# Ep. 13: Take Care of Your Body | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter **Author:** Dr. Tesneem Alkiek **Series:** Habits to Win Here and Hereafter **Published:** 2022-01-24 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/dvCZI3Uv7Rs **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep13-take-care-of-your-body-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter **Topics:** General Psychology, Psychology & Mental Health ## Description Physical health and nutrition were a part of our Prophet’s ﷺ legacy. There are many hadiths that show the way the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions kept optimal physical health, and well-documented sources from our early scholars emphasize the importance of health in our faith. Learn how our bodies are... ## Transcript **[0:01]** Have you ever ridden a horse? Have you tried galloping? With one hand? Now try doing all of that wearing heavy armor and wielding a weighty sword in hand. Unless you're at the gym religiously, chances are you'd be out of breath in seconds. Yet the Prophet of God, salallahu alayhi wasalam, did exactly this in so much more late into his adult years. **[0:20]** This man was way beyond what we would consider to be fit and healthy today. And this was the case for the majority of the companions, who would also race, wrestle, and fight alongside the Prophet in their day-to-day lives. **[0:37]** Being active was so normal during the prophetic era that it's almost eerily absent in our conversations today about living the sunnah. We don't talk or hear enough about staying physically fit because it was something taken for granted during the life of the Prophet. Physical health is one of the biggest blessings we can be granted in this life. **[0:54]** The Prophet, peace be upon him, said there are two particular blessings, ni'matan, that people miss out on or don't take advantage of. As-sihha wal-faraag, health and free time. And we know that among the first things we'll be asked about on the Day of Judgment is how we took care of our blessings. **[1:10]** Thumma latus'alunna yawma ethan AAan al-na'eem. On that day, you will surely be questioned about your blessings. So on the one hand, our health is something we cannot be thankful enough for and must care for. On the other, the Prophet actively encouraged us to excel in our strength, stating that **[1:32]** There's good in both, but a strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than one who is weak. And many scholars have defined the strength in terms of our physicality. Those who have been blessed with health and can excel in their physical strength are encouraged to do so. And it's not just about working out. Being mindful of what we eat and how much we eat is part and parcel of the prophetic legacy. **[1:52]** Most famously, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said And on and on I can list how the Prophet set a standard in which we should be extremely mindful of what we eat and how we care for our bodies. Just think about the fact that the Prophet's natural walk was at a brisk pace. **[2:10]** I guarantee you one thing, you're not going to be naturally walking that way if you've eaten unhealthy food, you've overeaten, or you don't stay in physical shape. So we have this precedent before us. And then we have today, study after study after study, glorifying the enormous benefits that physical activity and healthy eating do to every aspect of our lives. **[2:30]** And yes, you guessed right. It has enormous benefits in regard to implementing good habits and routine. The medieval scholar Ibn al-Qayyim, in so many of his books, elaborates on all of the benefits taking care of your health actually has on your religious commitments. And in his book, Madarij al-Saliqueen, he actually discusses this topic under diseases of the heart. **[2:50]** Overeating, for example, is in fact a disease of the heart because it causes sluggishness and a lack of focus in productivity in your worship. This was basic knowledge to a scholar who lived almost 700 years ago. And his advice, in light of his understanding of the Quran and Sunnah, has never been so relevant today. **[3:08]** But I don't need to go over any more details for anyone to recognize what a blessing it is and how life-changing good physical health can be on every aspect of your life. This is something, especially as Muslims, that we need to be on top of our game. Being mindful of what we put into our bodies, vessels that are simply alone from God, and how we take care of them on a day-to-day basis is not something we'll just be accountable for one day. **[3:30]** But when you do so, you feel light on your feet, empowered, swimming in adrenaline and endorphins, ready to tackle your day. So what are you waiting for? Go tie up your laces. ## Other Episodes in "Habits to Win Here and Hereafter" - [Ep. 16: Overcoming Procrastination | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep16-overcoming-procrastination-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 15: How to Sleep Better | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep15-how-to-sleep-better-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 14: Know the Value of Time | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep14-know-the-value-of-time-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep 12: Overcoming Setbacks | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep12-overcoming-setbacks-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep 11: Nothing Is Going as Planned | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep11-nothing-is-going-as-planned-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep 10: Take Advantage of Barakah | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep10-take-advantage-of-barakah-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep 9: Getting in The Zone | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep9-getting-in-the-zone-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 8: Plan Ahead with Block-scheduling | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep8-plan-ahead-with-block-scheduling-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 7: Training Your Brain to Focus | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep7-training-your-brain-to-focus-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 6: How to Start Your Day Right | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep6-how-to-start-your-day-right-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 5: Forming a Sustainable Habit | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep5-forming-a-sustainable-habit-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 4: True Productivity | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep4-true-productivity-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 3: Live Life with No Regrets | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep3-live-life-with-no-regrets-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 2: What Motivates You? | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep2-what-motivates-you-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Ep. 1: Know Your Purpose | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep1-know-your-purpose-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md) - [Trailer | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/trailer-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)