Introduction:
A lot has been said about the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits. The common denominator is olive oil,which is a table fixture in the Mediterranean cuisine.
In the Quran:
”And a tree that grows on mount Saini,which provides oil and enjoyment for those who eat it”.
"A blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous.." [surah 24: 35].
"By the Fig and the Olive, and the Mount of Sinai..." [surah at-Teen; 95: 1-2]
[6:141] "It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters"
In the Sunnah:
Allah's Messenger saws said, "Eat olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree." Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah.
Saied al-Ansari narrates that the Prophet said, "Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a blessed tree."
[at-Tirmidhi, ibn Maja]
Olives are rich in monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, antioxidants, and they prevent heart disease by reducing the LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing the HDL (good cholesterol] levels. The Vitamin E contained in Olives is the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Anti-oxidants help to strengthen the body's immune system; reducing the severity of asthma, cancer, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, premature ageing, as well as delaying the effects of ageing. Olives contain compounds called poly phenols that appear to have significant anti-inflammatory properties. Key benefits of olives:Used as a balm, it fortifies the hair keeps it shiny and prevents dandruff Used as a balm, it fortifies and moisturizes the skin, combating dry skin and softening it. It also combats against acne.
Massaged onto the body, Olives fortify the limbs, combat against inflammation, and sooth away aches and pains from worked out muscles.Help against wrinkles and delaying the effects of old age. Help combat against strokes, heart-disease, High blood pressure, diabetes. It aids digestion, and strengthens the bowels, as well as the stomach.
Drinking tea from Olive leaves helps against High blood pressure. Recent scientific research have proved the health benefits of olive leaves in treating high blood pressure and hypertension.
The Pomegranate a Fruit from Paradise
Introduction:
Nowadays, there are plenty of ways for a person to get their daily intake of vitamins, proteins, and nutrients. You can just pop a pill, or stuff yourself with different “healthy” foods. So many choices out there, which puts us in a dilemma when trying to make a decision about food.
Hence, the “Godly food” section is designed to help us make the right choices when it comes to food. A right choice indeed, since it is a revelation from God.
In the Quran:
And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised,
And date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste).
Eat of their fruits when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest,
And waste not by extravagance.
Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance.
(6:141)
And date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste).
Eat of their fruits when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest,
And waste not by extravagance.
Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance.
(6:141)
It is HE Who sends down rain from the skies; with it WE produce vegetation of all kinds: from some WE produce green (crops), out of which WE produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety): when they begin to bear fruit, feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! in these things there are Signs for people who believe. (Al-Aníaam - 99)
In them will be Fruits, and dates, and pomegranates: Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny? (Ar-Rahman - 68-69)
In the Sunnah:
Ali bin Abi Talib, radiya ALLAHu anhu, narrated that the Prophet, salla ALLAHu alaihi wa sallam, said: "Pomegranate and its rind strengthen digestion (stomach).”
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants, and are a good source of vitamin B5, and potassium. “In preliminary laboratory research and human pilot studies, juice of the pomegranate has been found effective in reducing heart disease risk factors, including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell formation, all of which are steps in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Tannins such as punicalagins have been identified as the primary components responsible for the reduction of oxidative stress which led to these risk factors. Pomegranate has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).
Containing polyphenols which inhibit estrogen synthesis, pomegranate seed oil was effective against proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro. The juice may also have antiviral and antibacterial effects against dental plaque.” by wikipedia.
http://islamic-health.com/Health/prevention/healing-foods/pomegranate-a-fruit-from-paradise
CLEANLINESS, PURIFICATION AND ABLUTION
1 . Body Cleanliness: Islam recommends bathing for' twenty three reasons. Seven of them are compulsory and sixteen are preferable.
2. Hands Cleanliness: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Says 'Wash thy hands before and after eating", Readds "Wash thy hands after awakening. No one knows where his hands lay during his sleep." 3. Islam recommends clothing cleanliness and elegance "Ameliorate thy clothing and thy mount".
4. Food and drink cleanliness: Orders for protecting food from dust and insects, the prophet says "Cover thy vessels and drinks"
5. Residence cleanliness: "Clean thy courtyards and thy residence" as well as street cleanliness "It is charitable to remove harms from the road."
6. Cleanliness of water sources such as wells, rivers and shores. Therefore, urinating and defecating are forbidden in any of them---"Avoid three evils; defecation in water sources, shades and in the road.
If these instructions are followed accurately in the twentieth century, we can put an end to all gastrointestinal infections and exterminate harmful insects such as flies, cockroaches and others.
Psychological and Mental Health
Prof. Dr. Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr.
Psychological or mental health can be defined in both positive and negative terms. Positively it can be viewed as a state of being in which an individual is stable and balanced. Human beings function at three levels: the personal (within the self), inter-personal (with others) and trans-personal (beyond the personal). Hence the balance is 3-dimensional and involves being in harmony with oneself, the human society around you, and fulfilling the orders and commands of the Creator to attain His pleasure.
Negatively it can be looked at as the presence of mental or psychological problems. Unlike physical health, mental and psychological health is difficult to define exactly because of inability to define and measure in a concrete way as is done in physical sciences.
The Qur’an has used the term inshirah al sadr to refer to a state of psychological well being as is indicated in the following verses: 6:125, 10:57, 16:106, 20:25, 94:1.
The Qur’an has used the term dhaiq al sadr to refer to states of psychological imbalance as shown in the following verses: 6:125, 11:12, 15:97, 26:13, 29:33.
Psychological stress (dhaiq nafsi) has also been mentioned in the Qur’an in several verses: 6:125, 9:25, 9:118, 11:12, 11:77, 15:97, 16:12, 18:6, 26:3, 26:13, 27:70, 29:33, 35:8, 65:6).
The term hayatan dhanqah has been used to refer to a life that has psychological stress 20:124.
Throughout the Qur’an psychological well-being is associated with taqwa whereas psychological or mental imbalance are associated with ma’siyat. The implication is that those who live according to Allah’s guidance will live a balanced life.
Psychological imbalances are of two types.
The first type, which is the overwhelming majority, is due to physical causes that are either known today or will be known for sure at some time in the future through scientific research.
The second type is due to moral causes.
The Qur’an has concentrated on the latter. Whereas the first type will respond easily to chemical and other physical methods of treatment, the second type requires spiritual approaches involving strengthening îmân, taqwah, and ibadat as well as avoiding ma’siyat. Our discussion today will be confined solely to the second type.
PERSONALITY
Mental and psychological well-being are affected to a large extent by the underlying personality. Personality is the totality of behavior of an individual with a given tendency system interacting with a sequence of situations (tendency means there is consistency).
People’s personalities differ (Bukhari 4:461 hadith # 699).
Some are good some are not. Most people are average; the exceptionally strong are rare (Bukhari 8:3341 hadith #505).
There is a model personality for a community that is considered the ideal for that community. There is however a universal ideal that is described by the Qur’an and the sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) (Hayat 3:459-460)
The Quran expounds in very clear terms a distinct concept of individual growth and development. A human being is both, body and soul, matter and spirit. It is the unique balance between the two contrasts that makes humans what they are, the highest creation. The original condition of the human being is that of fitrah which is uprightness. A human being is born in a natural state of purity (fitrat al Islam). The potential to do good or bad exists. It is the early environment that determines how those potentials are enhanced. If the environment is good, the good potentials are promoted. If it is bad the bad ones are.
The essence of a person is the nafs and not the physical body. Thus personality and behavior are referred to as the nafs. The Qur’an has described several states of nafs, [maraatib al nafs (12:53, 89:27-28, 75:2, 89:27)]:
Psychological or mental health can be defined in both positive and negative terms. Positively it can be viewed as a state of being in which an individual is stable and balanced. Human beings function at three levels: the personal (within the self), inter-personal (with others) and trans-personal (beyond the personal). Hence the balance is 3-dimensional and involves being in harmony with oneself, the human society around you, and fulfilling the orders and commands of the Creator to attain His pleasure.
Negatively it can be looked at as the presence of mental or psychological problems. Unlike physical health, mental and psychological health is difficult to define exactly because of inability to define and measure in a concrete way as is done in physical sciences.
The Qur’an has used the term inshirah al sadr to refer to a state of psychological well being as is indicated in the following verses: 6:125, 10:57, 16:106, 20:25, 94:1.
The Qur’an has used the term dhaiq al sadr to refer to states of psychological imbalance as shown in the following verses: 6:125, 11:12, 15:97, 26:13, 29:33.
Psychological stress (dhaiq nafsi) has also been mentioned in the Qur’an in several verses: 6:125, 9:25, 9:118, 11:12, 11:77, 15:97, 16:12, 18:6, 26:3, 26:13, 27:70, 29:33, 35:8, 65:6).
The term hayatan dhanqah has been used to refer to a life that has psychological stress 20:124.
Throughout the Qur’an psychological well-being is associated with taqwa whereas psychological or mental imbalance are associated with ma’siyat. The implication is that those who live according to Allah’s guidance will live a balanced life.
Psychological imbalances are of two types.
The first type, which is the overwhelming majority, is due to physical causes that are either known today or will be known for sure at some time in the future through scientific research.
The second type is due to moral causes.
The Qur’an has concentrated on the latter. Whereas the first type will respond easily to chemical and other physical methods of treatment, the second type requires spiritual approaches involving strengthening îmân, taqwah, and ibadat as well as avoiding ma’siyat. Our discussion today will be confined solely to the second type.
PERSONALITY
Mental and psychological well-being are affected to a large extent by the underlying personality. Personality is the totality of behavior of an individual with a given tendency system interacting with a sequence of situations (tendency means there is consistency).
People’s personalities differ (Bukhari 4:461 hadith # 699).
Some are good some are not. Most people are average; the exceptionally strong are rare (Bukhari 8:3341 hadith #505).
There is a model personality for a community that is considered the ideal for that community. There is however a universal ideal that is described by the Qur’an and the sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) (Hayat 3:459-460)
The Quran expounds in very clear terms a distinct concept of individual growth and development. A human being is both, body and soul, matter and spirit. It is the unique balance between the two contrasts that makes humans what they are, the highest creation. The original condition of the human being is that of fitrah which is uprightness. A human being is born in a natural state of purity (fitrat al Islam). The potential to do good or bad exists. It is the early environment that determines how those potentials are enhanced. If the environment is good, the good potentials are promoted. If it is bad the bad ones are.
The essence of a person is the nafs and not the physical body. Thus personality and behavior are referred to as the nafs. The Qur’an has described several states of nafs, [maraatib al nafs (12:53, 89:27-28, 75:2, 89:27)]:
- nafs ammarah (tendency to evil, 12:53),
- nafs lawamah (conscience and concern with moral rectitude, 75:2),
- nafs mulhamah (inspired to piety and taqwa),
- nafs qanu’ah (satisfied with what it has),
- nafs mutma’inna (calm, 89:27),
- nafs radhiyah (appreciative, 89:27-28),
- nafs mardhiyyat (appreciated, 89:27-28), and
- nafs kamilah (perfect).
The nafs can be purified by acts of ibadat, avoiding the forbidden, generally being conscious of the creator, and constant meditation about the creation. An individual may not succeed alone. Living in a righteous community surrounded by others is necessary to motivate and encourage purification.
The factors that determine the development of personality are: biological inheritance, the physical environment, the culture, socialization, group experience, and unique individual experiences. With the exception of biological inheritance, all these factors can be manipulated for good or for bad.
Personality is set quite early in life. It can change during life but these changes are minor. A person has the capacity to overcome many disabilities in the basic personality. Thus behavior does not always reflect the underlying personality. It is this capacity for self-improvement, taking charge, and striving for the best that makes humans morally responsible.
It is a matter of disagreement whether personality once set is permanent or is changeable. The moderate view is that personality is fairly constant and only minor modifications can be made to it in later life. This emphasizes the importance of education and training early in life when the personality is still malleable and can be modified in the desired way.
Thus early childhood upbringing is the main determinant of psychological health. Societies that neglect this stage pay a heavy price in terms of psychological imbalances later on.
ENHANCING THE POSITIVE
Communities and individuals who strive to enhance the positive attributes of the nafs and qalb enjoy good mental and psychological health:
The Qur’an has described positive attributes of the nafs:
The factors that determine the development of personality are: biological inheritance, the physical environment, the culture, socialization, group experience, and unique individual experiences. With the exception of biological inheritance, all these factors can be manipulated for good or for bad.
Personality is set quite early in life. It can change during life but these changes are minor. A person has the capacity to overcome many disabilities in the basic personality. Thus behavior does not always reflect the underlying personality. It is this capacity for self-improvement, taking charge, and striving for the best that makes humans morally responsible.
It is a matter of disagreement whether personality once set is permanent or is changeable. The moderate view is that personality is fairly constant and only minor modifications can be made to it in later life. This emphasizes the importance of education and training early in life when the personality is still malleable and can be modified in the desired way.
Thus early childhood upbringing is the main determinant of psychological health. Societies that neglect this stage pay a heavy price in terms of psychological imbalances later on.
ENHANCING THE POSITIVE
Communities and individuals who strive to enhance the positive attributes of the nafs and qalb enjoy good mental and psychological health:
The Qur’an has described positive attributes of the nafs:
- giving preference to others (ithaar al nafs, 59:9),
- belief (iman al nafs, 6:158, 10:100),
- fear of Allah (taqwa al nafs, 91:7-8),
The positive attributes of the qalb are:
- health (salamat al qalb, 26:89, 83:41),
- purity (taharat al qalb, 5:41, 33:53),
- mercy (rahmat al qalb, 3:159, 57:27),
- balance and equilibrium (tama’ininat al qalb, 2:260, 48:18),
- softness (liin al qalb, 3:159, 39:23),
- openness (inshiraah al qalb, 6:125, 94:1).
The nafs can undertake actions to improve or strengthen itself:
- selling itself to Allah to get His pleasure (bai’u al nafs li llah, 2:207, 9:111),
- purification (tazkiyat al nafs, 2:151, 92:18),
- change to improve (taghyiir ma bi al nafs, 8:53, 13:11),
- repentance (tawbat al nafs, 2:54, 4:64).
DISCOURAGING THE NEGATIVE
Good mental and psychological health can be achieved by discouraging the negative attributes of the nafs and the qalb. The negative attributes of the nafs described by the Qur’an are:
Good mental and psychological health can be achieved by discouraging the negative attributes of the nafs and the qalb. The negative attributes of the nafs described by the Qur’an are:
- extravagance (israaf al nafs, 39:53),
- jealousy (hasad al nafs, 2:109),
- covetousness (shuhhu al nafs, 4:128, 59:5, 64:16),
- passionate bodily desires (shahwat al nafs, 21:102…43:71),
- transgression (dhulm al nafs, 2:54 … 65:1),
- pride (ujb al nafs, 4:49),
- temptation (fitnat al nafs, 57:14),
- corruption (fujuur al nafs, 91:7-8).
- deception (khidau al nafs 2:9)
- treachery (khiyanat al nafs 2:187, 4:107).
The negative attributes of the qalb are:
- thinking of the bad (dhann al qalb bi al asayi, 48:12),
- hardness (qaswat al qalb),
- confusion (waswasat al qalb, 2:74, 57:16, 44:5).
The qalb can be afflicted by diseases.
- seat of diseases of a moral nature (amradh al qalb 5:52, 74:31):
- lahw (7:43 … 59:10),
- ghaflah (18:29),
- ghill ( 21:3) ,
- ghaidh (3:118-119),
- ma’siyat, kibr (40:35 … 40:56),
- nifaq, (2:8-10 … 3:167).
The qalb can be influenced or changed. This can be from human action or sometimes divine intervention from Allah (SWT).
PERSONAL FAILURE
Many situations or psychological imbalance are actually cases of personal failure (‘ajz) that the prophet warned about.
Personal failure can manifest in many ways. Persons may become addicted to bad habits and sins. They become socially incompetent or lazy about their basic responsibilities in the family and society. This failure is a cause of sadness and distress to the individual concerned, the family, and the whole society.
CAUSES OF PERSONAL FAILURE
Forgetting Allah and neglecting His commands is the start of failure. There are some cases of failure that can not be attributed to any fault of the person but to unfortunate circumstances. Allah usually helps such people when they turn to Him and ask for help.
"Anas reported that Allah's Messenger ( may peace be upon him) used to make this supplication:"O Allah, I Seek refuge in you from miserliness, from sloth and from decrepitude." Muslim 3: 1421, Chapter 1129, Hadith # 6539
"O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men" Bukhari 4:92, hadith # 143
Umar b. al-Khattab said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to seek refuge in Allah from five things; cowardliness, niggardliness, the evils of old age, evil thoughts, and punishment in the grave. Hadith 1534
Anas b. Malik said: The Apostle of Allah ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude; and I seek refuge in you from the punishment in the grave; and I seek refuge in you from the trial of life and death." Hadith 1535
Anas b. Malik said: I used to serve the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) and often hear him say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from care, grief, burden of debt and being overpowered by men." The narrator then narrated some more things which the narrator al-Taimi ( in the previous tradition ) reported. Hadith 1536
Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from poverty" lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in you lest I cause or suffer wrong." Hadith 1539
Abu Hurairah said: The Apostle of Allah ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from four things: Knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul which has an insatiable appetite, and a supplication which is not heard." Hadith 1543
Anas b. Malik said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from a prayer which does not profit," He also mentioned another supplication. Hadith 1544
Shutair b. Shaki ( b. Humaid ) said: I said: Apostle of Allah, teach me a supplication. He said: Say : " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the evil of what I hear, from the evil of what I see, from the evil of what I speak, from the evil of what I think, and from the evil of my semen" ( i.e. sexual passion ). Hadith 1546
Anas said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from leprosy, madness, elephantiasis, and evil diseases." Hadith 1549
"Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) said to Abu Talha " Choose one of your boys to serve me." So Abu Talha took me ( to serve the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) by giving me a ride behind him ( on his camel ). So I used to serve Allah's Apostle ( may peace be upon him ) whenever he stayed somewhere I used to hear him saying, " O Allah! I seek refuge with you ( Allah ) from worries and grief, from incapacity and laziness from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by other men." Bukhari 8:250, hadith # 374.
PERSONAL FAILURE
Many situations or psychological imbalance are actually cases of personal failure (‘ajz) that the prophet warned about.
Personal failure can manifest in many ways. Persons may become addicted to bad habits and sins. They become socially incompetent or lazy about their basic responsibilities in the family and society. This failure is a cause of sadness and distress to the individual concerned, the family, and the whole society.
CAUSES OF PERSONAL FAILURE
Forgetting Allah and neglecting His commands is the start of failure. There are some cases of failure that can not be attributed to any fault of the person but to unfortunate circumstances. Allah usually helps such people when they turn to Him and ask for help.
"Anas reported that Allah's Messenger ( may peace be upon him) used to make this supplication:"O Allah, I Seek refuge in you from miserliness, from sloth and from decrepitude." Muslim 3: 1421, Chapter 1129, Hadith # 6539
"O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men" Bukhari 4:92, hadith # 143
Umar b. al-Khattab said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to seek refuge in Allah from five things; cowardliness, niggardliness, the evils of old age, evil thoughts, and punishment in the grave. Hadith 1534
Anas b. Malik said: The Apostle of Allah ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude; and I seek refuge in you from the punishment in the grave; and I seek refuge in you from the trial of life and death." Hadith 1535
Anas b. Malik said: I used to serve the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) and often hear him say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from care, grief, burden of debt and being overpowered by men." The narrator then narrated some more things which the narrator al-Taimi ( in the previous tradition ) reported. Hadith 1536
Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from poverty" lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in you lest I cause or suffer wrong." Hadith 1539
Abu Hurairah said: The Apostle of Allah ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from four things: Knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul which has an insatiable appetite, and a supplication which is not heard." Hadith 1543
Anas b. Malik said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from a prayer which does not profit," He also mentioned another supplication. Hadith 1544
Shutair b. Shaki ( b. Humaid ) said: I said: Apostle of Allah, teach me a supplication. He said: Say : " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from the evil of what I hear, from the evil of what I see, from the evil of what I speak, from the evil of what I think, and from the evil of my semen" ( i.e. sexual passion ). Hadith 1546
Anas said: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) used to say: " O Allah, I seek refuge in you from leprosy, madness, elephantiasis, and evil diseases." Hadith 1549
"Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) said to Abu Talha " Choose one of your boys to serve me." So Abu Talha took me ( to serve the Prophet ( may peace be upon him ) by giving me a ride behind him ( on his camel ). So I used to serve Allah's Apostle ( may peace be upon him ) whenever he stayed somewhere I used to hear him saying, " O Allah! I seek refuge with you ( Allah ) from worries and grief, from incapacity and laziness from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by other men." Bukhari 8:250, hadith # 374.
Pomegranates are fruits that grew in earth as well as in Paradise. That should be enough evidence of their high status in the food chain.
