I mentioned earlier in my discussion on SDG 3 about the late Dr Muhammad Haytham Al Khayyat that he pioneered the concept of ‘Fiqh of health’ by organizing the quotations from the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad on the importance of good health and well-being and providing his own analysis. His paper titled ‘The Right path to Health’ was published by the World Health Organization where he worked for years as an advisor.

This weekend, I felt like exploring his work deeper to understand his approach on health and was impressed with what pearls he fetched from the ocean of Shariah. Since SDG 3 is all about good health and well-being, I thought of sharing the gist of some of Dr Muhammad Haytham’s findings as follows:

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the need to do scientific research, analysis and experimentation to find out what medicines (at the time made of plants and herbs) may work for which disease. During his time, pagans used to focus on the so-called faith healing, which still exists to some extent in some societies. Prophet Muhammad strictly forbade such practices which include wearing talismans and charms, incomprehensible jabbering and sorcerers’ tricks. He said that whoever wears charms is guilty of associating partners with Allah.

Someone asked Prophet Muhammad whether the medication and methods of prevention we adopt can stop Allah’s will (to get into sickness) to which he replied that: “You, doing the medication and prevention, is also part of Allah’s will, meaning that if Allah does not will, you will not be able to do this. And if Allah wills, you will still get sick despite all prevention.” This is so true, and we had seen it during COVID-19 where people with robust health and extreme prevention measures — including taking triple vaccination — still fell victim to COVID-19 and people with not such good health came out unscathed despite avoiding vaccination.

Another interesting point Dr Muhammad Haytham brought into light was when he quoted the 14th century’s great Islamic scholar, Imam Abu Ishaq Shatibi, who was from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). Imam Abu wrote: “All Islamic scholars, indeed all creeds (ie from all Madhab or schools of thought), are unanimous that the aim of the Shariah (Maqasid Shariah) is to safeguard five essentials of life, namely faith, body, children, property and mind.”

Now, three out of the five — body, children and mind — cannot be safeguarded without good health and well-being. This is directly connected to the commandment from Prophet Muhammad to always make a supplication for forgiveness from sins and seek sound well-being and that no blessing other than faith is better than bodily well-being. He also said that wealth is fine for a God-fearing person, but good health is better for such a person than wealth. I believe the proverb ‘health is wealth’ may have stemmed from this Hadith. Many times, we see around us that a sick but wealthy person would be prepared to give all his wealth to regain good health.

Prophet Muhammad also said that: “Whoever among you wakes up in the morning secure in his dwelling (ie has the shelter), healthy in his body, and he has his food for the day, then it is as if the whole world has been given to him.” The Hadith is so profound that on one hand, it emphasizes the importance of good health and on the other, it teaches the lesson to be content if you have sustenance as small as to suffice you for a day.

Dr Muhammad Haytham quoted the saying of Prophet Muhammad that indeed your body has a right over you and commented that the world issued the ‘International Declaration on Human Rights’ 14 centuries after the establishment of human rights by Islam, even relating to your own body which has not yet been done by any international agency. The famous last sermon at the only Hajj performed by Prophet Muhammad to date is considered the universal charter for human rights.
Dr Muhammad Haytham illustrated that the body having a right over you means that it should be fed when hungry, rested when tired, treated when ill, protected from harm and diseases and cleaned when dirty, and finally not overburdened. This is a rightful claim from the body which imposes a responsibility on its owner. The body’s claims must never be neglected or made subordinate to the other rights and claims.

I have seen people neglecting the rights of the body in the race to earn more money or when they get addicted to watching TV or playing video games or any other hobby which denies the body from getting food on time or taking rest when tired. In Chapter 55 of the Holy Quran named ‘Rahman’ (the most beneficent), Allah clearly stated in Verses 7 to 9: “He has raised up the heaven and has set a balance that you may not transgress in the balance but weigh things equitably and skimp not in the balance.”

Applying the ‘balance’ mentioned in the verse on the human body, Ali Ibn Abbas, a companion of Prophet Muhammad said that: “Health means that the body is in the state of equilibrium.” Ibn Sina, the great physician we discussed in the last article, also commented on it in his book ‘Canons of Medicines’ but with more depth. He said: “The state of equilibrium which a human being enjoys has a certain range with an upper and lower limit and the balance moves between the two extreme limits.”

Now, this philosophical explanation from the ‘prince of physicians’ is for every one of us to verify. As for myself, at some point of time, I personally feel that I am in the pink of health which must be the upper limit of the equilibrium and on other occasions, I am not unwell but do not feel over the moon, which means I may be around the lower limit.

To sum up, a great amount of literature is available in Islam for us to explore the sheer recognition and importance of good health since well-being is dependent on it.

The purpose of this educative series and the article is not to hurt any religious or commercial sentiments either consciously or even unwittingly.

Sohail Zubairi is an Islamic finance specialist, AAOIFI-certified Shariah advisor and auditor as well as CIAE-certified Islamic arbitrator and expert. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Next week: Discussion on SDG 3 to continue.