The Individual and Health

• Reliance on God, Not Fatalism:
• (Abraham informing his compatriots of whom he worships). “(I worship) who created me and who guides me. Who gave me food and drink, And when I am ill, it is he who cures me, Who will cause me to die and then to live (again), ---.”
  Qur’an. Al-Shuara. 26: 78-85.
• Appreciate and Maintain Good Health:
• “A person’s body has a right over him”
    - Saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
• “Health is a crown seen on the heads of the healthy by only those who are ill”
    - Common saying among Muslims
• Hygiene:
• “Cleanliness is half the faith”
    - Saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
• Rituals promote hygiene
  Hand washing and mouth rinsing before and after meals
  Five time ritual and physical cleaning before each prayer
  Brushing teeth (Miswak)
  Regular baths
• Diet and Disease Prevention:
• Diet - “Eat in moderation”
• Disease prevention
  “If you hear about plague in a land don’t go there, but if you were in that land, don’t leave”
   - Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
• Prophetic Medicine
• “Seek cures” - Saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
• Good hygiene, moderation in eating, clean living.
• Reliance on God.
• Actual prescriptions few and poorly authenticated.