Healing Body & Soul:
In this post, we focus on healing body and soul from the Islamic approach. ‘Islam is a complete code of life,’ this is what we have grown up hearing, but if we look around how many Muslims do we find practicing Islam in their lives? Basically, what most Muslims follow or do is the obligatory acts that are related to the worship be it the salah, the fasting, Zakat, or Hajj. Every act is a ritual although each of these rituals has got its benefits for example fasting is obligatory in Islam, and science has enough claims on why Fasting is beneficial for health. likewise, Salah involves your physical limbs, as well as mind thus it is a physical exercise and meditation.
Besides these obligatory rituals, Islam has stipulated many other beneficial things in day-to-day life; from how to sleep, when to sleep, when to wake up how to get up, how to drink water, how much to eat even how to yawn and how to talk and when to talk. Everything is specified in Islam, and we know of all these from the way of prophet Muhammad peace and blessing of ALLAH be upon him, who was sent to not just the mankind but also to the entire creation as the Mercy ie. Rahmatul lilaalaminn.
So why then Muslims do not practice the sunnah and reap the benefits? simply because we do not value what is with us until we lose it, this is how humans are made, You see the grass is greener on the other side.
But the West knows the gems in Islam thus follows the Islamic ways, they have research centers to study the Islam and the sunnah, after which they label it as their findings and publicize and then we the Muslims follow it not knowing this was all given to us 1400 years ago by our creator ALLAH through the Prophet Muhammad. This post is the first in the series of “Healing Body & soul” from the book of the same name written by Amira Ayad. The author has beautifully covered the human components from holistic and Islamic perspective which includes the practices of the prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of ALLAH be upon him) and examples / teachings from the Quran. The book also includes the alterative healing solutions too.
Though the disclaimer of her book is to refer it as a general guideline and not to be taken in place of actual treatment or advice of health practitioners. And neither the author or publisher will be responsible for any loss or any claim from use or misuse of the information presented in this book.
So let’s begin straightaway with “healing body and soul”. The famous hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace & blessings of ALLAH be upon him) says: “I left among you what if you hold on to, you will never go astray, the book of Allah and my Sunnah” ie, if we were to follow only the Quran (book of ALLAH) and the Prophet’s way of life (Sunnah) we will not need anything else to lead a healthy and fulfilling life, because Islam is not just about worship rather it covers all aspects of life. For a Muslim to perform at his best, it is necessary that he is sound in all 4 quadrants of life ie, he should be Physically, Mentally Emotionally, and spiritually sound & active. In short, we must adjust our emotional and spiritual bodies to better perform any task.
Thus, for the well-being of a person in all these 4 quadrants – Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual, Islam has treatments, recommendations, or guidelines for each of these quadrants. For example: regarding physical in the Quran ALLAH makes mentions foods like Honey, Dates besides other foods which have beneficial effects on physical ailments. Also, ALLAH has prohibited PORK & alcohol for their detrimental effects on health.
While for Mental health, for example, Prophet Muhammad may peace and blessing of ALLAH be upon him said the best food for depression is TALBINA.
Islam also emphasizes checking upon our emotions and controlling them; for example, hatred/envy which may result due to the emotion of being deprived. For this Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing f ALLAH be upon him) said to look at those below us, this way our emotions of deprivation will change to that of gratitude. Likewise, in the case of Anger, he told us to shift our position – if standing to sit, or when sitting to lie down and to perform ablution. This has also been encouraged by modern science that shifting your position or changing your posture helps control anger.
While modern science only deals with just the 3 quadrants, Islam has a special emphasis on the 4th one which is the Spiritual part. Because Islam takes human beings as sacred entity ie, a combination of body and soul. In fact, it is the soul inside a body and not the body & soul. Therefore, attaining the purity of the soul must be the goal of every individual.
What is Health? According to holistic healing, a person is considered healthy when there is no sickness/disease and when there is a balance between all 5 bodies. While according to The World Health Organization (WHO) health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing” – and this is exactly what Islamic teachings are all about.
Holistic Islamic Teachings:
From the Prophet’s life, we know he used different remedies including natural and divine for various ailments. The Prophet’s law was that drugs should only be used when needed. The scholar Ibn al-Qayyim recommended spending more time and energy purifying the heart and inner self and preserving health by adopting a moderate, sensible lifestyle, avoiding unhealthy habits, and improving the surrounding environment.
And this is a fact that if the ills & sicknesses of the body, heart, and soul are not treated, one will not get much benefit. And how do we do this?
How do Holistic Islamic healing works?
This is a classic example of any machinery, equipment, gadget, or any item and its operating Manuals. When any of us purchases anything, we get along with it the Manual with the instructions written in it on how to operate and precautions to take while operating, the idea is to avoid any failure or mishaps during its operation and to reap the maximum benefits. If we follow the instructions in the manual, we will be able to use the item to its potential. The same goes with any operating device no matter how simple or complex its operation be, the more beneficial it is for one’s use, the bigger and more detailed will its instruction manual. And it will be sheer foolishness on the manufacturer’s part if he doesn’t provide an operating manual with the device.
When it is this important for inanimate objects, what should be the case with the human beings – who are the sources of every invention on this planet? Therefore, when our creator ALLAH created human beings, it is out of his mercy and great wisdom that he sent to us our instruction Manual to operate ourselves. Over the years, these manuals were sent to people of different nations. Since the time from Adam, to Noah, to Abraham to Moses, to Jesus, and other nations as well – every nation received the manual – their religious scriptures through the prophets of those times.
Over a period, people started making changes to their religious texts after their prophets passed away, this necessitated a new text & prophet to be sent to the misguided people. Thus came the Quran as the end of revelation from God and prophet Muhammad as the seal of the Prophets – May peace and blessing of ALLAH be upon all of them. So God’s book which is the Quran is not just for the Muslims but for everyone and Prophet Muhammad was not sent as the Messenger of ALLAH to just Muslims r human beings but for the entire creation as Rahmah – Mercy.
So what is there in this Quran – the instruction Manual for human beings. If one reads the Quran – In many verses, ALLAH reminds us to follow His way, to learn and adjust our lives according to the rules stipulated in his book.
For example, he says “Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous [to His slaves] All-Aware [of everything])” (Qur’an 67: 14)
So, when we know, we have a creator who is the most merciful and who knows what is best for us, wouldn’t it be foolishness and our own loss if we do not follow what he has instructed us to?
And by following the commandments of our creator – ALLAH, we are not just benefiting ourselves in our physical, mental & emotional domains but also improving ourselves spiritually. Ie, by earning the title of obedient slaves of ALLAH. By this it does not mean you must disown the world and take Saniyas, what it does mean is that every act of your fun, entertainment, and enjoyment (which are within the limits of what ALLAH has prescribed) can be classed/categorized under worship.
Therefore, with faithful intention our cooking, eating, Job, exercise, play and every act will not just be an act of doing or entertainment but counted as worship. And this will change an act from a mechanical ritual to spiritual enlightenment. And when this is attained, inner peace and satisfaction follows.
So how do we attain this? By Merely following the Quran – No, It is difficult for a common man to truly understand and comprehend the meaning of the Quran, therefore ALLAH chooses Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to convey what ALLAH wants from us. As per the narration of Hazrat Ayesha (May ALLAH be pleased with her) – the wife of Prophet Muhamamd (peace be upon him), the Prophet’s character was the Noble Quran.
Qatadah reported: I said to Aisha, “O mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him).” Aisha said, “Have you not read the Quran?” I said, “Of course.” Aisha said, “Verily, the character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran.” Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 746
So, what do we understand from this? To perfect ourselves and to follow the teaching of ALLAH to live to the best of our abilities, the correct approach will be to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Like ALLAH said in the Quran (33:21)
” Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah [Muhammad] you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in [the Meeting with] Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much”
As prophet Muhammad is the seal of the prophets – the last in the list of prophets, from his life & lifestyle, we get to learn all aspects of life be it at individual or social level. Following his lifestyle, sets a perfect example for us on how to live a peaceful prosperous, and productive life.
His life covers all aspects of life, by all we literally mean all. From what to drink, what to eat, how to greet & meet someone, how to enter someone’s home, how to deal in a family – with parents, siblings, children, spouse, social etiquette, etc. Therefore, in him, we find an excellent example, Guide & Mentor to lead a meaningful life.
This series of healing body & soul has a total of 6 posts, this being the first, remaining five (5) cover the five human bodies and are as follows:
1 Physical Body
2 Biochemical Body
3 Intellectual Body
4 Emotional Body
5 Spiritual Body
Primarily there are four only, Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual, however, one is split into two, thus the Biochemical Body.
During the course of this series, you will realize that all these 5 bodies are interconnected and well being of one is dependent on the well-being of the remaining four. (4) therefore a happy & healthy life entails a balance between all these five bodies.
