The Guide
to Saving Health
Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim
Assalamu’ Aleikum!
Allah’s Way to Health
Beloved friends of Allah, this topic of discussion you will find very interesting and beneficial. This is vital information which affects the lives of every living soul on earth: health! Someone has said that health is not everything, but without it, everything is nothing! You may be the richest man, but if you have lost your health, even if you had gold as plentiful as sand, you could not enjoy life! Our aim, therefore, should be to find out how to retain or regain our God-given health and be a blessing to humanity!
Allah is most compassionate and kind to the family of man. His care for us is far greater than the care of our earthly parents for us. As our parents gave us counsel in our childhoods, even so will Allah give us careful instruction, that we may preserve or restore our bodies’ health. Following His instructions will also protect our minds from the sinful pollutions of this world!
The ancient Zabur has a promise from Allah which all should know. Zabur Psalm 67:2: “That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” It is to be no secret that Allah wishes for all nations to experience health! He wants the saving health message to be brought to all. Allah wishes only the best health for all His human creations. He has made known to the sons of men how to have the best health possible while we are here on planet earth. But will we pay attention to this sacred counsel?
Alcohol and Gambling
We need to be much in prayer (du’a) concerning what constitutes “saving health.” To enjoy health, we must heed the counsel sent down to us. Notice the words recorded in the Honored Qur’an that have to do with retaining health: “They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: ‘In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit….’” Sura 2.219 Al-Baqara.
Allah knows both the health-destroying effects of wine (alcohol) as well as the soul-destroying effects of gambling. He informs us of these dangers, so that we can be educated to avoid them. Notice the words of the ancient prophet Solomon in Taurat Proverbs 20:1: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
The prophet Isaiah gave the same counsel. Taurat Isaiah 5:11 says, “Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!”
We can clearly see that alcoholic beverages are forbidden (haram) to the followers of Allah. If we wish to be among the Mutaqeen (the Righteous), we will avoid all use of alcohol for drink.
Allah’s “Saving Health”
Are there other items which many use as food which are clearly forbidden by Allah? Yes! Why would not Allah give us clear instruction as to what is halal (lawful or clean) and what is haram (unclean)? He is the Creator of our bodies and minds, so surely Allah would not leave us ignorant regarding how to maintain the bodies He has given us in the best condition. He wants us to enjoy good health, long life.
Everyone who has ever purchased an automobile and wishes to make it function well for many years will take time to study the owner’s manual provided by the manufacturer. How much more important are our bodies? Perhaps we can get new vehicles, but we certainly can’t get new bodies! Thus in the same way that we would not put dirty fuel into our cars, we should only put the purest food into our living body systems. Indeed, the bodies given to us by Allah were made for service that would bring us health, and glory and honor to Him. Should it not be very important to learn what constitutes “saving health”?
People will devote years to gaining an education to become skillful in a trade or occupation. They will spend tens of thousands of dollars to become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, etc., but they are often very uneducated as to how to preserve their own health! Are there harmful foods, drink, and eating habits that they—and we—are unaware of?
The Halal and Haram
In the Taurat given to Musa, Allah has carefully outlined for us the clean and unclean animals. The unclean (haram) animals were not to be used as food. Leviticus Chapter 11 clearly outlines both the clean and unclean animals. Leviticus 11:3: “Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.” A “cloven-footed” animal has a split hoof, such as have cattle, deer, goats, sheep, etc. Those animals also “chew the cud.” Therefore, they are considered by Allah to be animals which are clean for food.
In Taurat Leviticus 11 are named the animals which are unclean (haram). The first one on the list is the camel, and Allah gives us the reason. Leviticus 11:4 reads, “Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean [haram] unto you.” In fact, although the camel chews the cud, it has no hoof; it has toes, instead. Therefore, the camel is considered unclean (haram) for food.
Leviticus 11 continues the list of the unclean ((haram): The coney (rock badger or hyrax), the rabbit, the swine (hogs or pigs), even all creeping things such as the mouse, rat, lizard, snake-- except those like the locust and grasshopper. Unclean animals such as camels, horses, donkeys, etc., were made as beasts of burden, to carry man and transport his goods, but were never meant for food. The swine is among the most unclean! Since the swine’s nature has not changed since this counsel in Leviticus was recorded, swine (pigs) are still unclean for food.
Leviticus 11:9-25 lists the sea creatures and the fowl that Allah considers safe (halal) and those that are unclean (haram) for food. Clean (halal) fish are those having both fins and scales. Sea creatures without both fins and scales, such as eels, shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, squids, octopus, and all shell fish, are considered unclean and are forbidden as food. Most of these forbidden creatures are the water’s cleaning agents; they are the bottom- feeders and scavengers of the sea.
Among the fowl, birds of prey such as eagles, ospreys, hawks, owls, etc., are considered unclean (haram). Other forbidden fowl are scavenger birds such as ravens, buzzards, crows, vultures, etc.
Remember the “saving health” of Allah is for all nations. He does not pick one particular group of people as the only ones to enjoy good health. He wishes only the best for us; therefore, He wants all people in all nations to enjoy health. Allah wishes all to be among the Mutaqeen. Therefore, He is making known His saving health among all nations. Dear reader, Allah has your best interest in mind.
Saving Health for the Mutaqeen
As we are now living in the last days of earth’s history, it is even more important that we pay close attention to our health. Though the reason is very simple, it is critical that you understand it. Our health is of primary importance because it is only through our minds that Allah can communicate with us. He does so through the Holy Spirit (Ruh Allah) and through His written Word. If our bodies are taking in unclean or otherwise unhealthy foods, the result is only unclean, unhealthy blood. This blood circulates throughout the body, even into the brain cells. If impurities enter those cells via the blood—if our minds become dulled and disordered by eating foods that are forbidden by Allah— then we cannot receive or understand Allah’s messages to us. That is a most serious matter! Those messages can make the difference between our receiving eternal life and eternal death! Therefore, as Allah reveals His wishes to us regarding proper food to eat and harmful food to refuse, we would be most wise to submit to His wisdom and will. Our Creator knows best.
Allah’s Diet for Mankind
If it is your desire to obtain the best health, it is wise to stop consuming animal flesh (meat), even from among the clean animals. Why? Because our Creator, our bodies’ Designer, intended for us to have a better diet, for optimal health! In the original Garden of Eden home, the first human couple did not use flesh (meat) as food. Only fruits, grains, nuts and seeds were eaten. In Taurat Genesis 1:29, we read Allah’s specific dietary wisdom: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed [grains and seeds], which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed [fruits, nuts, seeds]; to you it shall be for meat [food].”
After man sinned, Allah added root and other vegetables—“herbs of the field”—to the human diet. Genesis 3:18 reads, “…Thou shalt eat the herb of the field.”
It was not until after the earth had been destroyed by the Flood that animal flesh was permitted for food. Since it would take years for trees to bear fruit and nuts again, that additional food source was granted—but only from the clean animals. However, we have no grounds to conclude that the emergency diet permitted by Allah is now the best diet for mankind. In fact, to obtain the best health—“saving health”—it is far better to entirely abstain from the use of flesh for food, and to return to the ideal diet of Eden. Indeed, all manner of weaknesses and disease comes from eating animal flesh. The Taurat reveals that human lifespans became much shorter after the Flood.
However, if we still choose to use animal flesh (meat) for food, it remains our duty “to make a difference between the unclean and clean.…” Taurat Leviticus 11:47. It is our solemn obligation to please Allah and submit to His way. All who strive to be among the Mutaqeen and the ‘righteous’ will gladly yield to Allah’s will.
God wishes you to be healthy! “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Injeel 3 John 1:2. Dear reader, is that your choice today? This is our only wish for all. May the Eternal Peace of Allah rest with you this day!
Copied from DivineIslam's Qur'an Viewer software v2.913. Bible scriptures from King James Version. For a complete guide to Saving Health, the reader is directed to the free book entitled
Allah’s Healing Way
www.leavesoflifeministry.com
The Guide to Saving Health
“Concerning Wine and Gambling…, in them is great sin.”
Sura 2.219
Al-Baqara
R. M. Harnisch
Series no. 10