Health as a Human Right in Islam-Part 4

Health as a
Human Right in
Islam
Farhad Zargari, MD, PhD

Contents
 1. Introduction
 2. Protection of the Human Body
 3. Importance of Health in Islam
 4. Health Factors
 5. The Right to Health
 5.1- Responsibility for Oneself
 5.2- Responsibility of Society
 5.3- Responsibility of State
 6. References
2

 From the Islamic standpoint, the right to health assigns
responsibility in three different directions all at the same
time:
 To Oneself
 To Society
 To the State
The Right to Health
The Right
to Health
Responsibility
for ONESELF
Responsibility
for SOCIETY
Responsibility
for STATE
4

5.1- Responsibility for
Oneself
5

The Right to Health: Responsibility for oneself
 It is first of all, a responsibility to oneself. This, as has
already been stated, is unique to Islam, summed up in the
Prophet’s (PBUH)statement: “Your body has a right over
you”.
6

 If we follow Al-Shatibi’s classification, “health protection is
ensured through two distinct matters:
 The first is to strengthen its structure and consolidate its
foundation, which means to take good care of what we have
of health, while the second is to protect it against any
negative development, present or future risks and pathogens,
which means to take care of it in case it withers away”.
7

 It outlines two types of measures. The first aims at
strengthening and consolidating all aspects of health:
physical, mental and environmental, or what we may call
today as ‘health promotion measures’, while the second
type are ‘health protection measures that aim to protect all
physical, mental and environmental health aspects against
any present or future negative developments.
8
Health
Promotion Health
Protection
Preventive
Curative

 The health promotion measures include everything that
protects and enhances human health. It is remarkable that
Islam considers any negligence in taking such measures a
type of transgression. Balanced nutrition, for example, is a
health promotion measure, while neglecting to have proper
and healthy nutrition, without reasonable justification, is
contrary to health care.
9

 Islam considers this to be a transgression, as we read in the
Quran: Believers, do not forbid yourselves the good things
God has made lawful to you. Do not transgress; God does
not love the transgressors. Eat of what God has provided
for you of lawful and wholesome things.(5:87–88)
 These verses were revealed in connection with the case of
some people who wanted to forbid themselves certain
types of food, but their action was considered to be hostile
to health, as clearly understood from these Quranic verses.
10

Responsibility
for ONESELF
1. Personal
Hygiene
2. Nutrition 4. Marriage
3. Respect
for the
Body
11

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 1. Personal Hygiene
 Islamic religious jurisprudence (Fiqh) includes a number of
regulations involving cleanliness during salat (obligatory
daily prayer) through Wudu(Face and Hands Washing)and
Ghusl(Taking Bath), as well as dietary laws and toilet
etiquette for Muslims. The fiqh is based on admonitions in
the Qur'an for Muslims to be ritually clean whenever
possible, as well as ahadith (words, actions, or habits of the
prophet Muhammad PBUH and Imams).
12
1. Personal Hygiene

 Muslims throughout the world have extremely high
standards of personal hygiene, because Islam places great
emphasis on both physical and spiritual, cleanliness and
purification. While humankind in general usually considers
cleanliness to be a pleasing attribute, Islam insists on
it. Muslims are required to take care of their personal
hygiene by assuring that they are well groomed, and that
their bodies, clothing, and surroundings are clean.
13
1. Personal Hygiene

 Cleanliness is a pillar of health in Islam.
 The Prophet(PBUH)informed his companions and thus all of
us, about the importance of cleanliness when he said:
"Cleanliness is part of being faithful.“
14
"Cleanliness is
Part of Being
Faithful.“
1. Personal Hygiene

 Taking care of the whole body or of each particular organ is
an important area of health promotion. Here are some of
the Islamic texts that stress this aspect:
 Believers, when you are about to pray, wash your face, and
your hands and arms up to the elbows, and pass your wet
hands lightly over your heads, and wash your feet up to the
ankles.(5:6)
15
1. Personal Hygiene

 Prophet of Islam (PBUH) said: "Try to be clean as much as
you are able to. Verily, Allah has based the foundation of
Islam on cleanliness; hence, never can a person enter
Paradise but the clean ones.“
 The word “clean” in this statement means both physical as
well as spiritual cleanliness.
16
1. Personal Hygiene

 And your garments do purify (keep free from dirt).(74:4)
 Hands should be washed when one touches something
polluted or unclean; likewise, before or after eating.
 The Prophet(PBUH) said: "Whoever sleeps and his hands are
not clean from fat and thereby gets harmed should blame no
one but himself".
 “The Prophet(PBUH) used to wash his hands before eating.”
17
1. Personal Hygiene

 The Prophet (PBUH) said: “In fact God is pure, He likes the
pure. He is clean, He likes the clean.”
 Imam Baqir (PBUH) said: “Sweeping your houses will
eliminate poverty. “
 Imam Ali (PBUH) said: “Do not collect the trash outside
your house since it is a source of evil.”
 He also said: “Attend to cleaning with all your strength,
since God the Almighty has established Islam on
cleanliness. No one shall enter Heaven, but the clean.”
18
1. Personal Hygiene

 Imam Baqir (PBUH) said: “If the people only knew how
beneficial a toothbrush is, they would take it to bed with
them.”
 He also said: “Sweeping your houses will eliminate
poverty.”
 Imam Sadegh (PBUH) said: “Washing the dishes and
sweeping your courtyards will increase your daily bread.”
 He also said: “Brushing the teeth and oral hygiene are of
the attributes of divine Prophets.”
19
1. Personal Hygiene

 “When anyone of you performs ablutions, let him introduce
water into his nostrils and then blow it out.”
 “It is reported that the Prophet(PBUH) used to wipe the
inner corner of his eyes.”
 The Prophet(PBUH) is quoted:
 “Whoever has hair should take care of it.”
 “If you defecate, wash or wipe the place [of defecation] three
times.”
20
1. Personal Hygiene

 Brushing teeth consists of rubbing the teeth with a
“miswak” or a toothbrush and is necessary for preserving
the health of teeth and gums.
 The Prophet(PBUH) said: "Brushing the teeth purifies the
mouth and pleases God."
 “Clean your gums from food and brush your teeth.”
21
1. Personal Hygiene

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 2. Nutrition
 Islam's holistic approach to health includes treating our
bodies with respect and nourishing them with, not only
faith, but also with lawful (Halal), nutritious food.
 A major part of living life according to the Creator's
instructions is implementing a suitable diet. Choosing
wholesome food and avoiding the unwholesome is
essential to good health.
 "Eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth." (2:168)
22
2. Nutrition

 Another area of health promotion is balanced nutrition, in
quality and quantity which is again highlighted in the
Islamic teachings:
 Eat of the good things which We have provided for you as
sustenance.(2:172)
 Eat of the good things which We have provided for you as
sustenance, but do not transgress therein.(20:81)
23
Eat and drink,
but avoid excess.
Holy Quran:
2. Nutrition

 The Quran contains many verses of advice about healthy
eating that relate to the interconnectedness of physical and
spiritual health. Encouragement to eat only good and pure
food is often combined with warnings to remember God
and avoid Satan. Healthy eating not only satisfies hunger
but also has an effect on how well we worship.
 "O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful
and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed,
he is to you a clear enemy." (2:168)
24
2. Nutrition

 And He creates cattle: you derive warmth from them, and
[various other] benefits; and from them you obtain
food.(16:5)
 And He is who has made the sea subservient [to His laws],
so that you may eat fresh meat from it.(16:14)
 Eat of their fruit when it comes to fruition.(6:141)
25
2. Nutrition

 Islam commands food to be covered and not left exposed
to pollution.
 The Prophet(PBUH) said:
 " Always cover food utensils."
 "Always cover food and drinks."
26
2. Nutrition

 God has also provided us with a list of foods that are
forbidden and apart from these everything else is
considered lawful.
 "Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead animals - cattle-
beast not slaughtered, blood, the flesh of swine, and the
meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for
other than God..." (5:3)
 "...and intoxicants." (5:91-92)
27
2. Nutrition

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 1.
 Regarding the issue of eating and drinking, the Prophet
(PBUH) said the following which is the key to health:
 Eat when you have an appetite, and stop eating while you still
have an appetite to eat.
 Certainly overeating is very harmful for the digestive system,
and is a great threat to our health.
 The best way to maintain health and vigor, and be thin and
agile and live a long life is to eat only when you are hungry
and to stop eating before you get full.
28
2. Nutrition

 The Prophet (PBUH) said: Abstain from overeating since it
will spoil your body and cause illness and sluggishness in
prayers.
 Imam Ali (PBUH) said: Man's soul is spoiled by overeating
and oversleeping and brings losses to him/her.
 He also said: One who overeats is not healthy, and he/she
has to pay a high price.
29
2. Nutrition

 Imam Ali (PBUH) told his son Imam Hasan (PBUH): "Shall I
teach you four traits by which you will be in no need of any
medical treatment?"
 "Yes," he answered. Then, Imam said:
 Do not sit for food (in order to eat) unless you are hungry;
 And, do not leave the (table of) food but you still have an
appetite for it;
 Chew (your food in your mouth) well;
 And, when you want to go to bed, (primarily) go to the water-
closet to ease nature.
 If you take these in action, you will be in no need of any
medical treatment."
30
2. Nutrition

 Imam Musa Kazim (PBUH) said: "There are five sunnah
about the head and five others related to the body.
Washing the mouth,
 Trimming the moustache,
 Combing the hair,
 Drawing up water through the mouth
 Drawing up water through the nostrils.
 The second five, concerning the body, are:
 Circumcision,
 Shaving the pubic hair,
 Depilating the armpits,
 Clipping the nails,
 Cleansing the privy parts (with water, tissue, cloth, etc., while
water is preferable)."
31
2. Nutrition

 “Man does not overfill a container to worse effect than his
stomach. Let suffice the sons of Adam a few mouthfuls to
sustain them. Should temptation be too strong for a
person, let him make one-third for food, one-third for drink
and one third for his breathing.”
Al-Tirmithi
32
2. Nutrition

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 3. Marriage
 Another area is the emphasis Islam places on marriage, as it
has a highly important role in protecting physical, mental
and reproductive health:
 God has given you spouses of your own kind.(16:72)
 He creates for you mates out of your own kind, so that you
incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness
between you.(30:21)
33
3. Marriage

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 3. Marriage
 Some of the sayings of the prophet(PBUH) in this regard
are as follows:
 “Marriage is part of my tradition; those who do not follow
my tradition are not part of my followers.”
 “Young people! Whoever of you can afford to marry
should get married.”
 “The Prophet warned against committing oneself to
celibacy.”
34
3. Marriage

1. Responsibility for Oneself: 4. Respect for the body
 Another aspect is the requirement
 To give every body-organ its due measure of health care,
 To work within one’s ability,
 To strengthen one’s body by suitable fitness exercise
 To do whatever is beneficial to human health.
35
4. Respect for the body

 “Your eyes have a right over you.”
 “Fulfil what you can reasonably do.”
 “A strong believer is better than a weak believer.”
 “Maintain whatever is of benefit to you.”
36

 Protective measures which are within one’s responsibility to
oneself are based on God’s clear order:
 Do not kill yourselves, for God is merciful to you.(4:29)
 It also relies on further statements such as:
 Do not with your own hands throw yourselves to ruin.(2:195)
37

 “There shall be no infliction of harm on oneself or others.”
Furthermore, God orders us:
 Abandon all sin, be it open or secret.(6:120)
 God, limitless is He in His glory, describes alcoholic drinks and
gambling, stating: In both there is great evil although they
have some benefits for people, but their evil far exceeds their
benefit.(2:219)
 He has thus placed evil in contrast with benefit, which means
that evil in this sense is harm, and it is forbidden as we clearly
see in Quranic texts.
38

 Islam opens the way for the individual to satisfy this aspect
of human rights, commanding that all measures of disease
prevention should be adopted, because preventive
measures ensure protection. The Prophet(PBUH) says:
“Whoever takes precautions against evil shall be spared it”.
39

 Both the Quran and the sunna abound with statements
about various types of protective measures that may be
taken by individuals to protect themselves. Here are only a
few examples:
40
1. Avoidance
of infectious
diseases
2. Protective
measures against
accidental injury
3. Abstention from all
harmful substances,
such as alcohol, drugs
and smoking
Respect for
the Body

Respect for the Body:
 1. Avoidance of infectious diseases:
 Do not come near adultery. It is indeed an abomination
and an evil way.(17:32)
 Do not commit any shameful deeds, be they open or
secret.(6:151)
 Prophet (PBUH) stated:
 “The worst thing that I fear for my community is the practice
of Lot’s people [i.e. homosexuality].”
 “Should you learn of an outbreak of the plague in a certain
area, do not enter it.”
41

 2. Protective measures against accidental injury as
described by Prophet (PBUH):
 “If you stop to sleep while travelling by night avoid the main
roads as it is the track of animals and the refuge of pests.”
 “Put out the lights when you go to bed, shut the doors, close
water skins and cover water and food containers.”
 “Whoever sleeps on a rooftop without walls is disowned by
the Muslim community.”
 “The Prophet (PBUH) warns against staying alone at home
and travelling alone.”
42

 3. Abstention from all harmful substances, such as alcohol,
drugs and smoking:
 They ask you about drinking and gambling. Say: In both
there is great evil although they have some benefits for
people, but their evil far exceeds their benefit.(2:219)
 Intoxicants, games of chance, idolatrous practices and
divining arrows are abominations devised by Satan.
Therefore, turn away from them so that you may
prosper.(5:90)
43

 3. Abstention from all harmful substances, such as alcohol,
drugs and smoking:
 “The Prophet(PBUH) warns against all forms of intoxicants
and narcotics.”
 “Every intoxicant is forbidden, and every narcotic is forbidden,
and anything that causes intoxication when taken in a large
quantity is forbidden even in a small quantity, as is anything
that dims reason.”
44

Health as a Human Right in Islam-Part 4

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