Islamic Articles, - The Human Dignity and the Spiritual Healing of the Heart

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The Holy Quran mentions “We have honored the progeny of Adam” (17:70). God did so, first by “making him the best of creation” (95:4) and then blowing into him His own spirit (Quran;15:29) Adam was created from clay. What is common between clay and Adam? Both more or less share the same chemicals such as the minerals sodium, potassium, carbon and water, but in different proportions. At a certain stage in the intrauterine life of the fetus, angels blow the spirit of God into the soul thus giving life. The soul and body remain united in intrauterine life and after birth for the life span of the human body. Death is the separation of soul and body. The body goes under the ground or is cremated while the soul remains in suspension until the Day of Judgment when they are united again and the eternal abode is decided according to how they lived in this life. The Urdu poets have described it well. “What is life? It is the coming together of basic elements. What is death? It is their dispersion”. Thus, when we look into our own bodies, we solve the mysteries of life. 1) How blood circulates and nourishes different organs. 2) How bones hold their structure. 3) How nerves provide electrical wiring. 4) How the brain receives messages and gives orders. 5) How organs obey. 6) How the heart, the seed of wisdom, decides right from wrong. 7) The hormones which give us vitality.
What was the honor that was given to Adam and his progeny that was different from the other creations? It is the concept of free will given to no other creation except Man and the Jinn and the freedom to believe in God or not to believe in Him. The Quran (41:11) says “When We asked the skies to come together willingly or unwillingly, they said; we come together in willing obedience.” In another place (55:33) it says “O you company of men and Jinn, feel free to leave the boundaries of the skies (orbit) but you cannot do so without the power (anti-gravity force) or by the permission of God”. Thus, knowledge was given to man and when the angels were asked to bow down to Adam, all did except Iblis who was arrogant and thought that he was made from superior material-fire, than Adam, who was made from clay. Thus, he concluded he did not need to bow down to Adam. He did not realize who the giver of knowledge was. Allah taught Adam the names of material objects and then the angels were asked to name them. They did not, saying “we have no knowledge except what was given to us”. Adam was able to name all of those materials. We humans must not forget the honor of being given knowledge and must submit to the true owner of knowledge. Human dignity lies in knowing our place in creation. The purpose of creation, the purpose of life and knowing that without God’s support we are nothing. The story of Sheikh Imam Qadir Jeelani, a great Sufi mystic of all the time exemplifies this point. One night, a man dressed in white appeared at his door. Once the Imam opened the door, he asked who the stranger was. The man replied, “I am Gabriel the angel. I have been sent by God to tell you that he is pleased with your piety and meditation and therefore, He has conveyed to you that there is no need for you to pray (salaat-namaz) anymore.” The Imam immediately recognized that this was Satan in human form, as no Muslim including the Prophet has been given exemption from formal prayer. He said to the man, “there is no power except the power of God”. The man’s cloak caught on fire and he ran. While he was running he was crying “O, Abdul Qadir! Your knowledge has saved you today”. Imam Jeelani replied “it is God who has saved me today and not my knowledge”.
We fulfill human dignity by carrying out the task of taking care of fellow humans and become a mercy to mankind as the prophet was assigned. We take care of those in need, irrespective of their faith, gender, color, age, disability, political affiliation, wealth or lack of it. This is the right thing to do. Jesus (peace be upon him), taught us “to love thy neighbor”, but the question is who is the neighbor? Is he the one who is your relative, the one who speaks your language, the one who looks like you or the one who lives next door? The answer is: all of the above plus more. All creations of God are our neighbors and we care for them as we care for ourselves. The prophet said “when you make soup at home, the smell of it may go to your neighbor and they may come to your house to share it with you. Thus, you must make enough that you can share with them. “He also said “he who goes to bed with a full stomach while his neighbor sleeps with an empty stomach is not a true believer”. Once a man came to the prophet’s house and asked for some food. There was no food in his house, so he sent him to another companion’s house. That companion only had enough food for one person and lived with his wife and several children. It was night time, therefore the food was served and the companion put out the candle so it was total darkness. He put the plate in front of the guest and asked him to eat. The host and his wife pretended that they were eating and the children went to sleep without food. The next day, the prophet who knew this, called this companion and gave him the news of being accepted into heaven. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, said, “If we love ourselves only, what have we achieved? When we love our enemies, we will be like the merciful God in heaven”. God provides for even those who do not acknowledge His existence”.
Thus, human dignity requires “becoming humane” and not becoming “the lowest of the low”. We become the lowest of the low when we reject faith in God. “Those who reject faith, whether they are followers of the book or idolaters, are the worst of creation and will be in hell fire” (98:6). When we reject faith in God, we stop caring for fellow humans and our environment. Like the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), we should have a society for prevention of cruelty to humans. We become inhumane when we oppress each other, engage in unjust war, torture, enslavement and do not fight poverty and homelessness. If we want to raise human dignity, we must practice and teach our children, especially youth, the value of all life and the value of love and love for all. As Dr. Martin Luther King put it, “injustice to one is injustice to all” and “violence against one is violence against all.”
What about the spiritual healing of the heart? Before we talk about healing, we must accept that there is a disease that needs to be healed. The Quran says that “there is a disease in their heart and God has increased that disease” (2:7-10). What is the disease of the heart? Most translators call it hypocrisy and rejection of faith. Why would God seal their hearts like canned food, air tight so that nothing good (guidance) can enter into their heart? This can of unbelieving heart is filled with satanic traits like greed, love of money, materialism, egocentrism. The physical manifestation of such heart diseases could be the lack of peace with one’s self and his or her surrounding, with stress leading to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis , diabetes etc, which may originate in our lifestyle .
Spiritual healing of the heart lies in contentment, peace with God , peace with self and service to those in need, including yourself, your colleagues, your neighbors, your family, your community and your country. The social implication of this disease of the heart is that we hold on to our money and do not give any charity, we do not feed the hungry, we do not clothe the naked, we do not provide shelter for the poor, we do not visit the sick and we do not uplift fallen neighbors. We become egocentric and care only for ourselves, we do not recognize God in those in need, but we worship ourselves and become our own God. A similar story is mentioned in the Bible (Mathew 24; 35-40) and hadith qudsi that God will say to someone “I was hungry and you did not feed me”. The man will say “How could this be possible? You are God and you don’t feel hunger.” God will say that such and such person came to you, was hungry and had you fed him you would have found Me in him. Then God will say “I was sick and you did not visit Me”. The man will say, “How can You be sick my God?” God will say, had you visited such and such person who was sick, you would have found Me in him”. Such stories remind us that we do not have to look up to the sky to find God but God is with us and around us. All we need to do is open our eyes and hearts to those in need.
The service to those in need above our own need is the hall mark of human dignity. During the battle of Badr, three injured and bleeding Muslims were spotted by a nurse. She approached one of them with water; he said ‘take this to my friend who has bled more than me”. She took the water to him who also refused and directed her to the third one. When she reached him, he was already dead. She came back to second one, he was dead too. She then went to the first one who was also dead by this time. All three while near death had continued to care for someone else. Prophet Mohammad once said “He is not one of us” and he repeated three times. Companions asked, “Who is not one of us?”. He said “the one who does not care for his community”. We have seen in our life time the examples of the Late Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Abdul Sattar Edhi of Pakistan who served the “poorest of the poor”. The need of our time is for Sufis to come of their seclusion and intellectual enclave (khaneqah) to become street Sufis. I end with a couplet of Indian poet Late Rabindra Nath Tagore who received the Noble Prize for his book “Songs of Tears”. “I slept and dreamt that life was a joy, I woke and found that life was a service, I acted and behold! The service was a joy”.

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PUBLISHER Najimudeen M

Islamic Articles, - Health and Islamic Philosophy, -

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Islam considers health as a basic human right. “Your body has a right over you”, mentioned in one of the hadith (saying) of Prophet Muhammad. Health is a state of total physical, mental and social well-being in order to maintain the quality of life that we can enjoy at our best performance. A Muslim’s quest for good health is in conformity with his salvation in the life hereafter, as much as for the enjoyment of life in this world. For a Muslim, health consciousness is God consciousness. Quran is explicit in this matter and states:
O you who believe, be God conscious and let every soul look toward it send for the life hereafter, and observe your duty to God, so God is informed of what you do. Be not like those who forgot God and therefore He caused them to forget themselves. Such are the wrongdoers. (Chapter 63, verses 18-19).
We forget ourselves not only by forgetting the reality of the life hereafter, but also by forgetting our duties here, including responsibilities regarding our own bodies which have been given to us as a trust. We will be questioned if we do not keep the trust. Knowledge of health and disease is not just for physicians and those involved in health care, but for every one of us since we live in our own bodies and feel the pain when the body suffers.
Thus, we will be directly affected if we are not able to maintain the machine that we live in. If we clog up our arteries with excessive salt, sugar, fat and lack of exercise and develop diabetes and coronary artery disease or high blood pressure as a result, we cannot call this the will of God as it is not the will of God for us to do so. Good health is a gift from God, and illness sometimes is from our own actions. Quran says, “Everything good that happens to you is from God. Everything bad that happens to you is from your own actions.” (Chapter 4, verse 79).
Quran is not a textbook of medicine but in it, there are guidelines that if practiced correctly will give the healing that it calls itself. God says in Quran, “We have sent down in the Quran that which is healing and a mercy to those who believe.” (Chapter 17, verse 82). In addition, God says, “O mankind! there has come unto to you a direction from your Lord and healing for the diseases in your hearts,-- and for those who believe, a Guidance and a Mercy.” (Chapter 10, verse 57). Quran causes the healing not by kissing it or keeping it on a high shelf , but by following the guidance from it and avoiding what is prohibited and do what is good, it is beneficial for them.
Let us examine the medical benefits of Articles of Faith. The first Article of Faith is iman or belief in God. This belief in God means also belief in our health as a gift from Him, and our responsibility toward our body, because we do it for the pleasure of God so that we may serve Him better. We must understand that whatever God has prohibited us from doing, it is only for our own benefit and not for His sake. Therefore, if He has told us in Quran to avoid intoxicants like alcohol and meat like that of swine, only He fully knows of the medical harms of such prohibitions.
Science has confirmed some of them and will confirm many later on as our knowledge grows. The blood and meat of dead animals can be full of germs and other harmful elements such as antibodies. Pork is high in cholesterol and salt and may contain worms, and has abnormal sex hormones in the fatty tissues. Alcohol and intoxicants cloud the mind, suppress the inhibition and interfere with our normal capacity of being able to determine what is good and what is bad. Thus under the influence of alcohol, a person may become violent. He may want to undress in public, or engage in unlawful sex acts. All these can lead to trouble. Over the long tem, alcohol damages all the organs including the liver, stomach, endocrine glands, heart and brain.
If Quran prohibited homosexuality, 1400 of years before the epidemic of AIDS was known, it must have the knowledge of the future. It is true that one can contract AIDS from other modes of transmission including blood transfusions; however, if you investigate the source of the original contamination of even blood, it will finally lead to homosexuality.
Let us discuss the medical benefits of Islamic prayer (salat). The salat has three components: One is ablution or wadu. The washing of all exposed areas of the body, which come into contact with germs and dirt throughout the day, including hands, feet, face, mouth and nostrils, five times a day is healthy, preventive medicine. If we keep our nostrils clean in the manner prescribed for the wadu, we will breathe in cleaner air to our lungs. Is it not the washing of hands being encouraged in hospitals for everyone to prevent the spread of infection?
The second aspect of prayer is recitation of Quran. The effect of the sound echoing and the meaning have a healing effect on the body and the mind. Different letters of Arabic when recited have echoing properties to different target organs in the body. It has been studied and determined that listening to the recitation of Quran reduces the heart rate, blood pressure and rate of respiration, and has a biofeedback-type tranquilizing effect. A study has been published by Dr. Ahmed El-Kadi of Akbar Clinic in Panama City ,Florida . The physical activity in the r Islamic prayer, salat, is mild, uniform and involve all muscles and joints.
The second pillar of Islam is charity or zakat. Zakat has been described as purification of one’s wealth, and it is the right of the poor over the wealth of the rich. Most people who have money are very much attached to it and because of the love of money, they are driven to insanity. Quran says, “And he is violent in the love of wealth.” (Chapter 100, verse 8). With the lack of money, people are committed to crimes and also with an excess of money, they are under stress. People die of heart attacks sometimes when they win a lottery jackpot.
By having the institution of zakat, in which everyone must give .2.5 percent of his saved wealth to the poor, with the addition of the general charity which is voluntary, one becomes more peaceful knowing that the money belongs to God and is being returned to Him for His cause. Therefore, those who give regularly to charity are more peaceful people, and it is advisable that in illness, one should give more to charity which will help a person recover from his illness.
The third Pillar of Islam is fasting in the month of Ramadan . Fasting produces physiological change in the body, gives rest to different organs and improves adaptability. It lowers the blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It produces peace and tranquility in the mind. It is an institution in learning self-restraint as those who have a habit of nibbling food, drinking a lot of coffee and smoking, will have to give up all that during the month of fasting. Hopefully, this pattern of restraint will continue even after Ramadan is over, and that is why Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has advised us to fast on Mondays and Thursdays after Ramadan.
The next Article of Faith is hajj, or a pilgrimage to Makkah. This Pillar of Faith is a requirement for all able men and women, and is to increase one’s physical endurance. Long walks and heat from the sun, thirst, and physical exercise are to remind us of the Day of Judgment, and in doing hajj, there is a form of jihad and striving in the cause of God that makes us strong Muslims.
One must also keep himself in good shape before hajj so that he can perform the hajj in the correct manner which as mentioned, requires a lot of physical endurance.
Nutrition and Health:
We are told in Quran, “O you who believe, eat of the good things which we have provided to you, and thank God if indeed it is He whom you worship.” (Chapter 5, verse 4). We are also told not to commit any excess in eating and leave one-third of the stomach empty. With the stomach being a blender and grinder, it would not work to mix the food when it is full to the neck. Among the foods, fruits are especially emphasized in Quran (Chapter 36, verse 57; 43:73, 16:67 and 50:68). Among the fruits that were mentioned were the ones which were known in Arabia at that time, including grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives and dates. Fruits are low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sugar in fruit is fructose, not sucrose, and fructose has been shown to cause no rise in blood sugar and sometimes even lowers the high blood sugar of diabetes. Honey is from fructose. We are told in Quran, “There comes from their bellies a drink of diverse color, in which there is a healing for mankind.” (Chapter 16, verse 69). Therefore, in honey, there is a cure. Recent studies have confirmed that honey has antibiotic properties comparable to Gentamicin, a very strong antibiotic.
Value of Exercise:
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) led a very active life, advising Muslims to teach their children physical exercise including swimming, archery, horseback riding, etc. He used to walk at a fast pace and helped his wife with the housework and even raced with her. It is the lack of routine physical activity or exercise with abundant food that we have, which has caused our present-day obesity and coronary artery disease. Unfortunately, Muslims of today especially women do not engage in regular exercise.
What should we do when we are affected with disease?
Muslims should accept their disease with patience as a test and pray to God for recovery. Quran says, “If God touches you with affliction, no one can remove it but Him. If He touches you with happiness, He has power over all things.” (Chapter 6, verse 17). Prophet Abraham (pbuh) said, When I am ill, it is He who cures me.”(Chapter 26, verse 18).
In one of the hadith, Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has said that “No Muslim is afflicted by injury or illness without God causing his sense to drop away just as a tree sheds its leaves” (Bukhari). Illness brings us closer to God.
The question is, should we seek medical help if cure is from God? The Prophet, when he was asked this question, replied, “Yes, take medicine as God has not created a disease without creating a cure, except for one, that is old age.” This implies that we Muslim physicians should seek the cure for disease, and Muslim patients should use it. During the illness, in addition to resting, taking medicine and appropriate nutrition, we must increase remembrance of God. As God says in Quran, “Those who have believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God: for without doubt in the remembrance of God, do hearts find satisfaction.” (Chapter 13, verse 28).
It is now known that psychological peace and tranquility lower the level of the ACTH hormone which in fact affects the T-lymphocytes and cell-mediated autoimmunity. Thus once the immune system becomes more effective under psychological peace and tranquility, giving the body a chance to fight the disease. On the other hand, those who are at the peak of their anxiety with stress have very high levels of ACTH and suppress their own immune system as a result.
In conclusion, establishing Islam not only means establishing mosques, Islamic centers and schools, but also establishing Muslims economically, politically as well as physically. Tibbe Nabvi is not just honey and black seed, but also understanding the working of the body and knowing what is good and what is not good for this machine. To know the value of exercise and stress management, and preventive checkup of this machine, not waiting for it to completely break down, and taking it to the emergency room. It also means to accept the doctor’s advice and take medicine in the tradition of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)

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PUBLISHER Najimudeen M

Women site, - Women Discover the Secrets of a Happy Marriage

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If you were to ask a girl who has not yet been married about the secrets of a happy marriage, she would consider it a strange question, because she is not married or because she might give a romantic dreamy answer that embodies her dreams, ideals and needs rather than reality.
Hence, if we want to discover these secrets, we should ask married women who have real experience, because the answers of such women will be more credible, practical, and realistic. Their answers would be guiding signs on the way of those who have not yet married, and useful advice to wives who have not discovered these secrets and still need to reconsider their marital relationship.
Compliment Your Husband
Randa Ahmad, who has been married for 17 years, advises every bride-to-be saying,
-To lead a happy, stable married life, you have to love your husband and understand his nature. Understanding the nature of your husband enables you to please him. Of course, this will not happen overnight; the longer you live with him, the more you will understand him.
-It is very important to be humble with him and to pay him a compliment every now and then. By doing this, you will make him happy and lead a happy, stable life with him.
Your Husband’s Weaknesses
Saamiyah Ahmad, a housewife who has been married for 25 years, says to every girl and wife,
-Know the weaknesses of your life partner; care for him, be thoughtful, and make him feel comfortable.
-If your husband likes food, master the art of cooking to make the most delicious dishes. If he loves his family, be kinder to them than he is.
Madeenah Raashid, a housewife who has been married for 57 years, offers the fruit of her long experience, saying:
-Cherish your husband in hard times as well as in the good ones. Respect whatever he says and maintain good relations with his family, especially his mother, and you will win him easily.
Say, “I love you”
Muneerah Abdul-Hameed, a working wife who has been married for 30 years, says,
-Dialogue, mutual understanding, love, and confidence. A husband can have his wife at his disposal just if he says to her “I love you”. This simple phrase will make her give you all her love, tenderness and care.
Umm Yoosuf is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She says,
-First, you have to know that the marriage is not just a honeymoon. Marriage is a heavy responsibility that a woman has to be well-prepared for. An intelligent woman understands the nature of her husband and acts according to that nature, along with sharing his ambitions and hobbies. However, this should be within the proper limits without intruding upon your husband.
Adherence to Islam
Ameenah At-Turki, an Indonesian woman who has been married for 15 years, says,
A wife has to know her duties towards her husband as defined by the teachings of Islam and the guidance of the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She has to always remember the saying of the Messenger of Allaah,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:“If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband.”
Widaad Al-Qaseer has been married for 15 years. She says,
My mother used to tell me not to compare in order not to despair. I say the same thing to all girls: if you want to lead a happy life with your husband, you have to be content with what Allaah The Almighty has granted you. If you do this, you will realize how you are truly blessed by Allaah The Almighty. Otherwise, you will never be happy no matter how hard your husband may try to please you.
Ask Your Husband
Nawaal Muhammad, a Saudi housewife who has been married for 17 years, says,
Obedience is the key to a man’s heart, and then truthfulness with him, as it generates confidence between you and him. Certainly, confidence is the cornerstone of a happy marriage. Take care of your beauty and ask your husband, from time to time, about what he wants from you and what you should do to please him. In this way, you will find out what makes him happy and what makes him unhappy.
Jameelah Muhammad Ali is a housewife who has been married for 20 years. She advises all young women, saying,
Men are all alike. All they need is delicious food, a clean, quiet house, and an obedient wife who takes care of her husband and of her beauty. This is all you have to do in order to live happily with your husband. Also, do not forget that you have to bear with him when he is angry and to support him if the going gets tough.
Your In-Laws
‘Aaydah Hanafi has been married for 37years and this is what she has to say,
Save your husband’s money, never disclose his secrets, not even to the closest people to you, and treat his mother just like you treat yours.
‘Aaydah’s daughter, Naahid Muhammad, a teacher who has been married for 13years, agrees with her mother. She says,
A wife has to create a good image of her husband in the eyes of her family. Never verbally abuse your husband. Deal with him calmly and politely. With regard to times when there are severe disagreements, a wife has to be clever enough to win her husband’s love and respect.
Aay Noor is an Algerian housewife. She has been married for 30 years. She is shedding light on being a good example and advises the family rather than the wife-to-be or the husband-to-be. She says,
My advice to all mothers is to teach their daughters how to win the love of their husbands. Teach your daughter how to take you as an example through the way you deal with her father and vice versa. Never interfere with your children’s life after they are married. You should let them lead their own life and learn from their own experience.
Naadyah Abdulmajeed, who has been married for 18 years, advises all wives, saying,
Never belittle your husband, respect his wishes and allow him to act freely. It is wrong to try to discuss something with your husband when he is angry, or to tell him about the problems of the house and the children immediately after he returns from work. You have to choose the proper time for everything. Make him respect you, maintain your dignity with him and do not let him see your tears, except rarely, so that they would not lose their effect on him.
Graduation Certificate in the Kitchen
The famous American journalist, Norma Vincent Peale, Editor in Chief of Guideposts Magazine, who is a wife with three children and seven grandchildren, says that a woman who wants to be happily married has to realize that marriage is the law of life. She adds that with this spirit, a wife will succeed in her attempts to adapt according to her husband’s needs. All that concerns husbands is to see a clean, tidy house, a table full of the food they like, clean clothes whenever they want and some personal things such as the morning newspaper. She says that a skilful wife is the one who takes care of these needs so as to keep her husband’s smile. She says that some husbands like to see their wives in their full adornment and femininity, while others prefer moderate adornment. She adds that the role of the clever wife is to do what her husband expects of her.
Peale maintains that a wife has to make her family the first priority in her life and to sacrifice any position or job for the sake of her husband and children. She says that she once visited a friend and saw her university certificate hung in the kitchen. When she asked her why she did this, her friend replied that the kitchen was the best place for a bachelor’s degree because it is the place where she can make use of what she has learned to master performing her duties as an ideal mother and wife.

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PUBLISHER Najimudeen M