Introduction
As Muslims, we must take care of our spiritual, emotional, and physical health. Our bodies are given to us by Allah as a trust, and they should not be abused or neglected. Which is why we have to maintain our body in a proper way. We have to be active, not flabby or overweight because good health is necessary. Wellness or fitness is more than just the absence of disease. Exercise, along with a healthy diet or healthy food habits, plays a big role in maintaining our bodies for the best possible health. Below is a video version of this article:
Live Healthily!
Living an unhealthy lifestyle and making bad choices may lead to obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and so on. Despite the fact that preventing illness or injury is not completely in our control. But choosing to live an unhealthy lifestyle consciously or unconsciously makes these conditions worse through our own lack of attention to diet and fitness.
As Muslims, we also know and believe that Islam is a complete way of life. This should remind us that there is no aspect of our lives the Deen has not covered. including looking after our physical health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help us to carry out our acts of worship properly, such as praying, fasting, Hajj, and so on. Ultimately, keeping fit will allow us to become more active in our worship. As we age, we know that our bodies will become weaker. Looking after our physical health should be something of concern to us. Doing so not only benefits us physically but also spiritually.
There are many ahadith from which we can learn about fitness and exercise from the Islamic perspective.
Have a Good Intention
We should also remember that our resilience in trying to keep active and become physically healthy is actually a form of worship itself when we do so with the sincere niyyah (intention) of pleasing Allah, with the intention of getting a stronger, healthier body to be able to fulfill your acts of Ibadah.
Our faith teaches us that our health is a gift from Allah, so this concept alone should be enough for us to understand the significance of looking after it. We should never forget that Allah – our Creator, our Protector, and our Lord – has given us this gift of health, so we should treasure it in the way it ought to be treasured.
Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle
So, insha Allah, I will be sharing with you some very basic and simple steps to kickstart your journey to a healthy lifestyle.
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Sleep early:
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Sleep plays a vital role in good health throughout our lives, getting enough sleep at night helps protect our mental and physical health.
“And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.” [Quran 28:73]
As Muslims were meant to sleep early, then get up early to start the day’s activities with energy, which is a sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam. Those early morning hours are filled with so much barakah. Rasulullah (SAW) said: “O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning).” [Ibn Majah]
So go to bed early and rest. Rasulullah(SAW) would not like to engage in unnecessary talk after Isha and would go back to his house to sleep. To keep up with this habit of waking up early, you can engage in the sunnah of taking a nap after Salatul Zhuhr called Qailulah (the siesta sleep).
But We also have a problem sleeping early because we check our phones last thing before sleep and that light effect from our phones or laptop keeps us restless, and unable to sleep even when we try forcing ourselves to sleep. We shouldn’t weaken our energy staying up late at night because we have to understand that a strong believer is more loved by Allah than a weak believer. And if you are not able to sleep for one reason or the other, May Allah ease your difficulties for you.
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Eat Moderate:
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Do not eat in excess, learn to eat just enough to maintain your health and energy.
Eating in excess without control is harmful to the body, it causes sickness and laziness. We have to be moderate in both food and drink, for that is healthier for our bodies and furthest removed from extravagance.
This is in accordance with the guidance of Allah Azza Wa Jal in the Quran:
“. . . Eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allaah loves not the wasters.” [Quran 7:31]
Rasulullah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also advised moderation in food and drink:
“There is no worse vessel for the son of Adam to fill than his stomach, but if he must fill it, the let him allow one-third for food, one-third for a drink, and one-third for air.”[Bukhaari and Muslim]
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Exercise regularly:
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As Muslims, we shouldn’t forget to maintain our physical fitness and energy by following the healthy practices recommended by Islam. You can choose to follow an organized exercise program, appropriate to our physical condition, weight, age and social status.
These exercises gives our body agility, beauty, good health, strength and immunity to disease, which will make us able to carry out our duties, and more fit to fulfil our roles in life.
I happen to be someone who is personally passionate about Exercising and fitness in general. You don’t really need to register for gym sessions or buy expensive workout Outfits to know you are exercising. Just get active and move your body daily even if it’s a walk every morning or every evening. Just get moving.
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Stay Hydrated:
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Water is Amazing!
“… We made from water every living thing…”[Qur’an 21:30]
It might surprise you to know that water makes up about 60% of our body weight, and its benefits to the body are numerous. Water improves our physical performance, it helps in weight loss, it boost our mood and our brain power, protects against disease and so on. While dehydration thickens your blood and can negatively impact your blood pressure, cholesterol, make your organs work harder, affects your kidney, and so on. You end up weak. So stay hydrated. It is important.
And when you’ve made up your mind to stay hydrated, be sure to drink water in accordance with the sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam. Staying healthy physically helps stay healthy emotionally, and spiritually!!
May Allah ease our task, and grant us good health. Ameen.
