To the exclusion of all other species, humans are an exceptionally complex and dynamic living creature on Earth. His cognitive functions, intellectual faculties, freedom of choice and action, and his relentless creative instincts for exploration and invention make him unique and phenomenal. His perspectives and perceptions, his view of the universe around him, and his understanding of his role in it make him mission-directed and accountable to his Creator. The sense instilled in his conscience guides him to discern between good and bad.
Thus, man is not merely a physical entity, simply needing some food and drink for survival. Islam considers him a multi-dimensional whole person and cares for his total well-being. A multitude of factors contribute to his physical, mental and social health, and influence his state of mind for effective functioning of his matchless gifted potential. An intellectual frame of reference and a sound belief system, consistent with human rationality, provide mental and spiritual stability necessary for living a prolific life. Islam approaches his wellbeing from every aspect conceivable so that he can live a productive life with dignity, meaning, and purpose.
Islam is a comprehensive discipline and a pathway to a total life. It is a combination of social, political, and economic institutions, in conjunction with the law and order, focused on family and society. In practice, it guides a person in every aspect of life for a healthy, clean, righteous, and balanced conduct with a noble lifestyle. His conduct includes his belief system, devotional services, family values, fiscal responsibilities, transactional activities, civic duties, and interpersonal relations.
Personal hygiene is very basic to healthcare. It is also the starting point in Islam. Soon after entering Islam, the first order of business is personal hygiene to achieve purification, both physical and spiritual, to be able to offer daily prayers. Purification includes the cleanliness of beliefs, body, clothes, eating, drinking, and the environment. Islam considers life as a sacred trust that must be respected, protected, and maintained in good form so that an individual can effectively function and advance in his mission. All measures within means must be taken to preserve or enhance the quality of life. Such a lifestyle brings clarity in thoughts, purity in morals, and honesty in social relationships. One who conforms to these standards never comes into conflict with nature and is always at peace with oneself.
Islam, with its entire spectrum of rules, provides guidance for nourishing moral, social, economic, mental, and physical well-being. The primary aim of all acts of worship in Islam is bonding with the Divine. Yet, they all involve mental, physical, medical, social, and economic mobilizations that contribute to the overall physical fitness of a person continually. The positive role of physical exercise in health management is generally recognized. Islam does that too by structuring all acts of worship in a way that involves physical exertion. All acts of worship have this feature integrated in them. The obligation of daily prayers, for instance, involves recursive body motion routines that tend to strengthen joint flexibility and improve blood circulation, repeated five times a day, starting pre-sunrise until retiring for the day.
The annual shutdown of the physical system through a month-long intense discipline of fasting overhauls the body, which medical studies find extremely beneficial for health. The body of a fasting person cleanses itself by removing bad cells from the system. There is evidence of weight loss, reduced blood sugar, and cholesterol levels in those who complete a month of self-deprivation. Improved self-control and re-regulated eating habits enable one to avoid unhealthy foods and overindulgence.
The annual Hajj is physically very exhausting. It integrates all forms of worship with physical rigor to provide a global perspective of humanity and the realization of one’s own triviality. Likewise, the annual poor-due (2.50 % of accumulated wealth) connects the affluent in society with the needy through generosity and fiscal responsibility. Concern for others is nothing but humanity.
There are certain gifts of life that are often taken for granted and neglected until taken away. Two of them, as described by the Prophet of Islam, are health and leisure. Without health, a person is fully or partially limited in their functional capacity, and with time out, nothing matters; it’s over. While a person is alive, he bears the responsibility to preserve his health by all means within reach.
Two major factors that have far-reaching impact on our body and mind are diet and physical exercise. The discoveries in medicine suggest we are what we eat. Islam has been sounding that since day one. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, being selective in eating and drinking choices, work ethics, relaxation, exercise, hygiene, cleanliness precautions, and sleeping schedule are not just pieces of advice from the Prophet, but rather specific instructions that have a cumulative impact on the soundness of our physical system and cognitive functions.
Regarding healthy dietary habits, Islam prescribes a three-pronged approach to staying healthy and well. It identifies foods that are healthy and allowable to eat; foods that are unhealthy and prohibited to eat; and how much to eat of what is allowable. Allowable foods are those which are pure and wholesome; prohibited are those which are harmful to the health or sanity of a person.
Islam is a path to moderation and aims at optimizing human potential. Not only does it require balance in all pursuits, but it also firmly rebukes excessiveness and extremism. To the Prophet, moderation is a sign of man’s wisdom. Even in consuming healthy food and drink, moderation is advised.
Obesity or being overweight leads to many serious health issues. Unless genetic, its origin is eating unhealthy food and overeating. The stomach is the house of all diseases, and abstinence is the head of every remedy. Eating a lot without leaving a chance for digestion is the main cause of death. The Prophet addresses this issue head-on. He says no man fills a container worse than his stomach. If he has to, then he should keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for his breathing. All difficulty is in the belly. It is the hub of all diseases.
Alcoholism is known to be a serious addiction, health hazard, and behavioral disorder. Over 3 million people die of alcohol-related causes globally every year. Equally chronic is the gambling problem. It is generally accepted that people with one addiction are more at risk of developing another. According to a WHO report, of nearly one million suicides each year, 5% are committed by compulsive gamblers. Islam strictly prohibits gambling and all alcoholic beverages, intoxicants, and addictive substances as harmful to human health and mental state. What is prohibited is prohibited for all; and what is prohibited in large quantity is also prohibited in small quantity, in any form or shape.
The role of physical activity and exercise in maintaining health cannot be overstated. Both are important pieces of a healthy lifestyle, and each contributes to our overall physical fitness. Islam emphasizes the nourishment and maintenance of both spiritual and physical strength. A person cannot be at peace and live in a thoughtful manner without health being in order. Mental wellness is crucial, in particular, as Islam demands vigilance in every aspect of life.
The leader of Islam was a very athletic individual. He used to regularly walk and participate in physical activities. He was a mountain hiker and a camper. Swimming, racing, horse riding, archery, running between two targets, and wrestling are some of the sports he sponsored. The Islamic lifestyle demands physical exertion, including walking, running, and other physically stressful activities. The purification of belief, body, and mind, and social and moral behavior, cultivates a lifestyle of purity in a person. Personal hygiene, a healthy and balanced diet, protection of physical and mental health, and a clean environment are components of the process that Islam focuses on.
Presented at Integrating Religion in Global Health Strategies, Global Health Catalyst Summit, MIT/Harvard University, September 20, 2025
Islamic Point of View 