In Islam, the importance of health
Physical health is a great blessing from Allah. In the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), just like in other aspects of life, there is also the best guidance available for physical health. It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) advised.
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ اَلْمُؤْمِنُ اَلْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اَللَّهِ مِنْ اَلْمُؤْمِنِ اَلضَّعِيفِ, وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ, اِحْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ, وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ, وَلَا تَعْجَزْ, وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَيْءٌ فَلَا تَقُلْ: لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا, وَلَكِنْ قُلْ: قَدَّرَ اَللَّهُ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ; فَإِنَّ لَوْ تَفْتَحُ عَمَلَ اَلشَّيْطَانِ } أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not give up. If anything afflicts you do not say, ‘If I had done such and such things, such and such would have happened.’ But say, ‘Allah decrees and what He wills He does,’ for (the utterance) ‘If I had’ provides an opening for the deeds of the devil.” Related by Muslim. (Bulugh al-Maram)
Honorable Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) not only granted permission but also encouraged every such activity that not only strengthens human health but also contributes to the preservation and elevation of religion. For example, activities like archery, target shooting, javelin throwing, horse riding, and swimming, all have the blessed guidance of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) recorded in the Hadith literature. For instance, Hazrat Uqbah bin Amir (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيُدْخِلُ بِالسَّهْمِ الْوَاحِدِ ثَلاَثَةً الْجَنَّةَ صَانِعَهُ يَحْتَسِبُ فِي صَنْعَتِهِ الْخَيْرَ وَالرَّامِيَ بِهِ وَالْمُمِدَّ بِهِ ” . وَقَالَ ” ارْمُوا وَارْكَبُوا وَلأَنْ تَرْمُوا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَرْكَبُوا كُلُّ مَا يَلْهُو بِهِ الرَّجُلُ الْمُسْلِمُ بَاطِلٌ إِلاَّ رَمْيَهُ بِقَوْسِهِ وَتَأْدِيبَهُ فَرَسَهُ وَمُلاَعَبَتَهُ أَهْلَهُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ ” .
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Husain: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indeed, Allah will surely admit three into Paradise by a single arrow. Its maker who seeks good by his making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who holds arrows for him.” And he said: “Practice archery and practice riding, and the you should practice archery is more beloved to me than that you should ride. All idle pastimes that the Muslim man engages in are falsehood, except for his shooting of his bow, his training of his horse, and his playing with his wife, for they are from truth.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)
