the Prophet (saws) whose love for Khadija (ra) his wife of 25 years, extended to include all those she loved and continued even after her death. It was many years after her death and he never forgot her and whenever a goat was slaughtered in his house he would send parts of it to Khadija's friends and whenever he felt that the visitor on the door might be Khadija's sister Hala, he would pray saying "O Allah let it be Hala."

Love your wife and love what your wife loves not only until death but until you be together again in the next life Insha-Allah.

Why Muslims cant eat pork?

Allah swt says:
"Say (O Muhammad ): "I find not in that which has been inspired to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maytatah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork, etc.) for that surely is impure, or impious (unlawful) meat (of an animal) which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allâh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But whosoever is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, (for him) certainly, your Lord is Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful." (6:145)

One of the prohibited foods is pork. Since the pigs lives on filth, rubber and refus, its meat obviously is undesirable. Recent medical research has shown that swine-flesh is highly injurous to health in all weathers especially hot ones like southeast asia, middle east and etc.

Scientific research has shown that pork carries a deadly parasite called trichina which causes Trichinosis. This disease is caused by the hairlike worms Trichinella spiralis, which circulate within a pig's body. These worms are most commonly found in the country's hog-producing regions. While the worms are not usually a problem for pigs, they are very dangerous to humans who contract the disease through handling raw pig meat and eating undercooked pork and homemade pork products,like sausage.

Pigs are highly adaptable and will generally consume anything available, which is why they are used for garbage collection in some countries. That's why muslims dont eat pork!

Why Islam?

DOES GOD EXIST?

This video clip is a reply to the questions from Free thinkers friends.

DOES GOD EXIST?