By Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyah
Good health is one of the best bounties that Allah bestows on mankind and in addition one of His best rewards. In fact, good heath is the best earthly bounty of all, and those who have been bestowed with sound comprehension should strive to preserve their health and protect it against what might oppose or alter it.
Bukhari narrated in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Two bounties regarding which many people cheat themselves are health and free time.”
Further, At-Tirmithi narrated that Abdullah bin Mihsan AI-Ansari said, The Messenger of Allah said: “He who reaches the morning while healthy in his body, safe in his residence and having day’s sustenance, will be as if the entire life of this world was granted to him.”
In addition, Imam Ahmad narrated that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said, I heard the Messenger of Allah saying:”Ask Allah for certainty and good health, for indeed, no one will have a better possession after certainty of Faith than good health.”
If this is how significant health is, we should then mention and study the Prophet’s guidance on preserving health and wellbeing, for we will come to realize that his guidance is the most perfect in this regard.
With the Prophet’s guidance, one attains health of his body and heart and In addition their very existence, both in this world and in the Next Life. Allah is sought for all types of help, and our dependence is on Him, and there is neither power nor strength except from Him.
Eating habits
Allah said: “And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance…”
Allah directs the slaves to consume what helps the body of food and drink and to replace lost energy. The amount of food and drink that should be consumed should not exceed what the body has lost plus what the body needs to function properly.
Excess food will be an extravagance that brings about ailments and will not preserve the health, and such is the case when one eats excessively or does not consume sufficient amounts.
Therefore, the few words that Allah stated hold the key to staying healthy. There is no doubt that the body is always going through the process of decomposing and producing waste. The more the decomposition occurs, the less the heat will be effective, since decomposition feeds on moistures (which in tum feeds the inner heat).
Preserving good health depends on eating and drinking sensibly and on utilizing one’s clothes, place of residence, the air, sleep, being awake, mobility, idleness, sex, extracting the excess material of the body and keeping whatever is necessary and important in the best form and shape.
When all these aspects are satisfied in the manner that is suitable for the body, the area, age and custom, the person is more likely to have good health and wellbeing until it is his time to die.
The Prophet did not restrict himself to eating one type of food. This would be harmful to one’s nature. In addition, the body could face weakness and even death if one consumed only one type of food.
When someone is used to only one type of food his body does not accept any other type. Restricting the diet to only to one type of food, even if it is the best type, is harmful and dangerous.
The Prophet used to eat what his people used to eat in their regular diet, such as meat, fruits, bread, dates, and other types of food that we mentioned.
When the Prophet would not like a food, he would simply refrain from eating it and would not force himself to have it. This is a great aspect of preserving the health. When one eats what he does not have an appetite for, the food’s harm will overweigh its benefit.
Abu Hurayrah said, “The Messenger of Allah never criticized a food. If he had an appetite for it, he ate it. Otherwise, he did not eat from it,” When the Prophet was presented with lizard meat (Dhabb) he did not eat from it. He was asked, “Is it disallowed?” He said: “No; But, this food is not among the foods that my people used to eat, and I do not have an appetite for it.”
The method the Prophet observed in this regard satisfies three basic rules regarding food, which are, the food being beneficial and helpful to the nature, being light on the stomach and not heavy, and being quickly digested. This is the best type of food to consume and consequently, eating a small part of this food is better than consuming a large amount of the other types of food.
Fruits
The Prophet used to eat from the fruits that were in season in his land, as this is one of the best methods of preserving health, Allah’s wisdom decided that every land has its own fruits that are suitable and beneficial to that land when in season.
When the people consume these fruits they will help preserve their health and wellbeing and it serves as several medicines. On the other hand, those who refrain from eating the fruits of their area will be among the most ailing persons and the furthest from good health and wellbeing.
The wetness that various fruits contain represents the favourable heat of the season and the land. The stomach would then be able to bring the fruits to maturity and would fend off their harm, if one does not eat them excessively causing his nature to bear what it cannot bear.
In addition, one should not spoil the food that his stomach is digesting by eating fruits, nor drink water with it. Fruits should be eaten only after the food in the stomach is digested to prevent constipation.
Those who consume fruits in the proper manner, in the proper time and in the proper conditions, the fruits act as a cure and a remedy for them.
Source: Book: Prophetic Medicine by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyah.
