Class 4
PHYSICAL WELLNESS IN ISLAM
EXERCISE & HIJAAMAH
Wellness or Well-being combines a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and social health factors. It is a way of describing how you feel about yourself and your life and your life satisfaction.
We are so lucky to be blessed with a religion that teaches us a complete way of life. From marital relations to how and what to eat and how to conduct ourselves during war, we are guided so beautifully through the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
Our Instagram feed is full of gurus spruiking the latest health hack, diet, exercise or lifestyle practice to improve my health, get more out of the day or jump out of bed with joy in the morning. And I’d have to admit… I’ve tried some. But then I realised that I was making life harder for myself. We, as Muslims, already have all the hacks, Alhumdullilah.
Our bodies are a gift from Allah (SWT) and it is our duty to look after it. From dietary habits and exercise to daily habits, there are many ways we can honour this trust bestowed upon us by looking after our physical health.
We can see the importance in the ahadeeth where the Prophet ﷺ said,
"There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time.” (Sahih Bukhari)
“Whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and he has his food for the day, it is as if he were given the entire world.” (Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah)
“Inside the human being are three hundred and sixty joints, upon each of them charity is due.” They said, “Who can do that, O Prophet of Allah?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is spittle in the mosque you clean, or something in the road you move to the side. If you cannot find anything, it is enough to perform two Rakahs of Duha prayer.”( Abu Dāwūd)
“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good.” (Sahih Muslim)
Being physically active has many religious and social benefits. The physically active have the strength to undertake physical acts of ‘ibadat like salat or hajj. They have the energy to undertake work to be economically productive and thus support themselves and their community. The physically active are able to travel and engage in social activities such as visiting relatives, visiting the sick, and participating in social activities. All these have social and psychological benefits that would not be achieved in the absence of physical fitness.
Physical activity was an integral part of the Prophet's ﷺ lifestyle. He engaged in activities such as walking, swimming, horse riding, and archery, promoting the importance of maintaining an active and fit body.
Exercise is a powerful tool that can help you take control of your physical and mental health. An exercise program tailored to your level of energy and ability can help you:
Keep or improve your physical abilities
Improve balance and lower risk of falls or broken bones
Improve blood flow and lower risk of blood clots
Improve self-esteem
Improve sexual functioning
Lower risk of anxiety and depression
Reduce impact from side effects such as nausea and fatigue
Lower risk of heart disease and osteoporosis
Improve sleep
Help prevent or improve cognitive symptoms
Help maintain a healthy weight
Physical activities/Exercises from the Sunnah
Brisk Walk
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I did not see anyone walk faster than him ﷺ, as if the earth folded for him. A few moments ago he would be here, and then there. We found it difficult to keep pace when we walked with him, and he walked at his normal pace.” (Al Tirmidhi)
Hiking
We find numerous instances in the ahadith describing how the Prophet ﷺ used to embark on hiking trips for various reasons. Hence, it is mentioned in a hadith:
“The Prophet ﷺ once climbed the mountain of Uhud with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all).” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Hiking is also an excellent form of exercise, and socialising with your friends and family can and should also be done through exercise. One does not always need to be seated in the comfort of one’s home, as typically imagined, to socialise; it can also be integrated with physical activity.
Physical/Hard Work
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “No food is better to man than that which he earns through his manual work. Dawud (A.S.), the Prophet of Allah, ate only out of his earnings from his manual work.” [Al-Bukhari].
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Prophet Zakariyya (A.S) was a carpenter.” [Al-Bukhari].
Sports for strength
It is very good for the believer to engage in permissible sports so that he will be physically strong and will preserve his health, which will help him to do acts of worship and strive for the sake of Allaah.
There are matters of Islamic etiquette that one should pay attention to when playing sports and doing exercises to strengthen the body:
Seeking reward with Allah, and doing these things to help one worship Him and support those who have been wronged.
These activities should not involve anything that is contrary to Islamic teachings, such as participants bowing to one another, striking the face, uncovering the ‘awrah, gambling, and so on.
It should not distract one from obeying and worshipping Allah, honouring one’s parents and other important priorities.
One should not spend great amounts of wealth on it, to the point of extravagance; rather one’s involvement in such activities should be based on moderation and within the framework of Islamic teachings.
The Prophet ﷺ wrestled with Rukaanah (may Allah be pleased with him) before he became Muslim.
Abu Daawood (4078) narrated that Rukaanah wrestled with the Prophet ﷺ and the Prophet ﷺ threw him to the ground. (Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa’ 5/329).
He ﷺ raced with his wife ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
‘Aa’ishah said: I went out with the Prophet ﷺ on one of his journeys when I was still young and had not put on weight. He ﷺ said to the people: “Go on ahead.” So they went on ahead, then he ﷺ said to me, “Come, let me race with you.” So I raced with him, and I beat him, and he said nothing. Then when I had put on some weight, and I had forgotten about it, I went out with him on one of his journeys, and he said to the people: “Go on ahead.” So they went on ahead, then he said to me, “Come, let me race with you.” So I raced with him, and he beat me, then he smiled and said: “This is in return for that.” (Abu Dawood & Ahmed, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
Archery.
The Prophet ﷺ passed by a group of Aslam who were competing in shooting arrows. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Shoot, O sons of Ismaa‘eel, for your father was an archer. Shoot, and I am with the tribe of So-and-so.” One of the two groups stopped shooting, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “What is the matter with you, why are you not shooting?” They said: O Messenger of Allah, how could we shoot when you are with them? He said: “Shoot, for I am with all of you.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Undoubtedly the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to train in horsemanship and the skills of fighting and running, and they were extremely strong and tough.
Swimming
It is soundly narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “Everything in which there is no remembrance of Allah is idle play, except four things: a man playing with his wife; a man training his horse; a man running between two lines (as in a race); and a man learning how to swim.” (Narrated by an-Nasaa’i in as-Sunan al-Kubra (8889); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah 315).
Exercise and Body Building
Exercise increases muscle tone, improves flexibility, enhances endurance, strengthens the heart and fights depression. Exercise also helps achieve significant weight loss. Aerobic exercise fights heart disease and high blood pressure, and reduces the risk of diabetes, while weight training increases muscle strength and reduces fat, increases bone density, fights back pain and arthritis, and improves overall mental health.
Bodybuilding aims to make the body strong and sound, which is an important and desirable goal.
But when Islam accepts sports and encourages us to engage in them, it does not make them a goal in and of themselves, rather sport is considered to be a means of protecting the sacred limits of Islam and the dignity and rights of the Muslims, in the belief that strength is one of the most important means of achieving victory and prevailing in the face of challenges and warding off the threats that face Islam.
Please note bodybuilding with the intention to show off a toned body is not from Sunnah, infact it is haram to uncover the awrah in front of others and also it is not permissible to show off the body shape (even for men) i.e. to wear skin tight clothing which men who workout tend to wear.
What is good in this regard is that which helps the Muslim to maintain good health, to practise Islam, to strive for the sake of Allaah and to do the acts of worship which require physical strength such as Hajj or helping the Ummah by volunteering.
What benefit can a Muslim gain if his body is as strong as a bull, but his heart is devoid of faith and all virtue?
Build Endurance
Looking at the process of the call to Islam of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Mecca and then in Medina, one can easily perceive that patience and endurance had a fundamental role in it.
Allah says
Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)
"Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)
ISBIRU WA SAABIRU - Oh you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy. Vie in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be pious, that you may prosper." (3:200)
Unfortunately men of today is confined to air conditioned rooms and hoping to make a change from there because they cannot stand the pain and the difficulty they would face going out for Dawah or to help the Ummah. Forget the noble act of giving away our life to help the Ummah, we are scared to just get hurt. No one wants to come out of their comfort zone. People aren’t just born with a higher pain tolerance. Pain tolerance is something that’s built up over time and with efforts. We need to work harder for the Sake of the Ummah.
HIJAAMA | CUPPING
Hijamah refers to the extraction of blood from the body by means of cupping using a suitable vessel. It was well-known that the purpose of Hijaama was to extract blood which is harmful to the body.
Hijama therapy is beneficial for physical health and can improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
According to traditional medicine, Hijama therapy can help to balance the body’s energy and improve mental health by releasing negative emotions and promoting relaxation. Modern research has shown that Hijama therapy stimulates the release of endorphins and other feel-good hormones, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Virtues of Hijama mentioned in the Sunnah
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Healing is in three things: drinking honey, the incision of a cupper, and cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my ummah to use cauterizing.” (Sahih Bukhari)
“The best medicine with which you treat yourselves is cupping, or it is one of the best of your medicines.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
“The best days on which to have Hijaama performed are 17th, 19th and 21st. I did not pass a gathering of Angels on the night I was taken on the night journey except that they said: You should have Hijaama, O Muhammad.’ (Tirmidhi, Ahmad & Hakim; classed as Hasan by Albani)
Benefits of cupping
Cupping has real benefits in treating many diseases, past and present. The diseases which have been treated by cupping and for which it has been of benefit by Allah’s Leave include the following:
Circulatory diseases
Treating blood pressure and infection of the heart muscle
Diseases of the chest and trachea
Headache and pains in the eyes
Pain in the neck and stomach, and rheumatic pain in the muscles
Some diseases of the heart and chest, and pain in the joints
In addition, cupping may offer a unique treatment which may reduce pain, and it does not have any side-effects. For more information on the benefits of cupping, please see Zad al-Ma’ad by Ibn al-Qayyim, 4/52, and al-Hijamah: Ahkamuha wa Fawaiduha by Ibrahim al-Hazimi.
A Strong Man
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The strong man is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong man is one who controls himself in a fit of rage." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet ﷺ passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger than him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn Hijr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath, 10/519)
The Strongest
We conclude this class by reminding the ultimate source of strength is faith. The Life of the Sahaba is the example, not all of them were built like Umar R.A. but each one of them could take on many enemies in battle, it was their strong belief and the hope for rewards in the hereafter. The strongest amongst us would be the person who has good health and uses it to worship Allah and exerts himself or herself to help the Ummah for His Sake. What use is strength if it is just to show off or to oppress others by bullying them? Do not make this great blessing a means of being questioned or punished on the day of Judgement.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the virtues of Hijaamah.
Remember the types of exercises.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 5 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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