World health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, not merely the absence of disease. Islam also offers its strict followers such a health. Let us understand how it is attained.
Health has two important components- Preventive and Curative. Islam considers both these prime aspects.
Importance given to cleanliness:
Cleanliness, which is considered the corner stone of health, is given utmost importance in Islam. Islam insisted on taking regular bathing, on being clean and tidy, some fourteen centuries back, at a time when no one on earth cared for it. Daily baths, baths on special and ceremonial occasions are all made good deeds in the religion. Also people are encouraged to bathe and to be clean and to wear good dress when going to common places.
It is a must to wash and clean the area well after urination and defecation. The believers are asked to take ablution (washing) of the hands, face, ears, forearms and feet before each payer, that is, five times a day. It is specially rewarding if one wash these parts before each good deeds like before reciting Qur’an, before entering mosque, before you set out for some where and the like. It is evident that we are instructed to wash the commonly exposed parts of the body which may be contaminated with dirt and pollutants.
The dress you wear should cover your body sufficiently so that the body won’t be spoiled with dirt, pathogenic organisms or harmful rays in atmosphere. The dressing should be washed and neatly kept, white is encouraged for men for the simple reason that it is very easy to make out dirt or stains on white clothes in order that we may clean it early and that white reflects sun rays more than any other colour. Men have to work where dirt and sun are likely!
Islam insists on keeping home, premises and environment healthy. The place where people dwell should be kept tidy. The holy Prophet detested all bad smells whether from persons or things. There are instances when Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) sent people out of his masjid due to the mere reason that there was some foul smell with them. Instead Islam insisted on using perfumes, so that others never get disgusted with bad odours and offered fresh breath to all.
The mouth and teeth are given due care in Islam. Believers are instructed to wash mouth and brush teeth before each prayer (five times a day), before and after going to bed, before and after eating. Islam hates people who doesn’t brush teeth and has bad smell of breath. It was only Islam which warned and directed people about all these things at a time when science and medicine were premature in all the ways.
The holy religion also tells its followers to wash and clean. They should use pure water to clean, it should neither be stagnant nor be contaminated; instead they should use only pure water, and if you immerse your body parts in it, it should be sufficient in quantity.
Insisted upon wearing footwear:
Islam asked its followers to wear footwear. The Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) himself showed them the model in this also. This, as we know, is protective in many ways-it reduces the chances of injury to toes and feet, decreased the possibility of skin and soft tissue infections, prevents us from getting many a number of infestations like hook worm infestations, round worm infestations etc.
Instructed regarding eating and drinking:
About the food and drink Islam deals much, as it is very important in leading a healthy life. Believers are taught to wash hands and mouth before eating, to sit and eat calmly and gently and to chew and masticate well before swallowing too. They should drink water, (remember water constitutes 50 to 60% of body water and it is the medium through which the transport of different things in the body occurs and also the very medium in which all the body functions take place) and then the food. People must not eat too much, they should leave some gap in stomach, and it should not be filled fully. This definitely helps in mixing, digestion and absorption of fluids and food items in the gastro intestinal tract. It will reduce the chance of getting diaphragmatic hernia, efflux, oesophagitic, peptic ulcer, obesity and the consequences there of.
Obesity with its attendant hazards like heat disease, hypertension, diabetes, vascular diseases and respiratory problems should never occur to a Muslim generally, if he is taking only adequate diet, if he is working properly and if he is taking fasting in the month of Ramzan and on special days of months and weeks. In short a pious Muslim is unlikely to get fatty or overweight.
Under nutrition and over nutrition problems were solved:
Every one on earth has to get his water to drink and food to eat. Islam clearly says that the person who eats and drinks when his neighbor is starving is not a Muslim. Every thing on earth-in the universe- is God’s, every one in the society has the right to get it. In an Islamic state the judicious distribution system will not result in unavailability of food or drink to anyone. Obligatory and nonobligatory economic and other helps to the poor are given that much importance in Islam. So the world’s number one social and health problem-poverty, unavailability of food and water, scarcity of nutrition etc. would not occur. Thus both under nutrition and over nutrition, problems of both underdeveloped and developed countries, are solved superbly in Islam.
Prohibited harmful food and drinks:
Certain foods and drinks are prohibited for Muslims. The same things are said to be harmful and there by discouraged by health science. Alcoholic drinks had been totally prohibited by Islam. The physical and mental health problems it produces needs not be explained. It affects virtually every organ or part of the body, bringing about so many social problems as well. It makes the alcoholic a burden to the family, society and to himself. The drugs which cause addiction- a growing menace to all countries and societies all over the world – are strictly forbidden to Muslims. Most of the addictive drugs, whether they are smoked sniffed, injected or ingested, are harmful to both physical and mental health. The drug dependants become museum of diseases and creatures of abnormal behaviors so much that not only their health is lost but also they often become a constant threat to others’ peaceful living and health.
Muslims are not allowed to eat pork. Pork is the flesh of a disgusting animal which may harbor a great many of diseases. Among them taeniasis is the commonest. This is affected by eating the pork, especially when it is not properly cooked or the larval stages are not destroyed. The disease which is caused by eating Pork is very difficult to be treated.
Gave warning about transmission of diseases from animals:
Islam prevents its followers from touching or mingling with dogs. Dogs are intermediate for the transmission of many diseases to man. Among the many, the hydatid disease is the most dreadful. Dogs are the commonest creatures on earth through which hydatid disease is transmitted. This is a very troublesome disease which can not be cured by drugs; surgical removal of the cyst or tumour produced by this disease is a must which if broken spreads in the body like any thing, endangering even the patient’s life.
Teachings about childcare:
Islam, the scientific religion ever, insists that parents look after their children properly. The children should be breast fed, preferably up to two years, should be given food and drink in time should be washed and cleaned and also must be trained and brought up properly. By giving instructions in these and in many other related things, Islam gives the best guidelines ever to be given to parents. In shot, children’s total health problems growth, psychological development and social advancements- are all cared for. The purpose is that every child should grow in to the best man. Similarly, when they grow up, children are obliged to look after and nurse their parents.
Gave instruction in prevention of communicable diseases:
The care of the old, disabled and people suffering from different diseases are under the responsibility of any Muslim. The God says them that these all will be questioned later, and they will be punished if found guilty. The care of the practical religion regarding the prevention of disease has no limit. It urges that no one should go to a place where disease like conjunctivitis (red eye), and malaria are seen. By preventing like this the holy Prophet actually emphasized on the importance of the prevention of communicable diseases.
Instructions to prevent sexual diseases:
Sexual contact with anyone other than the spouse is strictly prohibited in Islam. Healthy people and society are aimed at by this. Multiple sexual contacts, with out any limit or moral value, lead only to the development and spread of diseases. That is why Europe and America are in the top list of countries having the maximum number of venereal-sexual disease patients. Syphilis, gonorrhea, LGV, cancroids are some of the sexually transmitted diseases which cause much morbidity and mortality. Now the number one villain among the infective diseases- the unsolved puzzle in medical field-has appeared: AIDS. Of course God had forbidden the unnatural and unlimited sexual relationship other than that with the spouse. But people would not care!! Now, according to the latest information India is heading towards the to prank of countries having maximum number of AIDS patients.
Circumcision became obligatory:
Circumcision has to be done to any Muslim. By removing the foreskin over the glands penis in the younger days, Islam aims a lot. The retractable pouch, if present, will retain urine and dirt which often lead to infections viz balanitis and posthitis, and cancer formation etc. Phimosis and paraphimosis the complications which may take one to surgeon in the middle of night, rarely occurs to Muslims. So also cancer of penis is very scarcely seen in Muslims.
Gave great importance to medicine and medical science:
It is very shameful that even in this highly developed age there are people who think that we should not take treatment. Islam ordered man to treat properly when he becomes ill. The Prophet himself laid a good example of this. He encouraged people to treat and told us to visit and help people who are ill. There are instances when the Prophet himself gave treatment. The religion states that there is no disease with out treatment. By this they are urged to find out the treatment for any disease. This call, along with the call to collect knowledge of any type, gave great momentum to study, research and find out the new things, the new drugs and treatment for any ailment. Realizing the value, Islam gave importance to attaining knowledge and research and due to the quest for discovering the treatment for every disease, many Muslims of the past became great scientists and pioneers in Medicine. Avicenna (Ibn Sina) Rhazes (Abu Bakr Razi), Ibn Nafis are few among the many Muslim great scholars whose names are mentioned and often described in detail in many modern books on history of medicine and science.
A person living in an ideal Islamic society will definitely have mental and social health. Every one will talk truth, will be honest, is helpful to each other, there is no grudge or jealousy, or no rivalry. There is no question of gross inequality in the society, as every one is equal in the eyes of God. A harmonious society with peaceful families constituted by good men and women will be seen. If at all any problem is there, God says to remember him and to pray to him to solve the problems, reminding always that he is both Almighty and Merciful.