Steps to Exercise — Page 15
- 15 - careful consideration, one concludes that this is the true philosophy and that physical organs have great effect on the soul. (Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, pp. 18-19) He states further: “So far as our eating, drinking, sleeping and awaking are concerned, they are essential physical actions and they affect our spiritual well-being. Our physical gure is manifestly related to our humanity…. The relationship of body and soul is such that one cannot explain it easily. Careful observation shows that the body is mother to the soul. ” (Ibid. , p. 21) Further, Hadhrat Promised Messiah says: “Our experience shows that various diets denitely affect the faculties of mind and soul. ” Therefore, Islam does not present any ctional philosophy that may consider spiritual and physical faculties as unrelated. Islam does not present any spiritual schedule that is dissociated from the physical. This great religion starts the reformation of the soul with the reformation of the body. Like all the spiritual teachings, this teaching is also based on such ne points of wisdom that even the physical experts have never been able to visualise; and it was left to that great Prophet, fourteen hundred years ago, to teach the world what he learnt from Allah the Gracious. As the above quotations from the Promised Messiah make clear diets certainly affect the faculties of mind and soul. We should start the Islamic teaching about physical hygiene by differentiating between the ‘permissible’ and ‘non-permissible’ foods. Islam forbids Muslims from eating the esh of all such animals that can be harmful to spiritual or physical well-being, and permits all other meat of the animals that are not harmful to health, but with the proviso that they are slaughtered according to the principles of health and hygiene. Those animals that died from injuries, killed by other animals, asphyxiated or died from natural causes are not allowed to be eaten even if the animal in question is permitted for food. It is a compulsory condition that before slaughtering, the name of Allah must be pronounced. This action reminds man that all health and safety precautions are worthless unless they are aided by Divine assistance and protection. There are innumerable points of danger by the time food reaches human consumption and so limited is our power of resistance that all our precautions are futile without the Grace and Mercy of Allah. This is the reason why you are commanded to recite the name of Allah not only before slaughtering but also before eating and consuming any edibles. It is frequently mentioned in the Traditions of the Holy Prophet that