Notes:
-The information here is based on my general understanding of the issue. Every individual might need specific advice based on his or her particular requirements. It is best to consult experts for personal advice.
- This is not a guideline on health, it is simply things that caught my attention regarding the relationship between religion and what I believe might be seen as healthy practices or a positive style of daily life.
Introduction
I don't recall where or when did I read a brief note on a sort of a general prescription for a "good" life. I don't even recall who said it, or of which religious background he was, or even if he was religious or not.
There are four aspects of a "good" life:
- Tranquility / Inner Peace
- Minimal Food and Drinks / Regular Fasting
- Avoiding Negative Things:
Harmful (or unfavorable to health) food and drinks
Negative feelings
Negative behavior
Negative thoughts
- Adopt / Acquire Positive Things:
Food and Drinks
Behaviors
Feelings and Thoughts
Sounds reasonable and maybe even naturally instinctive. I think the note was interesting, and maybe that's why it stuck in my mind.
I feel that there is an interesting sort of a reciprocation between a deep spiritual religious mindset and a Healthy life style. Signs can easily be found in the literature of different Religions.
So, why would Religion have any thing to do with a Healthy life style?
The Quran says [16:97] : "Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions."
Yusuf Ali's comment: "Faith, if sincere, means right conduct. When these two confirm each other, God's grace transforms our life. Instead of being troubled and worried, we have peace and contentment; instead of being assailed at every turn by false alarms and the assaults of evil, we enjoy calm and attain purity. The transformation is visible in this life itself, but the "reward" in terms of the Hereafter will be far beyond our deserts."
As I understand, the Essence of Religion is to know God. And it is clear that the Path to know God has guidelines that include improving human behavior, moral values, inner tranquility, adopting beneficial and positive social and personal habits and eschewing negative manners and habits. So, as far as I can tell, anyone who sees the above as positive and good to follow is leaning toward the Path to know God, whether he or she focuses on the Essence of Religion or not, and anyone who misses or is distracted from or not interested in any of the above is leaning away from the Path to know God, whether he or she is interested in Religion or not.
1- Tranquility
- Since ancient times, Non-Believers have been wondering : When looking at believers, why there is no "Sign" to see? The Quran says [13:27-29] "He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence, those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God: for without doubt in the remembrance of God do hearts find satisfaction. For those who believe and work righteousness is (every) blessedness, and a beautiful place of (final) return."
Yusuf Ali's comment: "The Sign or Miracle is not something external: it is something internal, something in your mind, heart, and soul. It depends on your inner spiritual experience. If you turn to God, that light, that experience, will come. If you do not, God will not force you. "Blessedness" (Tuba): an internal state of satisfaction, an inward joy which is difficult to describe in words, but which reflects itself in the life of the good man"
- The Quran mentions [70:21-22] "those devoted to Prayer; those who remain steadfast to their prayer".
Yusuf Ali's Comment: "Devotion to prayer does not mean merely a certain number of formal rites or prostrations. It means a complete surrender of one's being to God. This means an earnest approach to and realisation of God's Presence."
- Surat Al-Mu-minun (The Blievers) starts with qualities of Believers and the second verse says [23:2] "Those who humble themselves in their prayers". Yusuf Ali translated the word الخاشعون as those who are humble, but as I understand, the Arabic word actually can hold more meanings. Ibn Ajeeba (in his Tafseer: Al-Bahr Al-Madeed) explains the word as being in a state when the Heart (Essence) is submitting to God and the outer body is totally calm and settled.
- It is notable in the "Arkan" or Essential requirements of a proper Islamic Prayer, that Composure and Tranquility "الطمأنينة والخشوع" are expected in the praying person.
For instance, Composure is one of the Arkan of every single Rak'aa of every prayer in the Shafi'e Mazhab. And, there are at least seventeen Rak'aas in every day.
Imam Al-Ghazali in the Ehyaa (in the second section of the first book, titled "Secrets of Prayer") explains in detail why "الخشوع" (composure and tranquility) are essential in a daily Prayer. It is all about seeking, realizing, and maintaining one's relationship with God; to understand, know and experience the Presence of God. It is about a fine level of "Remembrance of God", when a believer's heart finds the ultimate peace.
Basically, for the ordinary believer, the guidelines for Prayer encourage one to experience and realize that inner tranquility is a vital aspect of directing one's Face (heart/essence) toward God when praying.
I guess such repetitiveness of daily requirement of feeling / experiencing composure and tranquility, could have a visible sign on those who understand and practice a "Proper" prayer.
It appears to be something common, that a sense of peace or relief from anxieties can be unmistakably seen in faces of people after visiting places of worship or after prayers or meditations, across religious boundaries. Maybe it becomes something normal and natural for some percentage of religious people.
- This base of inner tranquility, once gained and maintained, is not just a sign of spiritual progress on the Path to know God, it also has its physical side when facing worldly life. (Details can be found in the section titled "Life's Problems as Tests", especially paragraphs 5 and 6 in that section, on this Page.)
- When I was a teenager and started paying attention to what religious scholars were saying, overall calmness, the tone (comforting voice) and the shape of bodies (thin and fit) were things that drew my attention and focus. Scholars with such qualities, I would instinctively prefer to listen to. It might have been superficial of me to think so, but, maybe such scholars appeared as living examples of what I understood about religious guidelines.
- Stress and tension are often mentioned as contributing to some health problems. Maybe experiencing deep Tranquility can help alleviate or at least lessen such problems. It is also quite notable that deep relaxation is pivotal in the rich oriental health practices like those found in the Yoga and Qigong disciplines.
- Emphasis on Inner Tranquility is clear in Religion. It appears to be like an important key on the path to know God, or a sign of spiritual closeness to the presence of God.
- From what I have read, this kind of deep inner tranquility can be felt as just briefly experienced glimpses, or for longer periods but still temporary, it comes and goes, or sort of a constant and a settled part of a normal and natural set of personal traits.
- Even if it is not totally clear what is its nature, it is no secret that every one appreciates inner tranquility, sometimes even a little bit of it is greatly appreciated. Everyone wants it, but it seems that many do not know why. It appears that to many, it might be seen as an end in itself; part of a "good" life. Which is recognized and acknowledged, but it is not just that for a deeply religious person. Tranquility is like a start, an aspect of the Path, something that just happens, effortlessly as it appears in some cases, as one simply advances on the Path to know God.
Maybe the clear and strong urge to look for and experience tranquility has a deeper cause buried in the subconscious part of man : A natural and instinctive need to know God. Something that religions have acknowledged since ancient times, and have prescriptions, approaches and rites for reaching that ultimate goal.
- There is usually a certain feature that distinguishes each major Tafseer book. Like it is depth of Kalam and philosophical arguments that distinguishes Imam Al-Razi's Tafseer. Imam Al-Baidawi's Tafseer is usually noted for its depth in linguistic aspects of the Quran. In the beginning of the book, when he talks about the Basmalah, he considers the root verb from which the Arabic name "الله" Allah might be derived from. One interesting point he mentioned was that the root verb "أَلِهَ" Aliha that denotes a strong and deep yearning toward something, could be a possible one. He tries to give a simplified example of the situation of a newborn calf when its mother leaves it and goes to find food, and how the baby eagerly and untiringly looks around for her, and the kind of satisfaction it finds when it joins the mother.
2- Fasting
In recent years, different manners of Fasting have been gaining popularity as a way to help reduce several health problems.
Regardless of particular locations on Earth, our ancestors did not have the relatively huge options of food and drinks that are available these days. I think it can be said that they ate less food and less frequently per day. Yet, for numerous generations, and in many different communities, they used to fast, in one way or another. So, as I understand, Fasting is basically not a way to regulate food consumption habits, but a form of a general and ancient spiritual behavior; part of the guidelines on the Path to know God.
Quran [2:183] "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you- that you may become pious".
Quran [2:184] "And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew".
Fasting has a valuable spiritual goal, and that is why the special care and attention it has been and is still receiving from religious people around the world.
There is a general understanding these days about the health benefits of Fasting. Maybe, more benefits will appear.
3- Moderate Consumption And Consciousness about Existence
For a religious person, just because something is available or possible it does not mean not to be diligent or consciously careful about how to deal with it.
Calmness, Moderation and Control are assumed in one's behavior as one lives his or her life in this world.
Food and drinks are prime examples often mentioned by scholars as areas where a religious person is advised to be careful and seek to be moderate. Eating only when one is hungry and to stop eating before reaching full satisfaction, can be found as a general guideline. In fact, I recall Imam Al-Siyooti having a similar expression with regards to a marital relationship too.
Being clam and gentle is important on the Path. It starts with oneself, taking care of one's own being, in all matters including food and drinks and other habits. Then with close ones, community, humanity and the whole world.
It is noticeable that different communities have traditional 'manners' for many things including with regards to food and drinks. It probably shows that eating food was never just a way to fill a stomach, rather a part of whole life style that relates to what is further than just the physical activity of consuming food.
Dealing with various matters in this world is natural. Yet, the ability to 'see' what is beyond is needed. The point that seems to be important for treading the Path, is that excessive indulgence can hinder 'sight'.
The need to realize and maintain a Balanced view of Existence constantly appears throughout religious guidelines set on the Path to know God.
4- Purify / Cleanse : Ditch or Avoid The Negative
5- "Dress up" with / Adopt / Acquire The Positive
If I understand the subject correctly, paying attention to the spiritual aspect of oneself and Existence comes first, in order of logical priorities, even if the inner and outer aspects move together. I don't know how else to put it adequately, its just what I can tell.
So, for total well-being, first, attention and awareness need to be with regards to improvement of the inner aspect, by avoiding the negative feelings, thoughts, manners, behaviors and adopting/developing positive feelings, thoughts, manners, behaviors. As it appears, a tranquil, sort of 'settled' and 'centered' inner aspect, is an important base for total well-being.
Being away from well-being is sort of being off balance. A point of a "Balanced" situation might be relative and there might be many points of balance for an individual reflecting improvements in total well-being.
To gain or regain a point of balance, Men, through very long experiences in different environments and climates, have 'found' many approaches to physical cures or diet plans or exercise routines that might suit different health situations. However, with regards to well-being, believe it or not, this stage is the last thing to consider. Maybe it is logical, because maybe this stage, sort of becomes clearer for a particular case, having sufficiently covered the above.
As for diets, healing procedures, cures and exercises, it seems like there are far more possible combinations and prescriptions than there are living creatures.
- Note on type of Diets in Islam.
As far as I have noticed, some Sufis, especially when they select a seclusion period (خلوة) may leave consuming meat and follow a vegetarian and in some cases even a strict vegan diet, but only for the duration of the seclusion. I recall reading an explanation for why they do that, but do not recall the details at the moment.
There are some pieces of information that might have a link to this behavior, but I am not sure: * In Jurisprudence (Fiqh) it is known for example that an adult human's urine is impure and touching it cancels one's purity (after ablution; after Wadu or Gusl), while touching a lamb's urine does not. An adult human is typically consuming meat, while a lamb is a grass eating animal. * Another thing, any carnivore animal or bird is strictly not allowed to be eaten, because it is considered impure. While grass and grain eating animals and birds are allowed.
Anyway, as I understand, in Islam Meat is actually considered a sort of a premium food. One of the two major yearly Islamic festivities (Eid Al-Adha عيد الأضحى) involves distributing meat to relatives, neighbors and friends and also to the poor. It is also a Sunnah (a highly recommended tradition) to offer meat based dishes when there is a marriage (the invitation is called Walimah وليمة) and also when there is a newborn baby (the invitation is called Aqiqah عقيقة) or when welcoming distinguished guests.
In the story of Abel and Cain it is mentioned that as an offer (for charity, as I understand), Abel offered a lamb and Cain offered some grains. Abel's offer was accepted and Cain's offer was not.
In the story of Prophet Moses peace be upon him and his followers, while they were in Sinai their main food was Mann (a kind of honey) and Salwa a kind of bird. And when some of them asked the prophet for some vegetables the answer was :[2:61] "Will ye exchange the better for the worse? Go ye down to any town, and ye shall find what ye want"
Several times in the Quran it was mentioned that Prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him immediately prepared and offered meat when the Angels visited him (before knowing that they were angels, beings of Light, who do not consume food). It seems to be a revered Semitic tradition when welcoming distinguished guests that can still be noticed today in Arabic culture.
This particular subject about types of diets in Islam probably deserves a better investigation.
6- Does the Part About Physical Well-Being need to be "Overemphasized" ?
All the talk so far might be described as being mainly about the spiritual aspect of well-being. What about the physical aspect, why it may look like sort of underemphasized?
What I understand, and as has been mentioned repeatedly on this site, the balanced view is not about giving any relevant piece of information less attention than it deserves.
- When there is a snake or any kind of animal, maybe dealing with it should start with carefully watching its head and not its tail. The head leads and the tail follows, instinctively, automatically, and sort of predictably.
Maybe having a reasonable understanding with regards to the spiritual aspect of existence, can help in a better understanding, for instance with regards to an animal, from its head to its toes, or tail. The same goes for what things are utilized for a cure like plants, herbs, minerals, exercise movements, etc.
- The ancient literature about Human Health and Treatment is extensive. I have only seen a small part, just browsing, and a point that caught my attention in some traditional Arabic books on "Physical Health", is that, usually, they start with Metaphysics. Call it basic "Assumptions" or "Beliefs" or whatever they might be called: Addressing physical human health starts with addressing the nonphysical aspect of existence.
As I understand that view, the seed is planted there, and the tree sort of starts 'life' there, in the spiritual aspect, and only part of the tree and the fruits appear as a physical aspect.
Given such a point of view, it might be natural then, to see why they might have considered that the Cure starts from having a better perspective about the whole situation, spiritually and physically, and addressing things in order of priority.
If a problem starts from the spiritual aspect, is it logical to expect a 'cure' to start from there too? The Quran says [13:11] "Verily never will God change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)." Could it be that the Inner (spiritual) change always precedes the change in Outer (physical) conditions?
- The Arabic word حكيم (Hakim: A Wise person) used to be the traditional name for a Physician in many Islamic communities. Wisdom is about the balanced view that of course considers rationality and the physical view, but it does not stop there. Wisdom is about the broadest possible view available to Man. It appears that someone with the responsibility to offer a medical treatment to people was expected to be a Wise person first and foremost.
- If I understand correctly, Curing and Healing used to be considered a selfless and a noble service offered to anyone who might need it. The reason is that it was part of the efforts to enhance one's chances for advancement on the Path to know God, more than anything else. Trying to help other human beings and generally being good in this life are things that religion clearly encourages. It starts with very simple things like trying not to break anyone's heart, especially people who are weaker and in need of help and care in a community. Such deeds help purify the heart and clarify inner sight, things that are essential for advancement on the Path to know God.
It appears that modern day NGOs and Endowments offering much needed medical help come closer to the ancient way of offering help.
- Traditional Arab healers have always been deeply religious. Of course they used physical tools and prescribed physical diet routines and advised about physical minerals and herbs to address a physical health situation, but one does not stop reciting Zikr (religious phrases and words), as he 'appears' to be naturally and physically addressing a physical health situation.
- It appears that a purely spiritual healing/curing incident without any physical means/herbs/diets, etc. can be found in historical stories from different communities around the world. There are plenty of stories about this in Islamic history too. In the article on Al-Ghazali's Aqeedah (the section about Cause and Effect), as well as several other places on this site, a background can be found that probably explains this.
It is basically regarding the Customary View of existence (based on normal عادية causes and effects and that mainly involves the rational and the physical view of existence) vs. "Miracles" that may not have a clearly rational explanation with clearly physical causes or even any physical traces of how it happened.
As I understand, it is not something normal and it is a rare event, but no shortage of historical stories around the globe.
So, I guess that means there are three ways for healing and curing: (a) a purely physical approach; rationality, theories, tests, causes and effects. (b) the first approach plus a natural background about the spiritual aspect of existence. (c) a purely spiritual approach; a prayer for example.
- As far as I can tell, regarding a view such as in this section, I wouldn't be surprised if I heard some of the legendary ancient physicians describing it as elementary.
Man can and indeed should develop the physical aspect of dealing with health situations, but Nature has its structure and rules, regardless of how much anyone understands about it. Needless to say, the better one understands things as they are, the better prepared one might be to face various situations.
