Physical and Mental Health

Part 1: Physical health

Health – a great blessing

Hadith (Tirmidhi) – meaning: "Whoever wakes up in the morning healthy in body, safe in his home, and with food for that day, it is as if he has been given the whole world with everything in it."

• The Prophet ﷺ prayed for health every day:

  (meaning) "O Allah! Grant health to my body, and to my sight and hearing." (Abu Dawud)

• (Muslim) – meaning: "The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer."

Why does a Muslim need health?

• Physical health is needed to carry out the basic acts of worship, social service and work.
• The Companions made themselves strong, living as "horsemen by day and devout worshippers by night".
• The Prophet ﷺ (meaning): "Take advantage of five things before five things" – one of them: take advantage of health before sickness.
• A healthy heart can be found only in a healthy body.

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Way 1: Eating habits

• Moderation in food; avoid overeating and food that does not suit the body.

Hadith (Tirmidhi) – meaning: "A person fills no vessel worse than his stomach. If he must eat, then one third for food, one third for drink and one third for air."

'Umar's (RA) explanation (Kanz al-'Ummal)

• I warn you against filling your stomachs with food and drink.
• Eating until full ruins the body, causes disease and brings laziness in prayer.
• Moderation keeps the body sound and avoids waste.
• Allah dislikes bloated bodies.
• A person who chooses his desires over his religion will be ruined.

Things to avoid

• Smoking and drug use – must be avoided completely; they are not only haram, they also destroy health and well-being.
• Becoming addicted to energy drinks.
• Even permitted drinks such as coffee and tea harm health if taken in excess.

Way 2: Exercise

• Keeping the body in good shape is also 'ibadah.
• Benefits: strong and healthy organs; stronger immunity; protection from germs; energetic movement.
• Islam encourages it: "Teach your children swimming, archery and horse riding."
• Exercise should take into account age, weight and disability.

Way 3: Cleanliness

• Cleanliness not only of body and clothes, but also of food, home, workplace and things we use.

Hadith (Bukhari) – meaning: "Even if you are not in a state requiring ghusl, take a bath on Friday, wash your head and apply perfume."

• Making the body smell pleasant with pure perfumes is praiseworthy.

Way 4: Rest

• A tired body cannot work energetically; rest removes weariness, fatigue and exhaustion and brings freshness.

(28:73) – meaning: Out of His mercy He made night and day for you – so that you may rest at night, seek His bounty by day, and be grateful.

Hadith (Bukhari) – meaning: "There are two blessings that many people neglect: health and free time (rest)."

Memory tip – 4 ways to physical health: Food – Exercise – Cleanliness – Rest.

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Part 2: Health of the heart (mental health)

Priority to the heart

• Islam asks us to give priority to the heart just as to the body.
• Allah accepts the deeds of the body only when the heart is free from stains.

(Bukhari, Muslim) – meaning: "Allah does not look at your bodies or your forms; He looks at your hearts and your deeds."

• In Islam, good deeds of the heart carry more reward than good deeds of the limbs.
• Sins of the heart are more serious than sins of the limbs.

Adam (AS) vs Iblis

• A person realises a sin of the limbs at once; the chance of realising a sin of the heart is small.
• (91:9–10) – meaning: Whoever purifies the soul succeeds; whoever buries it in sins fails.

The heart drives the body

(Bukhari) – meaning: "There is a piece of flesh in the body. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. That is the heart."

• The medical world accepts that when the mind is affected, the body becomes ill.
• People look at the body; Allah looks at the heart.
• The heart is something special to human beings; only the heart has the power to know God.

Causes of diseases of the heart

Diseases of the heart that result

Pride, envy, looking down on others, being drawn to scheming and fraud, selfishness. → Such people have no brightness in their faces, no contentment in life, and are always confused.

Ways to nourish the heart

• Always remembering Allah
• Dhikr, du'a, istighfar
• Spending at least a little time alone in munajat (intimate conversation) with Allah
• Reflecting on creation
• Night worship
• Increasing sunnah prayers
• Voluntary (nafl) fasts
• Giving charity

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Quick revision

• A healthy body + a safe home + food for the day = as if given the whole world (Tirmidhi).
• The strong believer is better (Muslim); the Companions – horsemen by day, worshippers by night.
• Food: ⅓ food, ⅓ water, ⅓ air (Tirmidhi); 'Umar (RA) – Kanz al-'Ummal.
• Exercise: swimming, archery, horse riding.
• Cleanliness: the Friday bath, perfume (Bukhari).
• Rest: 28:73; 2 neglected blessings – health and free time (Bukhari).
• Health of the heart comes first; Adam (sin of the limbs – forgiven) vs Iblis (sin of the heart – cursed).
• Nourishing the heart: dhikr, du'a, istighfar, munajat, reflection, night worship, nafl fasts, charity.