Sunaa’ al-Hayah

- Life Makers -

Episode 39: Health – Part 1

Our revival should be done in eleven domains, do you still remember them?  We also said that they are connected together like a puzzle.  I will show you an animation showing this perspective made by a young man, showing us how the 11 domains are all interlocked with one another but before I do that let me explain to you the reason why the idea of the puzzle is so important.  The puzzle always comes with a final view of the intended picture and the objective is to put the pieces together to form this picture.  Thus the picture, in brief, is your own vision; it is your own proof.  This meaning is very important in making life, do you know why?  Let me try to imagine a contest that we shall hold right now.

We will split the audience into two: one group to the right and the other to the left.  The same pieces will be given to each group.  Both groups will be asked to put the pieces together and give us the final picture.  The only difference will be that we will give the final picture to the group on the right, but we will not give it to the group on the left.  Who do you think will finish first?  Which group will definitely put the pieces together?  It must be the group to the right.  Why?  Because they will have a clear vision of the final picture before starting.  They will know their destination and objective.  As for the group to the left, they will exert a large amount of effort but they will not continue, and even if they do eventually finish, it will be after a very long time.  The reason for this is that they had no vision from the beginning.

That is why it is very important for us, while putting together the puzzle of the 11 domains, to have a vision of where we are heading.  I want you to visualize, in full detail, the picture of our revival after 20 years.  I want you to imagine all the details, because while we attempt to piece together the 11 domains in our puzzle I do not want you to get bored and say, “Where on earth are we heading?”  If you have a vision you will know that each piece is contributing to the final picture.

I told you before that I have visualized the picture of our countries 20 years from now, with all the pieces positioned.  If you still remember, I told you that the picture included:

• Unemployment at less than 5%.
• Our arable lands fully cultivated; all the rooftops of our houses and schools are green.
• Love is restored to the family.
• The women are leading an effective role, not just a marginal one.  They are the core of society.
• Education is based on comprehending rather than memorizing.
• Our trains leave from one Arab country carrying cargo from Egypt to Syria, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
• Students from all over the world enlist in our universities.
• Our budget for scientific research is enough to cover our pioneering role in advancement and invention in the whole world.

This is how I see the picture of our nation 20 years from now, with all 11 domains positioned.  I am beseeching you to see the dream in detail so that you become more patient and have more hope every time we fix a piece into position.  Let us now see the animated picture done by one of our young men, in which he placed all 11 pieces together:

++ The animation ++

Our brother Hany really did an excellent job.  We are still waiting for other innovative ideas from our youth.  We want other ways of showing us how to fix the 11 pieces in another animation.  We will give a reward for the one who comes up with the best animation and we will invite him to this program.  We have to see it, and it must fill our whole objective.  Do you know why?  Because the path to revival is a very long one; it needs a great deal of patience because it is filled with hurdles.  The only source for your patience is your visualization of the final picture.  After that all you will need is to wait until you piece them all together.

The Prophet (SAWS)[1] did not just say to the companions that Islam will be victorious.  He used to outline all the details for them so that they believed it.  He used to tell them what would happen when Islam became victorious.  Remember when he said to Adei Ibn-Hatem that al-Mada’en will be conquered!  He did not stop at that, he continued the picture and said that women will leave from Hira to Makkah to make tawaf of the Ka’ba (circumambulate the Ka’ba) fearing none but Allah (SWT).  This is a detailed vision about how the situation would be for women at that time.  He said that money will be in such excess that no one will be able to spend it all.  This is an example of another mental picture of economic welfare.

André Agassi, the renowned tennis player, won his first Wimbledon championship in 1992.  He was invited to a live show, in front of all the spectators, where they congratulated him for his victory, saying, “Congratulations for your first Wimbledon championship”.  He replied, “Actually this is the one hundredth time.”  When they asked him to explain what he meant, he said, “I’ve been seeing this event, in full detail, every night while sleeping.”

Have we agreed now?  I know that the way ahead is a very long one.  I know that it needs a huge amount of patience and hope.

Every time we throw a seed, Allah (SWT) with His generosity makes it germinate.  In our last project, planting rooftops, tens of schools and citizens have already started.  I am still hoping for more and more Insha’ Allah (Allah (SWT) willing).  I will give you four examples of the many achievements that have taken place:

1.      Dr. Maisa’a Abdul-Aziz (professor in the faculty of Engineering – Cairo University) specializes in urbanization.  She saw the episode and agreed with the governor of Giza (Egypt) that she would conduct a pilot experiment in coordination with Dr. Usama al-Beheri to cultivate the rooftops of 50 houses in the Ard al-Lewa’a.  Right now, as we speak, she is inspecting the area to start the work.

2.      Head of the board of trustees of Zayed city (Egypt) called Dr. Usama al-Beheri so he could start implementing the project across the whole city.

3.      A girl from the Life Makers group in Port Said (Egypt) met with the Dean of the Faculty of Comparative Education in Port-Said and agreed with him to hold a conference for all the students to spread the idea among them.  Dr. Usama al-Beheri will conduct the conference.

4.      The Life Makers group in Sudan held a union with some of their colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture.  They agreed that all the graduates of al-Khartoum University would enlist for a training session in cultivating rooftops, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture.

I was visiting Yemen last week.  I was really honored that all the people of Yemen and the president were overly generous in greeting me.  They gave me a first degree award for all the projects of Life Makers and the projects of the third stage.  They told me that the award was not for me, but for the youth of the program.  While I was there, the Minister of Agriculture agreed with me to spread the idea of cultivating rooftops throughout the whole of Yemen.  I am sure that the project will grow further and further.

Today we will start with the topic of ‘Health.’  I know that things have piled up; not so long ago we were talking about ‘small industries,’ and then we talked about ‘craftsmanship,’ then ‘cultivating rooftops.’  Now we are talking about ‘health.’

Right now, some of you might be saying, “There are so many topics that we are confused.”  However this is not how it should be.  We cannot have a revival with everyone doing everything.  Rather, every group should find one project to focus on.

That is why I am asking all Life Makers groups to do three things:

1. Spread the idea of the program.  This is the promotional aspect.  If you did nothing else but that, this would be a great achievement.
2. Help me in the project, “Guardians of the Future” so we can combat narcotics and train you all.
3. When we announce a new project in the third stage you do not all have to do it.  Just divide yourselves into groups: a group for small industries, a group for craftsmanship and so on.  It is not important that you do it with your own hands, but try to get others to join us.

I found the people in Yemen very welcoming.  I just returned from there two days ago and I had a number of seminars to attend.  They gave me this award, I told you about, and they met me with such generosity that I will never forget it.  The words of the president, when he told me that the people of Yemen would participate in all the projects of Life Makers, gave me hope that our road – though long – is also full of hope.

After all these details, let us now begin.  I do not want you to think that I am mixing you up between industry, agriculture and health.  Just remember that you cannot do everything at the same time.  You will find yourself in just one thing.  Many housewives liked the idea of cultivating rooftops not just to make money but because they want to breathe fresh and clean air in their neighborhoods and to be able to eat from their own efforts.  Thus the housewives can take care of this part.  Other young men might like the small industries.  Other doctors might like the idea of health.  Each one must find himself in a particular project and decide to carry it on.  However we can never expect you to do everything, unless if you have excess energy and you think that you can participate in more than one project.

What I am asking for from the audience and from all those Like Makers clubs all over the world are two things.  The first thing is to spread the idea of the program and the idea of revival.  We want publicity.  Spread the idea not just to get people to watch us but because we want to instill the idea of the revival in their heads.  When that happens we will be able to see the final picture.  Even if you do not do the work, you will at least know how the final picture will look.  Even if we ourselves do not succeed, at least other generations will come with this idea deeply rooted in them.  We might all die without having the chance to do anything with our own hands, but we can still do the publicity ourselves.  I am asking you all; ladies and gentlemen, get others to watch the program.  Give it to the youth, doctors, and ministers.  The second thing is that if you like any of the domains that we discuss in the program, then please shoulder the responsibility and take it on.  Live with it, read about it, understand it and work in it.  I am asking all the Life Makers clubs to do this with us.

Let us now talk about health.  The first thing we have to talk about is the reason why health is important for revival.  Can there be a revival without health?  I guess the reply is quite obvious: no.  Your health is like your vehicle, the vehicle that will take you either to hell or to paradise.  Can you imagine someone aiming to walk 1,000 kilometers without a vehicle?  Thus your vehicle is your health and your body.  When I say health I do not just mean physical health, I also mean mental health.  This is the vehicle that will take you to revival and without it you will be going nowhere.  The whole world measures the development of any country by enquiring about two things; education and health.  To put it simply; what is the value of our life if we have no health?  What is the value of our mind if we have had no learning?  A nation with health and education is a nation that posses both a life and a mind.  Hence it is a nation that is revived.  Abu-Majed al-Ghazali said, “Allah’s ultimate desire from His servants is that they worship Him, and how can they worship Him with bodies that lack both life and strength?”  How would they worship Him when they do not even have the power to stand?  There can be no revival without health.

First let me ask you this: what is the definition of ‘health?’

The whole world used to think that health is to live without diseases, or to be cured when you are ill.  The whole world has had this misconception for years, except for Muslim world.  The Muslims refused this narrow conception and they said that the last aspect in health is curing diseases.  The first aspect is preserving the blessing of our bodies: preserving our bodies physically and mentally.  Avicenna (Ibn-Sina), the renowned Muslim physician, wrote the first words in his book (more than 1-000 years ago) saying, “Medicine is to keep sound bodies and to cure illnesses.”  Thus we should preserve our bodies first and then cure ourselves.

Allah says what can be translated as, “Indeed We already created man in the fairest stature” (TMQ, 95:44)[2] and “In whichever fashion He (so) decides, He compounds you” (TMQ, 82:7).

Initially you were created in the fairest stature, both physically and mentally.  You only need to preserve your health if you do not want treatment.  The beautiful thing about this concept is that Islam and many Ahadith of the Prophet (SAWS) have concentrated on the concept of preserving health and fitness.  Thus we are talking about prevention rather than treatment.  Very rarely has Islam mentioned anything about treatment, or the way to treat illnesses; do you know why? Because Islam came for all ages and places, while treatment varies with time and place.

This is the concept of health that we are after: to keep sound bodies and to be physically and mentally fit, then to treat any illnesses.

What about health in our counties?

Our countries have exerted enormous efforts in treating and preventing many illnesses.  They built hospitals and faculties of medicine.  They focused on treating contagious diseases like influenza and small pox.  They made vaccines for many diseases, especially for children, and finally they have managed to reduce the rate of infant mortality.  All of this is great.

However there is another crucial aspect that is very significant in preserving health, yet not enough effort has been exerted on it.  This aspect is very dangerous because it leads to seriously contagious and lethal diseases later on.  This aspect is the non-contagious diseases or conditions.  Like, for instance:

1. Hypertension.
2. Diabetes.
3. Obesity.
4. Cardiac disease like arterial embolism and arteriosclerosis, leading eventually to heart attacks and strokes.
5. Lung cancer.

According to the WHO, these diseases account for 40% of illnesses found in patients.  This percentage will increase to 70% by the year 2020.

1. Hypertension:  According to the WHO, hypertension rates in the year 2000 were 333 million citizens in the developed countries and 639 million citizens in the poor countries.  In a country like Egypt 27% of citizens suffer from hypertension.
2. Diabetes: The death toll for diabetic patients reaches 3 million per year.  Of every 6 deaths per minute there is one death caused due to diabetes.  The proportion of diabetics in our area is the highest worldwide.  Twenty five percent of the total Arab world census are either liable to, or already have, diabetes.  This means that one citizen out of every four is either diabetic or liable to be so.  In the Gulf area the rates for diabetes have multiplied fourfold.
3. Obesity: 
   • 80% of the causes of diabetes are due to obesity.
   • Obesity increases the chances of cancer to 14% in men and 20% in women.
   • One billion adults are suffering from obesity.
   • The highest obesity rates are in Saudi Arabia.
4. In every 1000 citizens 100 to 150 contract lung cancer each year.

Non-contagious diseases are (and will be) more lethal in Arab countries than the pandemic of this age (AIDS) in the Western world.

What are the causes for these diseases?

The principal cause is our bad habits.  They are due to the bad lifestyles people have grown accustomed to.  They are lifestyles that have deviated from the inherent balance and the nature in which man was created.   Allah says what can be translated as, “…and laid down the Balance.  That you should not be inordinate in the Balance.” (TMQ, 55:7-8).  These diseases are not contagious yet they have disturbed the sensitive godly balance, due to our wrong habits.  Allah says what can be translated as, “O you mankind, surely your inequity is only against yourselves.” (TMQ, 10:23).  Allah also says what can be translated as, “And the heaven, He raised it up, and laid down the Balance. That you should not be inordinate in the Balance” (TMQ, 55:7-8). What does that mean?  It means that everything was created according to an accurate balance.  If you damage your body by introducing harmful materials to it, the whole of mankind will be damaged.  Subhan Allah![3] “…and laid down the Balance.” (TMQ, 55:7). The balance is in everything, not just in the universe, but also in our bodies.  Everything was created with utmost precision.  The body acts as a receptor to all the bad habits that deviate from Islam and what came in the Qur’an.

Habits like what?

1. Bad eating habits, like eating junk food and fast food.  There is a famous American documentary called about the appalling effect of fast food on the body.  In this documentary the presenter decides to eat all three meals (breakfast – lunch – dinner) from a famous fast food restaurant for a month.  At the end, he became so fat that he had to be hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (under the Arab League) says that 840 million citizens suffer from malnutrition; 799 million of them are from developing countries.
2. Smoking cigarettes and shisha (water-pipe):  Smoking leads to six types of cancer.  Four million citizens die from it and 60% of smoking-mothers are subject to miscarriage because of it.
3. A lack of exercise and staying for hours at desks and in front of computers.  Even among women; 60% of women in the Arab world do not practice any form of exercise.
4. Lack of cleanliness, the polluted environment and polluted water.  We have whole villages in our countries drinking polluted water and all of us, unfortunately, are breathing polluted air.

Where is the solution?

The solution can be found within Islam.  The Prophet (SAWS) set all the guidelines for maintaining good health, preventing infectious diseases and so on.  This is what I am going to talk to you about for the duration of this episode.  There are great Prophetic sayings and ayat of the Qur’an pertaining to the idea that a healthy lifestyle leads to making a person healthy.

Maintaining good health can be done by following the Islamic lifestyle.  This was published in a book that I brought here with me.  This book consists of 60 guidelines for Islamic lifestyles that the Prophet (SAWS) ordered us to do and ayat from the Qur’an about maintaining good health, healing and preventing illness.

How do we follow what the Prophet (SAWS) said and prevent people from non-infectious illness? How do we correct their behavior? We need to launch some sort of health awareness campaign, because currently we do not have enough health awareness in our nations that teach us about maintaining good health and preventing illnesses.

Where can we find health awareness in our curriculum?  Health messages must be repeated indirectly to reach our young students. This can be done in several ways, though not necessarily by forming a specific subject or class about good health.  Instead, it should be a part of the other classes.  Therefore the outcome will be that this repetition will reach the child and he will accept it, especially if it involves him working to be healthy.

Where is health awareness at home and within the family?  Despite our love for our children, have you ever heard of a father who keeps a health journal for his son so that he could follow up on his health status, and record the illnesses he has experienced and the medication he has taken? Is there a father that does routine medical examinations for his son? Is there a father that explains to his son the dangers of junk food and carbonated drinks on his health? Despite our love for our children, we do not act in this way.

Media: Advertisements about health awareness are usually dull and ineffective.  There is not a single advert, show, or even a glimpse of a movie that encourages people to care of their health.  In fact, it is quite the opposite; they teach them smoking, drugs, and reckless driving - which kill thousands of people.  The outcome is cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and car wrecks.

We derived our idea for our project from this. Our project will not focus on non-infectious illnesses and treating parents; this is not our job in Life Makers.  Our project will pertain to infectious diseases, because they are caused by the shortage of awareness in the nations at risk of bad eating habits, smoking, the absence of hygiene and cleanliness, polluted environments, polluted waters, and the absence of athletic programs.  Our project will involve health awareness that the youth in the gyms, schools, universities, cafes, streets, and cities can work on.  The youth listening to us right now and the youth of Life Makers will accomplish this and change life in the Arab world.

We are holding something we call health forums in every city and town in the Arab world where young girls and boys can devote themselves to this awareness.  This is the project in short and details will be explained in the upcoming episode.  In order to have this project work and the youth appreciate the value of it and help out, we needed international organizations to work alongside us with something that will further us in the means of training.  It will cause the youth to do something because of it, while pushing them forward and standing behind them.  That is why we have this idea today.  The experts in the health division of Life Makers told us that this is the solution to health in the Arab world.  We shall put our trust in Allah (SWT) and contact the international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, and the Ministry of Health in the Arab world.  We shall put our hands in theirs in order for this project to be a success.  This is what I shall do from the time I record this episode to the time I meet you again.

Come and let us see together how Islam focuses on maintaining health, so that this episode is the basis we shall build our project on.  The health awareness groups will work on emphasizing the maintenance of good health, which will, in effect, prevent illnesses and non-infectious diseases and keep us healthy, in order to work on the revival.

Health is one of the greatest blessings Allah (SWT) has granted us with.  It is the greatest blessing after the blessing of faith.  It is the guarantee of a good life.

• The Prophet (SAWS) says, “There are two blessings in which many people are highly wronged; health and free-time.”[4]
• The Prophet (SAWS) says, “Nothing was given to us better than conviction, except good health.”[5]

Taking care of the blessing of health and gaining from it comes from being grateful for it.  That is through working to maintain it and appreciate it without taking on actions or hurrying into something that may cause its deterioration later on.  Allah says what can be translated as, “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you” (TMQ, 14:7).

Observe with me how Islam addressed a specific part of maintaining good health and how the Prophet (SAWS) raised awareness similar to the awareness we want to raise and imitate in our health division.  Let us take it one step at a time.

Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene includes everything, whether it is certain sections or part by part. There are sayings about this.

• Allah says what can be translated as, “When ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles…” (TMQ, 5:6)  Enacted cleanliness is found in wudu (abulition), which is a requirement for prayer; it will not be accepted without it.  Despite being a requirement, we still get a tremendous amount of thawab (reward) for it.
• The Prophet (SAWS) says, “Ablution is half of the iman (faith).”[6]  It is the continuous cleanliness of a Muslim 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; his whole lifetime.
• The Prophet (SAWS) says, “None but a true believer would maintain ablution.”[7]

This is for wudu.  Ghusl (compulsory washing after intercourse) is another step towards more cleanliness and good health.

• The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Washing every Friday is a duty upon every adult.  He should also wear some musk if he can.”[8]
• The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Every Muslim owes a right to Allah.  It is to wash at least once every seven days, washing both his head and body.”[9]
• Look at what Allah (SWT) says about ghusl from regular impurities and sexual impurities.  He talks of another type of ghusl only Muslims know about.  Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when traveling on the road), until after washing your whole body…” (TMQ, 4:43) There is a nice story of an Arab man who was married to a Swedish doctor; she accepted Islam because of this ayah.

The transfer from regular cleanliness to the cleanliness of specific parts

1.      Cleanliness of the Hands: the Prophet (SAWS) used to wash his hands before eating.  He used to say that whoever goes to sleep with unclean hands, and gets harmed because of that, should not blame anyone but himself.  He ordered us to trim our nails and he made it a Prophetic Sunnah from the traditions of nature. He also made the Prophetic tradition of wudu to wash between the fingers and toes.

2.      Cleanliness of the Ears: the way of washing your ears is a Prophetic tradition.

3.      Cleanliness of the Eyes: When the Prophet (SAWS) would wake up, he would wash the corners of his eyes. He used to say, “Your eyes have a right on you.”[10] Who said this before the Prophet (SAWS) and who said this after the Prophet (SAWS)?  Thus, he gave our eyes their own rights.

4.      Cleanliness of the Mouth: The Prophet (SAWS) says, “The siwak is an antiseptic for the mouth and it pleases Allah,”[11] and when he would wake up, he would use the siwak.  The siwak is the first invention in the world (much before the tooth brush) for the purpose of cleaning teeth.

5.      Cleanliness of the Clothes: Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And thy garments keep free from stain!” (TMQ, 74:4). The exception is if you do not have enough water to wash your clothes.

6.      The Prophet (SAWS) had a new, separate outfit he would put aside to wear every Friday.

7.      Cleanliness of the Homes: “Clean your backyards, the Jews never clean theirs.”[12]

8.      Cleanliness of the Streets:

·        The Prophet (SAWS) says, “Faith has more than sixty types, the least of which is to remove any harm from the path of others.”[13]

·        He (SAWS) also said, “Removing anything harmful from the path of others is a form of charity.”[14] Look at how he made keeping streets clean, faith, and charity all intertwined.

Please notice that all the meanings of cleanliness and hygiene were cited by the Prophet (SAWS) and made as part of religion, faith and good deeds.  Compare this Prophetic awareness to the reality of Muslims today.  Look at our streets and the streets of Western countries.  The issue has got nothing to do with being rich or poor or being developed or under-developed.  The issue is related to the concept of cleanliness and hygiene imbedded within us.  Even in the mosques, you smell obnoxious smells when you make sujud.  Look at our washrooms in mosques and other places; they are all filled with germs and odious smells.  In many of our houses, you smell these offending smells.  During the days of the Christian Reconquest of Spain, when they were killing the Muslims, they had Inspection Courts.  Do you know how they identified Muslim houses?  They used to go into the houses; if the bathrooms were clean, they knew that the residents were Muslims.

Second: Preserving physical health

·        “A strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than a weak believer.”[15]

·        “… The son of Adam needs but a few bites to survive.  If not then one third is for his food, another third is for his drinking and the last third is for him to catch his breath.”[16]

Allah (SWT) is asking us to maintain a balanced diet that would protect our bodies against the problems caused by obesity.  Look at the words ‘balanced diet’ which were introduced by Islam before all modern thinking:

·              Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “..and eat and drink, and do not be extravagant…” (TMQ, 7:31).

·              Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Eat of whatever good things wherewith We have provided you; and do not be inordinate therein” (TMQ, 20:81).

·              “The son of Adam has not filled a worse vessel than his stomach…[17]”

I know nutritionists and dietitians who have asked us to forget about all the diets (even though this is the way they make their living) yet they have asked us to think about these Ahadith and put them into practice and hence reach the aspired weight.  We should not eat unless we are hungry and when we eat we should not eat to the point of fullness.  This is the diet of the Prophet (SAWS).

Furthermore, the Prophet (SAWS) is also asking us to do exercise.  He urged us to learn archery, saying that our ancestors were skilled marksmen.  He used to hold running contests between the companions.  This is the best way to get the blood circulation running.  He even urged the ladies to run; he used to take lady Aisha (RA) and ask her to run, not just for fun, but also because he promoted the idea of exercise.

Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) asked the Muslims to teach their children swimming, shooting and horseback-riding.  Islam also forbade us from eating any food that could pose any harm to us.  How many times did this ayah come in the Qur’an where Allah says what can be translated as, “O you who have believed, eat of the good things (only) which We have provided you, and give thanks to Allah, in case He only is (The One) Whom you do worship” (TMQ, 2:172)?  We have an array of useful food in the Qur’an; honey – fish – figs – olives – grapes.  A Muslim doctor took all the food types that were mentioned in the Qur’an in the very same number they were mentioned and he formulated from this a balanced diet.  Why were these particular food types mentioned and why in these particular numbers?  It is a very long subject.  Look at this ayah where Allah says what can be translated as, “commanding them to beneficence, and forbidding them maleficence” (TMQ, 7:157).  Anything that could potentially harm you is forbidden.  That is why alcoholic drinks are forbidden.  In another ayah, Allah says what can be translated as, “O you who have believed, surely wine and games of chance, and altars (for idols) and divining (i.e., divination by arrows or in any other way) are only an abomination of ash-Shaytan’s (The all-vicious, the Devil) doing, so avoid it, that possibly you would prosper.” (TMQ, 5:90).  Anything that conceals your mind and makes you get drunk when you drink plenty of it is forbidden even in the smallest amounts.  Anything fowl should not get into your mouth because your health is balanced miraculously.  Thus this religion is forbidding certain foods for the sake of your health.  Furthermore, Islam forbids sins like fornication and homosexuality.  They are forbidden also for the sake of your health.  Look at this ayah, “And do not come near to adultery; surely it has been an obscenity and odious as a way.” (TMQ, 17:32). You will be the first one to suffer, not just socially but also physically.  Can you imagine the extent and the amount of issues mentioned under the topic of health!

Third: Mental health

Mental illnesses that have spread all over the world, especially the Western world, now constitute a real threat.  According to the latest reports of the WHO for the year 2003, one of every four will suffer from metal illnesses by the year 2020, which means 400 million citizens all over the world, all of them suffering from mental disorders.  Depression is one of the things that even the youth who are at school suffer from these days!

See the Various Principles Islam Placed for Mental Health

• To be satisfied with what Allah (SWT) destines.  The Prophet (SAWS) said, “He who spends the night feeling safe among his own people, having a healthy body and his food for the next day, has got the whole world in his hands.”[18]
• Putting your trust in Allah (SWT), and the effects this has on the strength of the soul and comforting it.
• He tied mental health with personal hygiene when he said, “Nothing was given to us better than conviction, except good health.”[19]
• Worship and its effect on the stability of the soul, such as prayer.  He used to say to Belal, “O console us with it, Belal,”[20] and the remembrance of Allah (SWT):
  • Allah says what can be translated as, “For without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (TMQ, 13:28)
  • Allah says what can be translated as, “Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you.” (TMQ, 2:152)
  • The remembrance of Allah (SWT)  during hardships

Due to these reasons, many of the Qur’anic ayat and Prophetic sayings came for the rejuvenation of the Muslim soul and its satisfaction.  The heartsick has psychological problems.  Studies emphasize that most heartsick people face depression.  Therefore, a person must be treated as a whole and not in parts.

All this is part of the work of the health groups we are going to establish.  We are going to help people through Islam to better their mental health.

Encouraging Marriage

Allah says what can be translated as, “And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them” (TMQ, 30:21).

He places the characteristics of a successful marriage to ensure good mental health:

• The difference of age (Abu Bakr (RA) and Omar (RA) wanted to marry Fatima, but the Prophet (SAWS) said she was too young, so Ali (RA) married her)
• Examples include, “Marry the friendly woman who is able to bear you many children.”[21]
• “Marry the pious women.”[22]
• Allah says what can be translated as, “And consort with them with beneficence” (TMQ, 4:19). 
• “The best in you are the best to their families.”[23]
• You also have to ask about the families of your spouses.  You have to ask about the health of your spouses to ensure good health for your children.  Islam was the first to bid us to ask about the health of our spouses before marriage.  Islam also cared about sexual health and promoted a sound relationship between husband and wife.  Islam also reiterates the psychological aspect in the martial relation.  Allah says what can be translated as, “and place forward (good deeds) for yourselves” (TMQ, 2:223).
• Islam promoted marriage at young age.
• It also promoted having children for the sake of mental stability.

Can you see now how magnificent it will be if we put the idea of the health forum into practice?  People will be aware about all the things we talked about and they will turn the Prophet’s words into a reality that will capture the attention of the whole world.

Another good thing about mental health is that it asks people to entertain themselves from time to time.  The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Entertain yourselves one hour after the other.”[24]  It also opened a window of hope for all the sick and diseased, “Allah did not create an ailment except that He created a cure for it.”[25]  We can be always hopeful of finding a cure, so we can keep our scientific research striving in search for cures.  Islam promotes sleeping at night because of the effect it has on the nervous system. Allah says what can be translated as, “He is The One Who has made for you the night to rest in it, and the daytime a beholder.” (TMQ, 10:67).

Fourth: Women’s health

Women are more liable to diseases during pregnancy.  Allah says what can be translated as, “his mother conceived him in feebleness upon feebleness” (TMQ, 31:14).  Because of this Islam ordered men to take care of their women.  Sometimes women gain weight after pregnancy and hence their husbands start treating them differently.

Fifth: Children’s health

“Those who are not merciful to our children are not from us.”[26]  Allah swore by the children.  Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And (I swear) (by) the begetter and what he begot” (TMQ, 90:3).  Islam also commands the mothers to breastfeed their children in one of the long ayat of Surat al-Baqarah.  Allah says what can be translated as, “And (women) giving birth, shall suckle their children two rounds completely, (i.e. two years) for the one who is willing to perfect the suckling.” (TMQ, 2:233).

Everything I said today will be turned into reality by the health forums.  They will talk to people about hygiene and its effect on health.  They will talk to them about the bad habits of eating junk food.   They will talk to them about the dangers of obesity, the importance of working out, the importance of periodical check-ups and the importance of having medical profiles for themselves and their children.  They will remind people about the fact that health is a blessing.

The objective of the health forums:

We have all got used to the term ‘financial balance’ but the balance of health is far more important.  This word was not invented by me; it was said by the Prophet (SAWS) before me.  The health forums will carry this trust from the Prophet (SAWS) and transform this huge prophetic balance into reality.

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