Haafiz Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullah), at the very end of his book, Tibb-un-Nabawi (pgs. 310 – 312), has recorded numerous advices of the Hakeems (physicians practicing the science of Tibb). These advices can be regarded as ‘golden advices’ as they are concise, easy to practice upon, and pertain to basic yet important habits and practices of people that have a strong effect and influence on their health.
Hereunder follow some of these advices with a basic explanation provided in brackets where required. Some of the advices have also been omitted as they require a detailed and intricate explanation:
1. Hippocrates said, “Reducing the consumption of harmful foods is better than increasing the consumption of beneficial foods (as the harmful foods entering the system will impede the body’s ability to benefit from the beneficial foods).”
2. A certain Hakeem mentioned, “The person who wishes to enjoy good health should (adhere to the following):
– Consume good food (i.e. food which is halaal, wholesome and suitable for his temperament and condition)
– he should only eat when his stomach is empty (and he is truly hungry)
– he should lie down after eating lunch (to nap or rest for 20-30 min as this will assist with digestion)
– he should walk after eating supper (at least forty steps, as it assists the food to settle into the recess of the stomach where the digestion is better. It is also beneficial – though not as necessary – for one to walk some steps after lunch, before napping.)
– one should not go to bed without first going to the toilet and relieving himself
– one should refrain from having a bath/shower after eating a full meal (as it impairs digestion and causes blockages in the body)
– eating biltong at night hastens old age (i.e. it ruins one’s health as it is very difficult to digest, and by eating it at night, it will remain in the system even longer due to one’s sleep, and will thus cause more harm)
3. Haarith bin Kaldah (the renowned physician in the time of Rasulullah [sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam]) once said, “The one who wishes to remain alive – though no person can remain alive forever – should (adhere to the following advices:)
– eat the morning meal early (i.e. it is beneficial to eat an early breakfast)
– hasten the evening meal (i.e. supper should be eaten as close to sunset as possible – preferably after maghrib in winter and before maghrib in summer)
– wear light clothing (this advice was for people living in the heat of the desert, though a general advice for all is that one should wear clothing which is comfortable, light in weight, loose in fit and does not restrict the blood flow)
– decrease his indulgence in intercourse.
4. Haarith bin Kaldah also mentioned that the following habits destroy the health:
(1) engaging in intercourse on an empty stomach (and on a full stomach as well)
(2) having a bath/shower on a full stomach
(3) eating biltong.
5. It is reported that when Haarith bin Kaldah was on his deathbed, the people came to him and said, “Give us some advices which are such that after your demise, they will be sufficient for us (to remain healthy).” Among the advices which he gave them were the following. He said:
– Do not eat any fruit when it is not ripe (and out of its season)
– Do not undergo treatment (e.g. take medication) so long as your body is able to tolerate the illness (and deal with it on its own i.e. when the body has natural processes to heal itself e.g. vomiting or diarrhoea when the stomach is upset, fever when there is a build-up of excess phlegm, etc., then one should not interfere with the body’s functions e.g. by suppressing the vomiting, running stomach or fever, unless the body requires some assistance e.g. it is too weak and lacks energy, or the treatment is to assist the body’s natural process and speed it up)
– Ensure that you clean out (detox) the stomach once a month, as this breaks down (and purges) phlegm, removes (harmful or excess) bile and causes flesh to grow (i.e. through restoring balance to the body, the digestion is enhanced and strengthened due to which flesh, muscles, etc can grow well. NB: detoxing should be undertaken under the supervision of a Hakeem)
– When any of you eats lunch then he should sleep for a short while immediately thereafter (e.g. 20-30min), and after eating supper, he should walk for forty steps (NB: supper should also be eaten at least 2 hours before bedtime).
6. A king once requested his personal physician to give him some advice in regard to safeguarding his health. Among the advices which the physician gave him were:
– Only eat meat from young animals (i.e. it is better to eat lamb compared to mutton, veal compared to beef, and baby chicken compared to a fully-grown chicken, as the dryness in the younger animals is less)
– Do not take medication unless you have an illness
– Do not eat any fruit when it is unripe (or out of season)
– Ensure that you chew your food properly
– When you eat the daytime meal (i.e. lunch) then there is no harm in you sleeping thereafter (in fact, it is beneficial for one to nap for 20min after lunch)
– When you eat at night, then do not sleep until you do not walk, even if it is to take just fifty steps
– Do not eat until you are truly hungry
– Do not hold your urine (or stool, but rather relieve yourself when the need arises)
– Do not eat while there is still food in your stomach (i.e. do not snack between meals. Rather, allow the meal to digest completely, until your stomach is empty, before eating again)
– Avoid eating that which your teeth cannot manage to chew, as in that case, your stomach will also not manage to digest it (an example of this is feeding meat to small babies who do not yet have teeth)
– Blood is a precious treasure in your body, so do not remove it without a genuine necessity (i.e. do not undergo cupping unnecessarily, without a need, and do not resort to cupping when there are alternatives)
– Ensure that you enter the steam bath, as steam baths (and saunas as well) remove toxins from those layers of the body which medication cannot reach.
7. Among the most comprehensive advices of Hippocrates was the following advice. He said, “Everything taken in excess is harmful to the temperament (i.e. the key to good health is to exercise moderation in one’s eating, sleeping, exercise, work, etc.).”