The perfect balance in the human body

Allah Ta'ala has created the human being perfectly in a balanced manner. Look at our eyes, if one eye was small like the eye of a needle and the other was big like a crocodile eye, how would we have looked? If one ear was a small pimple and the other like the ear of an elephant, how would we have looked? If we had huge lips, how would we have looked? If one leg was twelve inches and the other was a metre and we had to hop and walk, how would we have looked? We don’t even recognise the Qudrat of Allah Ta'ala.

Allah Ta'ala says,

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ

 Verily in the (perfect and wonderful) creation of the heavens and the earth (and whatever is within these) and in the alternation (changing) of the night and day are signs (that show Allaah’s great power) for those who have intelligence (who care to ponder).

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Those who have intelligence are) They who remember Allaah while standing, sitting and lying down (they do not forget Allaah at any time), and they think about the creation of the heavens and earth (so that they may be able to see Allaah’s greatness in this). (Then, amazed by Allaah’s creation, they say “Our Rabb You have not created all this without a purpose! (These things certainly display Your power and greatness and have not been created in vain) We glorify Your purity (none can ever be equal to You) so save us from the punishment of the Fire (of Jahannam).”

In another verse,

وفى انفسكم افلا تبصرون

Look into yourself and see Allah Ta'ala.

The greatest proof of the existence of Allah Ta'ala is within you, O human being. How Allah has created the eyes, the brains, the lung and how don’t they function, and how Allah has created the heart which is 24 hours on duty. Whilst sleeping or whilst running a marathon the heart is functioning. If the heart stops, your existence comes to an end. There are great details in regards to the functioning of the heart. There are so many vital organs such as the lungs, pancreas, kidneys, etc.

If the white cells are more than its required amount in the blood or the red cells are more than what a person requires, he has a problem. Anyway, Allah Ta'ala has created the human being in a balanced manner. Then one’s health is kept balanced. If the sugar levels are controlled then one is healthy, if the sugar levels are high one is a diabetic with health problems. If the sugar levels are too low, then one could faint. The blood pressure has to be balanced. If it is too high then one could suffer a stroke or heart attack. If the blood pressure is too low one will faint.

In a like manner, the Akhlaaq (character) of a person should also be balanced. When a person is happy, it shouldn’t  be of such a level of happiness that he carries out things that are impermissible. Neither should a person become so sad that it leads to depression. If Allah has blessed you with wealth, don’t let it go to your head that you start oppressing people. Maintain a balance. If you are poor, don’t go to the extent of saying that “Is Allah poor that He doesn’t give me my food.

Regarding the balance of the Nafs, we will discuss the aspect that our body is made of two major parts. That is the physical body and the soul. The more important of the two is the soul. A person eats, drinks, etc. as long as the soul is in the body. As long as the soul exists, the wife will cook for the husband, the vehicles will be seen to, the business will be seen to. In other words, the body only exists as long as the soul is within the body. If a person falls ill and admitted into hospital, he is given ICU treatment with various life supporting machines and ventilators attached to him. There are doctors and nurses attending to him. He is lying unconscious but the doctor cannot write out a death certificate as the Rooh is still within him. They will do everything within their means to assist such a person.

The Rooh

The moment the Rooh leaves the body, the machines are immediately unplugged, the nurses are no longer in charge of taking care of him. His body is no longer attended to. He is now transferred to the mortuary. We can understand from this that the Rooh is important. The moment the Rooh leaves the body people start working out the time of Janaazah Salaah, who is going to lead the Janaazah Salaah, who is going to bury the person, etc.

For the outward body of a person which is not the actual thing, how much of effort is made. In the world there are all types of shops in the shopping centres. All the businesses are for the comfort of the body. The universities and hospitals are all for this body. The government departments and offices are for the benefit of the body. There are hospitals for the eyes, nose, heart, etc. We have various workshops for our motor vehicles, garden services for our gardens, lawnmowers for our gardens, nurseries for the plants, etc. which are for the enjoyment and sake of the body. We have all the grocery shops and supermarkets to purchase food for the body. Almost everything is for the body. Is there any organisation or shop that caters for the Rooh? We shouldn’t be mistaken by thinking that the Darul Ulooms and Maktabs are for the Rooh. They are not for the Rooh.

Deeni institutes are not for the treatment of the Rooh

For example, we have medical schools where students study to become doctors. However, a person is not cured of his illnesses in these schools. You will have to go to a hospital for treatment. Similarly, the function of the Darul Uloom is to produce Ulema. We don’t have a hospital in order for the Ulema to treat the ill. There isn’t a single hospital which is termed as the Khanqah where the Alim who has become proficient in the treatment of the Rooh can practise. There isn’t a single pharmacy for the Rooh. When this is the case, the existence of the world is purely the clemency of Allah Ta'ala. Allah Ta'ala has written that the world will continue for so long, else we with our own hands have brought total destruction to ourselves.

It is mentioned in the Hadith that as long as a single person takes the name of Allah, all the systems of the world will continue. The winds will blow, the rains will fall, crops will grow, materials will be manufactured, food will be supplied, as long as the name of Allah exist.

In our limited understanding, we think that the worldly people have done so much for mankind. Whilst sitting here in South Africa a person sends a message to Russia or India or America and it reaches in a minute or two, and the recipient replies to the message. With technology, where has man reached and what progress! A person sits in an aeroplane and reaches thousands of miles in a short span of time. This is the barkat (blessings) of the word Allah. This means that the real existence of the world is not based on the offices, shops and factories, but it is actually the name of Allah.

The day there isn’t a single person to take the name of Allah Ta'ala, the Ka’aba Sharif will be destroyed, and when Deen no longer remains then Qiyaamah will occur. From this explanation we should understand that the Rooh which is within the body of a person is most important. This is what we got to make an effort for. Allah Ta'ala says that we should balance the Nafs and Rooh as well.

This is the beauty of Islam and Deen. Islam is not like Christianity where the Christians went to the monasteries, lived their lives saying that they will not marry. The nuns and monks don’t marry, yet the most number of children born are in the monasteries. This is the result of doing such actions which were not within the means of a human being. Allah Ta'ala didn’t ask them to adopt such a lifestyle. At the same time, we should not do things in excessiveness in our Deen as well. Don’t try doing those things that Allah Ta'ala hasn’t made Fardh upon you as you will not be able to sustain it. We are therefore required to follow the Sunnat lifestyle of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, don’t go to extremes.

When we cannot sustain it, we will bring destruction upon ourselves. The Christians had destroyed themselves whilst having a good intention that they are waiting for Essa A.S. The nuns believed that they will marry Essa A.S. We are therefore required to always remain within the limits of Shariat. This balance is absolutely necessary.

We should not get so engrossed in the world that we have no time for Deen, no time for Salaah, no time for tilaawat, nor any time to worry about the Aakhirat, no time to worry about the Imaan and Islam of your fellow people and the non-Muslims, etc. The actual Dawat of Islam is supposed to be for the non-Muslims. As for Muslims, it is our responsibility to remind them of their duty. For example, if a person is invited to a wedding, he is not invited for a second time but he is reminded to attend. This means that Muslims are reminded whilst Tabligh is made amongst non-Muslims. When they accept, keep reminding them, teach them, mould them according to Islam, bring them into the field.

The Rooh and body has also to be balanced. We should not indulge so much in Dunya that there isn’t anything for the Rooh. Islam has also taught that we shouldn’t indulge so much with the Rooh that we have no time for the body. Rasulullah g has mentioned that the body of a person also has a right over him.

ولنفسك عليك حق

And your body has a right over you

Three Sahaaba had taken oaths, of them one said that I will spend the entire night in Ibaadat, the second said that he will fast throughout the year, the third said he will not have relations with his wife. Rasulullah c forbade them from doing so. Spend part of the night in Ibaadat fulfilling the right of Allah and have a rest as well fulfilling the right of the body, get married and fulfil the rights of the wife as well, sometimes fast and sometimes eat as well. There should be a balance, this is the beauty of a person. In all aspects we should maintain a perfect balance.