Moderation is the Key

The Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) has not created a sickness, but that He (Subhanahu wa Ta'aala) has created a cure for it - except for old age. So drink the milk of cows, because they eat from all sorts of plants"
[Recorded by an-Nasa'i, al-Hakim and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, in as-Sahihah and Sahih ul-Jaami]

In another hadith, the Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Raise cows, because their milk is a cure (from disease) and their butter is a medication. Their meat, however, is (a cause of) illness"
[Recorded by Ibn us-Sunni, Abu Nu'aym and al-Hakim. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, in as-Sahihah]

I came across these ahadith a few days back and I decided to do some research to see whether what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told us so long ago, has been 'scientifically proven' by the medical professionals. Subhan Allah the wisdom and knowledge of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) was well ahead of that of the learned of our times.

I'd like to point out that the hadith doesn't necessarily say that red meat is haraam but instead reminds us to be cautious of our consumption of this type of meat. We all know the health benefits of red meat, especially now since it's been stressed on so much but what we tend to overlook is - moderation!

Excessive consumption of red meat can result in clogged arteries, boost blood pressure, and allow cancer cells to sneak past the bodies own self defense mechanism. Diets high in red meat are known to shorten life span & lead to diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, ulcers, pneumonia, influenza, liver disease, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more.

Look after yourselves, follow a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle and make the most of what you've been blessed with. Good health is a blessing from Allah, don't take it for granted.

Reflections...

At one of the Al-Kauthar courses I recently attended the Sheikh mentioned that Allah has given us knowledge about the lives of the Prophets and Messengers of the past for a reason. We're not meant to just read it as a bedtime story to entertain ourselves but instead need to extract possible wisdoms and lessons from it. We need to use their life experiences to enhance our own. The more you read and ponder the more you will learn. Knowledge is a bottomless pit, you can never fill it to the brim.

We all know that Allah created mankind from clay. Ibn Katheer in his book (Stories of the Prophets) says:

"Allah choose clay which has the qualities of calmness, clemency, perseverance and growth."

The possible wisdom I extract from this piece of information is pretty apparent. Allah gave us freedom of will to the extent that we can refuse Allah's command. He grants us the freedom of denial, disobedience, and even disagreement with Him. His Kindgom will not diminish if the disbelievers do not believe in Him nor will it be extended if many people believe in Him. The disbelievers will lose and the believers will gain but Allah is above all of that. By choosing to reflect the qualities of clay in our demeanor we will be able to attain success both in worldly affairs and in matters concerning our deen.

Ibn Katheer also says:

"Allah created Iblis from fire which has the qualities of heedlessness, insignificance, haste and incineration. "

Iblis is arrogant, vain, disobedient and an outcast. He has been humiliated and disgraced and yet he is cunning and shows ingratitude. He is our eternal enemy. Man is hasty. When Allah blew the soul into Adam (AS) and he felt the pangs of hunger in his abdomen, he sprinted towards the fruits of paradise even before the soul had reached his legs. This is how we have been created. But that doesn't mean we do not have the will to persevere to change this within us. By succumbing to the whispering of Iblis we become nothing but reflections of him.

Everyone bears the consequences of their deeds. Allah knows the outcome of events before it happens but he does not force things to happen. He has granted free will to mankind and it's up to us whether we want to obey Allah and work towards attaining paradise or disobey Allah and become dwellers of the hellfire, like Shaitaan.

The choice is ours.