J Relig Health (2014) 53:1003–1012 DOI 10.1007/s10943-013-9698-x IMPRESSIONISTIC REPORTING
What Does Islam Say About Dieting? Mohammad Zakir Hossain
Published online: 6 March 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract Dieting is very important to maintain a healthy and peaceful life. Today, most of the health problems are related with dieting. Thus, the modern health science recommends a number of suggestions regarding dieting for better health such as learning the five basic food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat); eating three times a day; decreasing the amount of fat; increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables and grains; including an adequate amount of iron; and avoiding excessive rich food, salt, sugar, and fat. Religion can also play a vital role for our good health and lifestyle. The main concern of this paper was to present an analytical justification regarding what Islam as a religion advocates about dieting along with the modern food and nutrition sciences. Keywords Nutrition
Dieting Religion Health Islam Qur’an Sunnah Food Science
Introduction Dieting is the practice of eating food in a proper and regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a good health for a person. In most cases, dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight particularly for those who are overweight or obese. Today, most of the health problems are related to diet. For example, iron deficiency anemia, overweight, tooth decay, intestinal problems, coronary artery diseases, high blood pressure, etc., are mostly related to diet. Unfortunately, all these problems are mainly man-made etiology with consuming rich food, too much food, too much salt, too much sugar, smoking, too much stress, and alcoholism. If we can give up excessive salt, sugar, and cholesterol from our diet, and do not drink and smoke, and stay active, it would be possible M. Z. Hossain (&) College of Economics and Political Science, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 20, 123 Al-Khoud, Muscat, Oman e-mail:
[email protected] M. Z. Hossain House # 142, Rd # 1, DOHS, Baridhara, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh
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to keep the heart and arteries from rusting inside (Athar 2010). So, diet plays a very important role in the daily life of a person. In order to achieve a good dieting behavior, food scientists and researchers recommend a number of suggestions such as learning the five basic food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat); eating three times a day; decreasing the amount of fat; increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains; including an adequate amount of iron; avoiding excessive salt, sugar, and fat; knowing what to eat, how to eat, and how much to eat; and so on. For a better health, we must need a better dieting which should be well balanced, healthy servings from the main food groups, plenty of water, and a limited consumption of junk foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. However, this is not very easy to maintain in practice. In case of overweight, for example, we should take serious attention to both dieting and exercise. In most cases, dieting does not mean cutting out certain foods entirely, or limiting our food choices only with some raw vegetables. A healthy diet is one of moderation and attention to how many calories we consume each day compared to how many we burn off. Both sides of the equation need to be properly adjusted to suit our better lifestyle (Howard 2006). As has already been mentioned, the best approach to healthy living involves both taking care of our regular diets and doing adequate exercise, rather than trying to control one at the expense of the other. In fact, our body requires a certain level of both nutrition and activity in order to keep its functioning at the best level. And, once we can figure out a healthy food balance for ourselves, special dieting will not be a serious problem. In reality, diet is a personal affair, as each person is different in terms of metabolism, dietary preferences, and optimal activity level. Thus, we need to find the approach to healthy living that works for good health—too much deprivation is not a good thing either and will make it harder to stick to a strict plan. We need to consult our doctor or a professional dietician if we are having a hard time getting our weight under control, and in this way, we will soon be on our way to more optimal health. In addition to the modern dieting system, what Islam as a religion does say about dieting? This is the main concern of this paper. The organization of the paper is as follows. The first section presents the introductory discussion about dieting in the current context. What the holy Qur’an advocates about dieting is discussed in the second section. The third section provides the teaching of Prophet (SAW) about dieting. What type of animal we should eat is discussed in the fourth section. The fifth section analyses why alcohol is forbidden in Islam. A final section concludes the paper.
What does the Holy Qur’an Say About Dieting In this section, we would like to discuss about what does the holy Qur’an advocates us about dieting. There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an which draw our attention to carefully look after our body and soul and their mutual relationship. It is very much required to keep the physical body healthy so that the soul and spirit may also remain healthy in order to serve both of our material and spiritual attainment. Diet can play a very important role in this regard. For this reason, Islam has prohibited certain foods due to their bad effects on our body and permitted all other pure, good, and clean foods. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘‘O’Believers! Eat the good and pure (lawful) things that We have provided you and be grateful to Allah, if you truly worship Him.’’ (2:172)
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to keep the heart and arteries from rusting inside (Athar 2010). So, diet plays a very important role in the daily life of a person. In order to achieve a good dieting behavior, food scientists and researchers recommend a number of suggestions such as learning the five basic food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat); eating three times a day; decreasing the amount of fat; increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains; including an adequate amount of iron; avoiding excessive salt, sugar, and fat; knowing what to eat, how to eat, and how much to eat; and so on. For a better health, we must need a better dieting which should be well balanced, healthy servings from the main food groups, plenty of water, and a limited consumption of junk foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. However, this is not very easy to maintain in practice. In case of overweight, for example, we should take serious attention to both dieting and exercise. In most cases, dieting does not mean cutting out certain foods entirely, or limiting our food choices only with some raw vegetables. A healthy diet is one of moderation and attention to how many calories we consume each day compared to how many we burn off. Both sides of the equation need to be properly adjusted to suit our better lifestyle (Howard 2006). As has already been mentioned, the best approach to healthy living involves both taking care of our regular diets and doing adequate exercise, rather than trying to control one at the expense of the other. In fact, our body requires a certain level of both nutrition and activity in order to keep its functioning at the best level. And, once we can figure out a healthy food balance for ourselves, special dieting will not be a serious problem. In reality, diet is a personal affair, as each person is different in terms of metabolism, dietary preferences, and optimal activity level. Thus, we need to find the approach to healthy living that works for good health—too much deprivation is not a good thing either and will make it harder to stick to a strict plan. We need to consult our doctor or a professional dietician if we are having a hard time getting our weight under control, and in this way, we will soon be on our way to more optimal health. In addition to the modern dieting system, what Islam as a religion does say about dieting? This is the main concern of this paper. The organization of the paper is as follows. The first section presents the introductory discussion about dieting in the current context. What the holy Qur’an advocates about dieting is discussed in the second section. The third section provides the teaching of Prophet (SAW) about dieting. What type of animal we should eat is discussed in the fourth section. The fifth section analyses why alcohol is forbidden in Islam. A final section concludes the paper.
What does the Holy Qur’an Say About Dieting In this section, we would like to discuss about what does the holy Qur’an advocates us about dieting. There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an which draw our attention to carefully look after our body and soul and their mutual relationship. It is very much required to keep the physical body healthy so that the soul and spirit may also remain healthy in order to serve both of our material and spiritual attainment. Diet can play a very important role in this regard. For this reason, Islam has prohibited certain foods due to their bad effects on our body and permitted all other pure, good, and clean foods. Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur’an: ‘‘O’Believers! Eat the good and pure (lawful) things that We have provided you and be grateful to Allah, if you truly worship Him.’’ (2:172)
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In the above verse, it has been generally advised to eat good and pure things and not to indulge in impure, bad, and harmful things. The Holy Qur’an further goes on to specify the types of food prohibited in the following verse: ‘‘He (Allah) has only forbidden you (from eating) dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that (animal) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked.’’ (2:173, 16:115) The only four items that have been mentioned in the above verse are absolutely forbidden in Islam for reasons best known to Allah (SWT). Unlike material scientists, the spiritual scientists consider the vibratory nature of food in determining what is uplifting, stimulating, or harmful when it consumed. Hence, the aim of the true devotee is to purify himself from dead animals, blood, and the flesh of swine by nurturing his mode of goodness through pure and spiritually uplifting means. We know that the food we consume, and also the manner in which we share of it, has its own effect on our body and consciousness according to its vibratory quality. Therefore, regulation of diet, for example, eating good and pure things with less and light amount, is very much important for the peace of our body and mind. Overeating, eating dead or terrestrial predatory animals and beasts, drinking blood or alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and other intoxicants are the enemies of moral, healthy, and spiritual minds. All these undesirable foods create bad habits such as taste for intoxicants, illicit sex, gambling, stealing, killing, and so on. Moreover, through evidence-based current research, dead animals and blood have been proved to be very much injurious to human health. While swine flesh is harmful to both physical and moral health, the animal food over which the name of any other than Allah has been invoked is harmful to spiritual health (http:// www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/diet.htm). In the following sections, a detailed discussion has been presented regarding the prohibition of eating dead animals, blood and the flesh of swine, and drinking of alcohol.
Eating Dead Animals A dead animal eater takes the dead animal’s cells, fats, and the waste products, for example, chemical food stuff fed to the animals, drugs injected into the animal in the slaughter house, and the intoxicants, coloring, and tenderizers sprayed on the dead animal by the market suppliers. By the way, hamburgers are made from cow with the four D’s (Dead, Dying, Disabled, or Diseased), and hence, so many children and young adults have been died from eating hamburgers nowadays. It is also suspected that excessive dead meat eaters are prime candidates for degenerative diseases, for example, arthritis, gout, etc. This may be because dead meat is one of the major sources of internal pollution. When an animal is slaughtered, uneliminated waste products remain in the tissue of the animal, which often give the meat its stimulating flavor. Uric acid and adrenaline toxins are secreted into the bloodstream and muscles of animals and get deposited. The fear and struggle to escape death stimulates the secretion of hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and steroids. No edible plant product has similar toxicity. The human body has to work 15 times more to get rid of that toxin, in spite of which some toxins remain and get accumulated in each and every cell. A parasite, known for inducing miscarriage and causing blindness, jaundice, and nervous disorders in newborn babies, was found in samples of dead animal meat from abattoirs and markets, particularly in third world countries. An article in the German Bunte
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magazine, entitled ‘‘Karnka von Tiere’’ (diseases from dead animal), pointed out the diseases that arise from consumption of dead meat, apart from the reckless wastage of precious land and natural resources for livestock breeding. The article also emphasized on the benefits of meatless diet, and the current trend toward vegetarianism by an increasing number of Germans and in other European countries, notably among the younger generation. As a result of overall concern for a healthy diet, meat consumption in the west has been declining. According to the Vegetarian society in UK, 7 % of the population in UK and USA are complete vegetarians with the number constantly increasing (http:// www.celestialhealing.net/physicalveg.html).
Drinking Blood The human consumption of blood of any animal is unlawful today, just as much as it was under the previous ages. For example, during the age of Jewish, God had delivered the children of Israel under Moses’ leadership and He gave them a series of restrictions to regulate their conduct. Of these restrictions, God prohibited them to drink any blood. The priests were permitted to eat of the burnt flesh but the blood was allowed to run forth on the ground so that the life and flesh might be fully separated (Leviticus, 5: 11, 12). It is also to be noted here that the Jews were forbidden to eat of flesh from which the blood had not been separated. In Leviticus 3:17, God forbade the Jews from ever eating fat or blood. In Lev. 7:26, 27, God again reminds His people that they could not eat blood. In Lev 17:11, 14, God again speaks to the children of Israel and forbids them to eat of the blood of any animal and makes other restrictions regarding the eating of flesh that has been killed by another animal. Similarly, the consumption of blood of any animal was forbidden during the age of the Christian. For example, Lord’s commandment to Christians was to ‘‘keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled and from fornication’’ (Acts 15:20). In Acts 15:1, Luke records that some men came from Judea teaching the keeping of the Law of Moses, especially circumcision. In order to settle this question, several men, including Paul and Barnabas, went back to Jerusalem to clarify the matter. They presented their case to Peter and the others, including the other apostles and the elders of the church. As a result of this meeting, Paul, Barnabas, and the other men carried a directive (a letter from the Jerusalem church) back to Antioch telling them that there were only four things in common with the Law of Moses that they were to avoid as Christians. These were (1) pollutions from idols, (2) fornication, (3) things that had been strangled, and (4) the drinking of blood (verse 20). See for detailed discussion, Howard (2011). Why drinking blood is not safe in medical science? Because blood is so rich in iron, and the body has difficulty to excreting excess iron. Any animal that consumes blood regularly runs a risk of iron overdose. In fact, iron is necessary for all animals but in high doses, it can be toxic. This condition in medical science, called hemochromatosis, can cause a wide variety of diseases and problems, including liver damage, buildup of fluid in the lungs, dehydration, low blood pressure, and nervous disorders. The bodies of animals that digest blood have adapted specialized digestive mechanisms. According to Katherine Ramsland in her book ‘‘The Science of Vampires’’ (Penguin Putnam, 2002), the vampire bat ‘‘requires an enormous intake of iron, which helps make hemoglobin for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues. Yet the iron intake is generally higher than what the bat needs, so it has a special process for secreting the excess. When ingested, the blood goes through a tract that is adapted for extracting
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nutrients. Research on this system suggests that bats have a mucous membrane along the intestinal tract that acts as a barrier to prevent too much iron from getting into their bloodstreams.’’ However, we are not vampire bats. Humans did not evolve such an ironextracting mechanism, and hence, drinking blood can kill us. See for detailed discussion, Benjamin (2011).
Eating Flesh of Swine Pig’s body contains many toxins, worms, and latent diseases. Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs. Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs’ lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza. Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds. This can lead to itching and inflammation; sulfur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, results in arthritis, rheumatism, etc. Sulfur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig’s soft mesenchymal tissues and degeneration of human cartilage. Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content. The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found in its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the USA and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms, which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor does salting or smoking kill them. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases, and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs. Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh. Pigs have been used for dissection in biology laboratories due to the similarity between their organs and human organs. People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin. If we pour coke on a slab of pork, and wait a little while, we can see worms crawl out of it. Some other prohibited items have also been mentioned in different chapters of the Holy Qur’an. In Surah al-Ma’idah, the following items have been mentioned along with the four previously mentioned items. These are the animals which have been killed by strangling, or a violent blow, a headlong fall, being gored to death, and those which have been partially eaten by a wild animal and not slaughtered before death, and also those which have been sacrificed on the name of idols. The Qur’an has not only restricted itself in merely mentioning the permissible and impermissible foods but also goes to the extent of giving useful tips regarding a balanced diet, a diet which contains all the useful ingredients required for the growth, strengthening,
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and repairing of the human body. These ingredients include animal protein, fat, calcium, iron, salts, etc. The most balanced diets consist of meat, fish, fresh milk, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Both direct and indirect references have been made regarding the aforementioned. The reference regarding the importance of meat protein in the human diet is given in the following verse: ‘‘And the cattle, He has created them for you, in them there is warmth (clothing) and numerous benefits, and of them you eat.’’ (16:5) In this verse, special reference has been given to the importance of eating despite having said, ‘‘…numerous benefits…’’ Reference regarding other types of meat has also been given such as the meat of fowls in the following verse: ‘‘And the flesh of fowls that they desire.’’ (56:21) Fish has always been considered as a food of very high protein and is very important for human consumption. Allah (SWT) says: ‘‘And from them both (fresh and salt water) you eat fresh tender meat (fish).’’ (35:12) The usefulness of fresh milk is stressed in the following Qur’anic words: ‘‘And verily in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretion and blood, pure milk, palatable to the drinkers.’’ (16:66) The benefits of fruits as good nourishment can be understood from the following verse of the Holy Qur’an: ‘‘And from the fruits of date palms and grapes, you desire strong drink and a goodly provision.’’ (16:67) Similarly, there are many other verses in the Holy Qur’an which cover the whole range of fruits, salads, and vegetables that also play an important role in a nutritious, balanced diet: The Qur’an says: ‘‘It is He who sends down rain from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date palm and its spate come clusters of dates hanging low and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof.’’ (6:99) Islam, being a complete and very practical religion, also teaches and advises us as to what the best method of eating is. We are advised to be moderate in every aspect of our life. Direct reference has been made in the Holy Qur’an regarding moderation in eating and drinking. The Holy Qur’an says: ‘‘And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance, certainly He (Allah) does not like those who waste in extravagance.’’ (7:31)
The Teachings of the Prophet (SAW) About Dieting The Prophet (SAW)—the best of teachers and the mercy of the worlds—has clarified the meaning and limit of moderation in one of his traditions in which he said that one’s worst
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weakness is one’s belly. If you eat, make sure you fill one-third of your stomach with food, one-third with water, and leave one-third for air, that is, leave it empty. During the time of Prophet (SAW), a great Arabian physician and one of the most famous and wise men named Al-Harith Bin Kelda stated in his book Al-Isaba Wal-Tarjama (1385): ‘‘The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition, they return diseased.’’ In short, we are advised to take care of our stomachs and refrain from foods and practices that might pollute the stomach with various diseases. In order to do so, the Prophet (SAW) has always advised us to stop eating before our stomachs are completely full. That means, we need to stop eating when the urge to eat more is still present. The Prophet (SAW) further said: ‘‘The food for two persons is sufficient for three, and the food for three persons is sufficient for four persons.’’ (Bukhari) Islam teaches us many other etiquette’s of eating and drinking. The Prophet (SAW) has made a point of developing remarkably clean and healthy eating habits among his followers. He asked the companions to wash their hands before and after, to start eating with the praise of Allah, to eat using the right hand, not to eat until they really felt hungry, and not to eat and drink excessively. Finally, by praising and thanking Allah for the food and drink, for making it easy to swallow and for producing an exit for it. From the above discussion, it is hoped that the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet, and hygiene can be understood in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Islam has stressed on the importance of these things right from the start unlike health authorities, etc., which have just recently begun to stress its importance. This could be counted as just another gem that manifests the perfection of Islam.
Animals Whose Meat is Good and Bad for Health Based on the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet (SAW), the Islamic Scholars have suggested us regarding good meats and bad meats for the benefits of our health. The animals whose meats are good for our health are listed below: (1) Camel (2) Goat (3) Sheep (4) Buffalo (5) Stag (6) Rabbit (7) Cow (including mountain cow) (8) Wild Ass (The prohibition in the Hadith is of domesticated donkeys) (9) Fish (of all types, including prawns according to those who consider prawns to be a form of fish. Others, however, do not permit its consumption, for they do not consider prawns to be from the fish family. For details, see an earlier post) (10) Deer/Antelope/Gazelle (11) Duck (12) Heron (gray or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill) (13) Nightingale (14) Quail (15) Parrot (16) Francolin (17) Locust (18) Partridge (heavybodied small-winged South American game bird) (19) Lark (North American yellowbreasted songbirds) (20) Sparrow (21) Goose (22) Ostrich (23) Dove (24) Pigeon (25) Stork (26) Rooster (27) Chicken (28) Peacock (29) Starling (30) Hoopoe (any of several crested Old World birds with a slender down-curving bill, known in Arabic as Hudhud that was sent by Sayyiduna Suleyman (A). On the other hand, the animals whose meats are bad for our health are given below: (1) Wolf (2) Hyena (3) Cat (4) Monkey (5) Scorpion (6) Leopard (7) Tiger (8) Cheetah (9) Lion (10) Jerboa (11) Bear (12) Swine/pig (13) Squirrel (14) Hedgehog (15) Snake (16)
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Tortoise/Turtle (17) Dog (18) Crab (19) Jackal (20) Donkey (domesticated) (21) Lizard (The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the eating of a Lizard. Recorded by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan from Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl (Allah be pleased with him). Hadith no: 3790) (22) Fox (23) Crocodile (24) Weasel (25) Elephant (Radd al-Muhtar, 6/306) (26) Falcon (27) Hawk (28) Kite (29) Bat (30) Vulture (31) Mouse (32) Rat (33) All insects, such as Mosquito, Fly, Wasp, Spider, etc.
Why is Alcohol Forbidden in Islam? Intoxicants were forbidden in the Holy Qur’an through several separate verses revealed at different times over a period of years. At first, it was forbidden for Muslims to attend to prayers while intoxicated (4:43). Then, another verse was revealed which said that alcohol contains some good and some evil, but the evil is greater than the good (2:219). This was the next step in turning people away from consumption of it. Finally, ‘‘intoxicants and games of chance’’ were called ‘‘abominations of Shaitwan’s handiwork,’’ intended to turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90–91). In the first verse cited above, the word for ‘‘intoxicated’’ is sukara which is derived from the word ‘‘sugar’’ and means drunk or intoxicated. That verse does not mention the drink which makes one so. In the next verses cited, the word which is often translated as ‘‘wine’’ or ‘‘intoxicants’’ is al-khamr, which is related to the verb ‘‘to ferment.’’ This word could be used to describe other intoxicants such as beer, although wine is the most common understanding word. Islamic Scholars interpret these verses in total to forbid any intoxicating substance— whether it be wine, beer, gin, whiskey, or whatever. The result is the same, and the Holy Qur’an outlines that it is the intoxication, which makes one forgetful of God and prayer, which is harmful. Over the years, the list of intoxicating substances has come to include more modern street drugs and the like. The Prophet (SAW) also instructed his followers to avoid any intoxicating substances as ‘‘if it intoxicates in a large amount, it is forbidden even in a small amount.’’ For this reason, most observant Muslims avoid alcohol in any form, even very small amounts that are sometimes used in cooking. Alcohol is also prohibited in Islam, as its harms have been proven greater than its benefit. This has also been stated by Allah in the Holy Qur’an in Surah al-Baqarah. Other physical, moral, social, and spiritual evils of intoxicants have been mentioned in many verses of the Holy Qur’an and blessed traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAW). Many of these bad effects can also be easily noticed in our today’s societies. The Prophet (SAW) referred to alcohol as the mother of all sins because after consuming it, man can indulge in any other sins. Once, a pious man met a woman, who invited him toward committing a sin (adultery). The man flatly refused. After her constant insisting, she still failed. Thereafter, she gave him a choice of 3 options: (1) committing adultery with her or (2) to murder her newly born child, whom she got from her previous husband, or (3) to consume some alcohol which she possessed. If he were not willing to comply any one of them, then she would scream and falsely inform the inhabitants of that place that he had raped her. The man upon pondering decided to consume the alcohol, considering it to be the least harmful of three sins. Upon the consumption of alcohol, he became intoxicated, and then consequently, he killed the child and also committed adultery with the woman. People generally are quite well acquainted with what benefits are
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attributed to alcohol, for instance, enjoyment of temporary happiness, increasing strength for a short time, and color becomes clearer, initially (as to some medical claim). Compared to such few limited benefits of alcohol, its risks and harms are so widened according to modern medical science. A few of them are as follows: The stomach gradually loses its ability to function properly, causes loss of appetite, spoils ones facial features (appearance), makes one age quicker, weakens and reduces the ability to think and speak properly, causes heart failure, sudden death in case of cardiovascular problems, the progeny of alcohol is weaker, creates fights and enmity between people, leads toward grave sins, often adultery and murder are the direct results of drinking, the pancreas, the mouth, pharynx, esophageal, breast, & liver are more likely to be affected by cancer, pancreatitis may appear, especially in youth, stroke, atrophy of the brain, liver cirrhosis, pregnancy problems, like spontaneous abortion, possible malformations & other birth problems of the fetus, car accidents, suicidal tendencies, thousands of dollars/pounds are wasted for alcohol consumption, and so on. Therefore, consumption of alcohol should be totally given up from the list of our dieting menus.
Conclusion Religion can play a very important role for our health, lifestyle, society, administration, business, economics, and marketing. Lee and Newberg (2005) reported in their review article that there is evidence that religion can provide health benefits significantly. They argue that religion can bring social and emotional support, motivation, health care resources, and it promotes healthy lifestyle. They also mentioned that the efforts in raising awareness through religious intervention could be beneficial. Kim et al. (2008) identified significant relationships between religion, dieting, food-related behaviors, nutrition, and body anthropometrics in women, but not in men. This is because women are generally more religious than men and play a larger role in religious activities. A Judaism and Christianity intervention model was proposed by Anshel (2010), which can be used by religious leaders for changing dieting behavior among the practicing members of the religious communities. Islamic models or perspectives are also proposed and explained in food, nutrition, and dieting by Rahman (2011). Lack of proper dieting and unbalanced lifestyle are mainly responsible for many common diseases throughout the world today. In the developing countries, shortage of foods causes hunger, whereas in the developed and rich countries, overeating causes obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and depression which is a great tragedy of modern life. In fact, overeating can be considered as wastage of food. Now let us see what Islam says about wastage of food and other things. ‘‘O Children of Adam! Were your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer, eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters’’ (7: 31). ‘‘Then (on the Day of Judgement) you will certainly be questioned about all the favors you enjoyed’’ (102: 8) The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘‘Eat and drink, give charity and wear good cloths as long as these do not involve excess or arrogance’’ (Ibn Majah). The Prophet (SAW) also said: ‘‘Excess in the use of water is forbidden, even if you have the resources of a whole river’’ (Tirmidhi).
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One of the kings of Persia sent a learned physician to the Prophet (SAW) who remained in Madinah for one or 2 years but no one approached him for treatment. At last, the physician met the Prophet (SAW) and complained: ‘‘I have been sent to treat your companions but during all this time, no one has asked me to carry out my duties in any respect whatsoever.’’ The Prophet (SAW) replied him: ‘‘It is the custom of these people not to eat until hunger overcomes them and to ceases eating while there still remains a desire for food.’’ The physician answered: ‘‘This is the reason for their perfect health’’ (Elgood 1951). The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also advised us to eat in such a way that we are left with one-third food, one-third water, and one-third empty in our stomachs (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah). The Prophet (SAW) said that two persons’ food is enough for three, and three persons’ food is enough for four (Bukhari, Muslim). Therefore, we should eat less, but eat well. Investment for proper dieting is always welcomed.
References Al-Hareth-Ibn-Kelda (1385). Al-Isaba Wal-Tarjama, Usdul—Ghaba, Part 1, pp. 437. Anshel, M. H. (2010). The disconnected values (intervention) model for promoting healthy habits in religious institutions. Journal of Religion and Health, 49, 32–49. Athar, S. (2010). Health guidelines from Qur’an and Sunnah. Sound Vision. http://www.soundvision.com. Benjamin (2011). Is it safe to drink blood? http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1739-safe-to-drinkblood.html. Elgood, C. (1951). A Medical History of Persia and Eastern Caliphate. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (Reproduced Apa-philo Press, Amsterdam—Cited by Nurdeng, 2009). Fraser, G. (2008). Karnka von Tiere. German Bunte Magazine. (http://www.celestialhealing.net/ physicalveg.html). Howard, J. (2011). The matter of blood eating. http://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR153.html. Howard, B. (2006). Importance of dieting to healthy living. http://www.EzineArticles.com. Kim, K., Mcintosh, W. A., & Sobal, J. (2008). Religion, social support, food-related social support, diet, nutrition and anthropometrics in older adults. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 47, 205–228. Lee, B. Y., & Newberg, A. B. (2005). Religion and health: a review and critical analysis. Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, 40(2), 443–468. Rahman, M. S. (2011). Food and nutrition: links and gaps between tradition and evidence based science. Revelation and Science, 01(01), 22–30. Al-Qur’an: 2: 172, 173, 219; 4: 43; 5: 90-91; 6: 99; 7: 31; 16: 5, 66, 67, 115; 56: 21; 35: 12, 102: 8. Al-Hadith: Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah. Acts: 15:1; 15:20. Leviticus: 3: 17; 5: 11, 12; 7:26, 27; 17:11, 14. http://www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/diet.htm.
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