Healthy Lifestyle Series: Preventative Prophetic Remedies

Reclaim nearly-forgotten Sunnahs and take charge of your health in the coming New Year. Now is the time to benefit from remedies prescribed by our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

As our doctors at Shaukat Khanum Hospital always say, the best cure to cancer is prevention. And what better way to protect ourselves from cancer and other diseases, than with remedies our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) personally used and recommended to his people.

“O people! Be treated! There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment. Then, seek treatment.” [Bukhari]

Here at IKCA, we’re winding the year down with brand new Healthy Lifestyle Tips –the first of a new series we hope to continue in 2021. Without further ado, here are three game-changing remedies, recommended by our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) , which are easily accessible and full of benefits. We pray that their regular application rejuvenates and strengthens your health for the new year to come.

HIJAMA

A nearly-forgotten Sunnah, Hijama is also referred to as ‘cupping’ or ‘wet cupping’ therapy, and its health benefits are manifold. Its purpose is to extract stagnated blood and toxic deposits from the body, while also stimulating congested tissue. If you’ve never seen how it works, you might be imagining some medieval blood-letting ritual that’ll have many folk running for the door. Stop. We promise you, it’s not scary and it doesn’t hurt.

“Whoever performs hijama (cupping) on the 17^th, 19^th or 21^st day (of the Islamic, lunar month) then it is a cure for every disease.” [Abu Dawud: 3861]

How it’s Done

Hijama is performed using glass or plastic suction cups, placed on various meridians of the body (usually the back), in a similar way to Chinese ‘dry cupping’ therapy. But while the Chinese version merely stimulates tissue and tackles energy blockages, Hijamah also draws out impurities. Using a surgical razor, your Hijama therapist will make superficial incisions in the skin, like little, cat-scratches. When the suction cups are applied and pumped to create a vacuum inside, out comes the bad blood.

“Hijama cupping on the back of the neck treat seventy-two illnesses” [Al-Tabarani]

 Hijamah Benefits

Among its most basic benefits, as featured on WebMD, cupping therapy provides pain relief, reduces inflammation, and improves blood flow. It is also known to relieve digestion and anxiety by aiding relaxation, and this is why it is popular as a kind of deep tissue massage. But that’s not all. Hijama has been used in the treatment of many other diseases, and is known to benefit those suffering from:

• Hypertension
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Asthma
• Fibromyalgia
• Migraines
• Varicose Veins
• Allergies
• Skin problems, like Acne

“The best treatment is cupping, it removes blood, lightens the back and sharpens the eyesight”. [At-Tirmidhi: 3053]

History of Hijama

Cupping therapy is getting more popular now, and yet it dates back to the medicinal practices of many ancient civilisation including the Egyptians, Romans, Mayans and Chinese. But did you know that cupping therapy also has a connection with the Prophet Muhammad’s (ﷺ) journey of Isra and Mirajh?

The Messenger of Allah returned from his miraculous ascension with many blessings for his people. Perhaps the most important of these was the five daily prayers, which is an obligation on every able Muslim, as well as his/her spiritual healing and personal Mirajh. Another of these blessings was Hijama. To gain physical and mental wellbeing, the Prophet (ﷺ) was advised to perform and establish the practice of Hijama among his people. As the hadith goes:

“I did not pass an angel, from the angels on the Night Journey, except that they all said to me, ‘Upon you is Hijama, O Muhammad’” [Ibn Majah: 3477]

Next Steps

Don’t try this at home, on your own! Hijama should be performed by a qualified and experienced practitioner. Luckily, with cupping therapy gaining popularity, it won’t be difficult to find a qualified Hijama therapist in your community, or a certified Hijama/cupping clinic near you.

Your Hijama practitioner will be able to advise you on which areas of your body need to be cupped, based on your complaints or ailments. However, we do know of certain ‘sunnah’ points which the Prophet (saw) had hijama done.

Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reported that the Messenger (ﷺ) was treated with hijama three times on the two veins at the side of the neck and the base of the neck. [Abi Dawud: 3860]

Ensure you tell your Hijama practitioner about your medical history before Hijama done. Hijama may not be suitable for some people including:

• children under 10 years-old
• adults over 70 years-old
• people using blood-thinning or anti-clotting medication
• pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers
• women at the time of menstruation
• people recovering from surgery etc.

BLACK CUMIN

If you’re Muslim, regardless of your ethnic background, you’ve likely already heard of the miraculous medicinal benefits of the mysterious black cumin, also known as black seeds. In fact, we’ll wager you’ve got a mum, aunt or grandmother who swears by it. And if you don’t, then you ARE the mum, aunt or grandmother who swears by it. The Latin name for the small, flowering shrub that produces these tiny seeds is Nigella Sativa, and you’ll be pleased to know its benefits aren’t just some hearsay legends from back home.

“There is healing in black cumin for all diseases except death.” [Al Bukhari]

Black Cumin Benefits

Black cumin has been used in remedies across cultures for thousands of years. The oil derived from them is rich in thymoquinone, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. According to Healthline, studies suggest that the compound thymoquinone can protect brain health and even help in treating some cancers! Black cumin oil also has potent antifungal effects. It is high in healthy, fatty acids like linoleic acids and oleic acids which can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

For reasons stated above, and possibly others that we are as yet to discover, black cumin oil has many benefits. These include, but are in no way limited to preventing, relieving and/or reducing the effects of:

• High blood pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Stomach upsets, cramps, bloating and ulcers.

And if that’s not enough reason to go out and buy a bottle of cold-pressed black cumin oil now, here is more: Black cumin oil also has beauty benefits. It is used for hydrating hair, moisturising skin, wound healing and relief from acne and psoriasis symptoms.

We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar was accompanying us. He fell ill on the way and when we arrived at Medina he was still sick. Ibn Abi ‘Atiq came to visit him and said to us, “Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds and crush them (mix the powder with oil) and drop the resulting mixture into both nostrils, for `Aisha has narrated to me that she heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘This black cumin is healing for all diseases except As-Sam.’ Aisha said, ‘What is As-Sam?’ He said, ‘Death.” [Al Bukhari]

Next Steps

Black cumin oil can be taken orally and applied topically. But don’t overdo it, and please take care! Though it is beneficial to liver function, it can also be harmful to the liver and kidneys when taken in excess. Black cumin oil is also known to increase the effects of certain drugs. So if you are on any medication, do speak to your doctor before taking it.

Black cumin oil can have a bitter taste, though this will vary based on which region the seeds come from. If you have trouble getting the medicine down, why not add black cumin to your regular diet to flavour your foods, salads and savoury breads/rolls when baking at home?

Now when we hear the term ‘alternative’ or ‘preventative’ medicine, many of us think of archaic practices and messy mixtures made of hard to access ingredients which are also difficult to apply in our modern, fast-paced lives. This isn’t the case with prophetic medicine, and certainly not with honey!

HONEY

Now when we hear the term ‘alternative’ or ‘preventative’ medicine, many of us think of archaic practices and messy mixtures made of hard to access ingredients which are also difficult to apply in our modern, fast-paced lives. This isn’t the case with prophetic medicine, and certainly not with honey!

As Muslims we believe that honey has healing properties, based on the Sunnah and the hadiths of our Prophet (ﷺ). So let’s see what the science says…

“Healing is in three things: A gulp of honey, cupping, and branding with fire (cauterizing). But I forbid my followers to use (cauterization) branding with fire.” [Al Bukhari]

Honey Benefits

Honey has been used as medicine throughout the history of mankind. In particular, raw honey is a superfood with antibacterial and antiviral properties that will boost your immune system and help fight diseases when you are sick. But note the emphasis on ‘raw’ –because quality matters; and because the processed honey we find at supermarkets has gained a longer shelf life at the cost of losing many of its beneficial nutrients.

Scientific studies show that high quality honey has antioxidants like organic acids and phenolic compounds. Now we already know how beneficial antioxidants are, even in reducing the risk of cancer. But research shows that those aforementioned phenolic compounds in honey have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

That’s not all. Did you know that honey can lift your mood and even improve sleep quality? When you eat honey, it increases the insulin in your body, which releases serotonin, the chemical in your body which makes you happy. Serotonin is then converted into melatonin, the hormone your body produces in response to darkness, and promotes healthy sleep. Other natural health benefits of honey include, but are in no way limited to:

• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Anti-bacterial properties
• Anti-fungal properties
• A natural anti-biotic

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “My brother has some Abdominal trouble.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him “Let him drink honey.” The man came for the second time and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, ‘Let him drink honey.” He came for the third time and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Let him drink honey.” He returned again and said, “I have done that ‘ The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “Allah has said the truth, but your brother’s `Abdomen has told a lie. Let him drink honey.” So he made him drink honey and he was cured. [Al Bukhari]

Next Steps

Start incorporating more honey into your diet today. And we don’t mean just at breakfast times. Honey is a fantastic alternative to sugar, so start cutting out the evil, white stuff and use honey in its stead.

When buying honey, look out for raw or wild honey. Though wild honey might be harder to source in the UK, unless you are buying from overseas, raw honey isn’t hard to come by. Here is the Evening Standard’s rough guide to the most health boosting honeys available in the UK, with Manuka taking its place at the top of the list.

Found this useful? Share it with your friends and family over social media. Give the gift of health and wellbeing to those you love this new year, by spreading the wisdom of prophetic medicine.