The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was once reported to have said, "There are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge of religion and knowledge of the body." The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) frequently commented upon the nature and value of various foods and spices. These comments were noted by his wives and companions (r.a.) and remain available to us today.
Before presenting a selection of the Hadith specifically relating to health, it is necessary to reflect for a moment on the nature of some of these recommendations. To some people, the advice which follows may seem quaint, old-fashioned, or simply bizarre. Some may feel that a particular statement has not been or cannot be confirmed by scientific knowledge. However, all of the statements and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are woven upon the nucleus of divine inspiration, and so do not admit of any error, inaccuracy, or amendment. A few illustrations will make this clear.
There is a Hadith that says that if a fly falls into a liquid while one is preparing to drink it, the person should first dip the fly completely under the surface of the water and submerge the fly totally before removing it. This advice seems very strange, if not dangerous.
Medically it is known that a fly carries some pathogens on some parts of its body (this was mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad [s.a.w.] 1,400 years ago, when there was practically no formal medical knowledge). But Allah has said that He created no disease without also creating its remedy, except death (meaning the decline of old age). Therefore, in modern times penicillin has been discovered, which is used to counteract harmful organisms such as staphylococci. However, Dr. Muhammad M. el-Samahy, director of the Department of Hadith at al-Azhar University at Cairo, Egypt, has written an article revealing the astute medical genius of this apparently mysterious advice.
Dr. el-Samahy relates that microbiologists have discovered that there are longitudinal cells living as parasites inside the stomach of the fly. These yeast cells, as part of their own reproductive cycle, protrude through the respiratory tubules of the fly. When the fly is dipped completely into a liquid, the resulting change in the osmotic pressure causes the cells to burst. The contents of those cells is an antidote for pathogens which the fly carries on its body. Thus, the latest research in microbiology confirms what has been known from Prophetic knowledge for 1,400 years.
Another example concerns the advice to take a small amount of salt before beginning a meal. This in particular seems to be contradicted by modern medical wisdom, which stresses the harmful effects of excess salt consumption. However, a knowledge of the metabolism of the body illustrates the wisdom of this suggestion as well.
Salt is composed of two chemicals: sodium and chloride. The chlorides present in salt constitute the only readily available source of chlorides with which the body can manufacture hydrochloric acid, vital for proper digestion in the stomach. Thus, taking in a small amount of salt prior to the meal allows any deficiency of hydrochloric acid to be made up just before introducing new food.
It should be added that the harmful effects of excess salt are primarily associated with raised levels of sodium, not chlorides. In fact, persons who eliminate salt entirely from their diet may be subject to further disease caused by lack of proper levels of hydrochloric acid.
These two examples prove that there is indeed intelligent medical reason-ing for following the recommendations of these Hadith. It is true that not all of these Hadith have been submitted to scientific confirmation. It must be pointed out, however, that even if scientific experiments were done to confirm each and every statement, the fact that science did not, or could not, confirm its value would not negate the truth of the statement.
For scientific knowledge is constantly changing, and too often experiments have been found to be done incorrectly, and even intentionally falsified. For the Sufi, it is sufficient that Allah has mentioned, or inspired His Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) to advise, a practice. Human knowledge or experience can never contradict or amend the divine knowledge and commandments.
Once these words of advice are integrated into dietary habits, one will discover that every action is perfectly in accord with human nature, and immense health benefits will accrue to anyone applying them with sincerity.
Not only can various recipes be gleaned from the commentaries that follow, but also individual foods and herbs are often prescribed as medicines.
It is impossible to state with finality which food or herb would be given in a particular case, because the person must be present before the healer or physician, in order for him to make a correct diagnosis of the imbalance. Nonetheless, the foods discussed in the following sections should be preferred over others, and the suggestions for combining them adhered to.
It must be remembered that it is not simply the eating of one or more foods that marks the Sufi's behavior. There are many other aspects of behavior that bear upon health like fasting, prayer, giving of alms, and other practices and these other factors may have a greater total impact on health than any foods.
