Allah SWT has gifted us with a brilliantly designed body. It is given to us, by Allah as a trust. Allah encourages us to take care of our body. So we must not abuse or neglect it. It must be kept in good form.
We have full control over our body in this world. On the Day of Judgement we will lose all control over our body. Our body will testify against us with regards to how we treated it in this world. Obesity, an inadequate diet, laziness and weakness are all afflictions which we all will be accounted for.
Are we ready to face that day ?
We all have to fulfil our daily duties and demands of life whether we are a housewife, a mother, a full time employee, or a student. We also have to fulfil our duties of Ibaadah or worship such as Salah, Hajj, Fasting. A healthy body and mind enable us to perform these duties with ease and improve our overall performance as a true believer.
It is interesting to note that our Deen encourages us to participate in physical activities. It recommends sports as a source of enjoyment and recreation. These statements can be supported by the fact that sports was a Sunnah of our Prophet Mohammad SAW in order to maintain and encourage a healthy lifestyle. The main sports that our Prophet was personally engaged in and encouraged others to be a part of were wrestling, running, horse racing, camel racing, swimming and archery. He organised sports competitions and distributed prizes thus encouraging us to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to build character, mental strength and behaviour.
In a hadith reported in Sahih Bukhari, Aisha (RA) stated that, “I raced with the Prophet and I beat him. Later, when I had put on some weight, we raced again and he won. Then he said, This cancels that (referring to the previous race).”
Allah will ask us on the Day of Judgement about all the blessings that He has given us in this life. Amongst those blessings will include our good health and our food and drink.
Allah says in Surat Al-Takathir, Verse 8 – “Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight.”
The facts mentioned above only prove that our Deen is not a religion of detachment from social activities, that we must participate in physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Let’s thank Allah for this amazing gift by looking after it and using it responsibly.
Visit this website to get motivated towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Be the inspiration for others specially our children who are our future Ummah. Leave behind a legacy. Be the Promising Muslimah. In Sha Allah.
