Islam as the religion who brings peace and mercy, is the guidance for for all humankind. The teaching of Islam includes every aspect in our life, from education (see importance of female education in islam), economy, to health.
The comprehensiveness of health in Islam includes the physical one and also the mental one. Health, as well as cleanliness, becomes the fundamental aspect in Islam that every Muslim should uphold. In order to know why health is necessary in Islam, let’s find out some importance of health in Islam and some things we should concern regarding to our health!
- Health is The Blessing from Allah
We might try to maintain our health by consuming good food, exercising, and sleeping well, but to tell the truth, no matter what happens, you can achieve the best state of condition through Allah permission. You may want to read about Effectives Prayer for Parents Health
We should acknowledge that nothing in this world happens except Allah permits it to be so. The ayah below said:
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen; no one knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that is [written] in a clear record.” (Qur’an, 6:59)
2. Qur’an is The Greatest Healer
We should not doubt anymore that Qur’an is the best healer for all woes and illness. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once told that certain ayahs in Qur’an contain spiritual ability to heal our disease. Really, Qur’an is the healing for our body and soul. Read more about How to be Closer to Allah SWT
“And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…” (Qur’an, 17:82)
3. There’s Always a Cure for All Disease
No matter how good you are maintaining your health, with Allah permission, you can be ill in a blink of an eye. Whenever you are ill or having disease, you must stay in istiqamah (steadfastness) and accept the suffering patiently. You may want to read about Quranic Dua for Diseases
Remember, there’s always a cure for all disease in this world, our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once told:
“There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Almighty God.” (Bukhari)
4. Stay Healthy and Be Grateful
We should always be grateful for the life provided to us. We can reflect our gratitude by doing so many things such as staying healthy. We should not harm or injure our bodies consciously because our bodies are the blessing from Allah. Indeed, those who are thankful enough will be blessed with mercy.
“And when your Lord proclaimed, “If you give thanks, I will give you more; but if you are thankless, lo! My punishment is dire.” (Qur’an, 14:7)
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5. Eat Good Food
It’s important for us to eat good food. It is essential to consume wholesome foods which contain lots of vitamin and nutrition. Consuming good food helps you maintain your health and can heal your disease too. Some ayahs below told us:
“Eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth.” (Qur’an, 2:168)
“It is He who sends down water from the sky with which He brings up corn, olives, dates and grapes and other fruit.” (Qur’an, 16:11)
“In cattle too you have a worthy lesson. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, between the undigested food and blood: pure milk, a pleasant beverage for those who drink it.” (Qur’an, l6:66)
“There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought. .” (Qur’an, 16:69)
Besides that, we should know some foods that are forbidden for us and written in the Qur’an. Believe it, the forbidding comes for nothing more than for our own benefits.
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead animals – cattle-beast not slaughtered, blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than God…” (Qur’an, 5:3)
6. Exercise for Health
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) promotes exercise as a healthy lifestyle and a brotherly togetherness. The more energetic ourselves, the more productive we can be. You may want to read about Miraculous Benefits of Exercise in Islam.
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) also involved himself into any sporting activities with his wife, Aisha. It is told in the hadith below:
“I raced with the Prophet and I beat him. Later when I had put on some weight, we raced again and he won. Then he said, ‘this cancels that (referring to the previous race).’” (Bukhari)
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7. Keep The Environment Clean for Our Health
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once warned his people:
“Beware of the three acts that cause you to be cursed: relieving yourselves in shaded places (that people utilize), in a walkway or in a watering place.” (Al-Albani)
It’s important to keep our environment clean for the sake of our health because the unclean environment will give you more harm than good. It will bring you disease and illness.
For example, the harmful effect of garbage can make the water contaminated and occur Hepatitis, Cholera, Dysentery, and Typhoid. Thus, it’s very needed for us to keep the environment clean. Meanwhile, read more about Cleanliness in Islam
8. Staying Healthy for The Day of Resurrection
We need to maintain our health, not only for the sake of ourselves, yet also for the day of resurrection later. Health is one of delights blessed to us by Allah, it’s written in the Qur’an (102:8) that one day we will be asked about that. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once told:
“The first blessing that the slave will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection will be the saying to him, “Have We not made your body healthy and drove away your thirst with cold water?” (At-Tirmidhi)
9. No Better Possession than Good Health
“Ask Allah for Yaqeen (certainty in Belief) and good health, for indeed, no one will have a better possession after certainty of Faith than good health.” (Imam Ahmed)
There’s no better deed after certainty of faith than a good health. The hadith above told us that good health is one of better possession Muslims could achieve. No need to question anymore since maintaining our health will give us more advantages than harm. So, why don’t we start achieving healthy life?
“Ask Allah for forgiveness, Aafiah (well being) and health. Indeed, no one acquires a better possession after certainty of faith than good health.” (Abu Hurayrah)
10. Don’t Forget to Sleep and Perform Prayer
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) always had adequate sleeps, neither too quick nor oversleeping. What our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) did was good, proven by the scientific research that showed the advantages of adequate sleep, such as: maintaining our body weigh and also avoiding us from serious illness like obesity or heart disease.
In addition, performing prayer (see importance of nafl prayer) also helps us in maintaining our health. The moving of our hand and muscles helps increasing our blood flows. Certain position of moving from our elbow to knee to our feet helps us to relax our body. Therefore, it is important for us to perform prayer as another way of simple sporting activity.
Others
Besides those 10 importance of health in Islam that we should highlight, there are some tips that must be beneficial for you to implement below:
- Wash hand before and after having meals
- Take medicine from medical experts whenever you are ill
- Fasting
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid overeating
- Share foods with others
- Maintain our mental health by being sincere and patient (read more importance of sincerity in islam)
- Prioritize our personal hygiene
- Use honey to treat our infections
- Eat slowly and in a moderation
Finally those are the importance of health in Islam. Wish we all always be blessed with mercy and health, and stay awesome as always!