By Chelsea Lynn

The First Step to Heal…

Life is full of tests, as Allah (swt) promises us in Surah Al-Baqarah when He says:

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” (Quran, 2:155)

One way Allah tests us is through our health. You may be suffering from emotional turmoil, mental health issues, physical ailments, or an illness of the heart like arrogance or envy. While there are many steps you can take to heal, the first step must be through belief in Allah (swt) as the Ultimate Healer.

I have been a health-conscious person for a large portion of my life. However, when I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome in 2016 and began a journey towards natural healing, I knew that my first line of defense was going to be relying on Allah. I had first to believe that He could heal me, and only then could I take steps to seek out that healing.

Healing through Medicine

Our society tends to push modern medicine over spiritual healing, and because of that, we have lost our concept of Allah as the One who cures. We often, without even realizing it, put our faith in the doctors, medical practitioners, and therapists, relying on them to relieve us of our pain.

Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with seeking treatment through medicine. Doctors, prescriptions, food, exercise, supplements, herbs and other remedies all have a place in our lives, and they play an essential role in our healing journeys.

The Prophet (saw) said: “There is no disease that Allah has sent down except that He also has sent down its treatment.” [Sahih Bukhari]

However, we must be cautious when seeking treatment. We must always check in with ourselves before taking any action. Check in with your heart. Call out to Allah and ask Him to make the means beneficial. Ask Him to guide you in the right direction. Ask Him to grant you the shifa (healing) that you are seeking out.

“And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things” [Quran, 6:17]

 

Healing through Yaqeen (Belief)

Let’s take a deeper look into how we can heal through yaqeen, or belief in Allah (swt).

TibbeNabawi.org, a website dedicated to Prophetic Medicine, lists five principles of shifaa (healing), the first one being: “healing by belief (yaqeen) that Allah has sent the disease and Allah is the Healer, and if the healing is delayed, it is by Allah’s wisdom and hikmah.”

How often do we turn to medicine, nutrition, exercise, natural herbs, and remedies, before turning to Allah? How often do we rush to the doctor’s office and seek their aid, before first calling out to Allah, seeking the aid of our Creator?

Belief in Allah and His power is the most crucial form of medicine and healing. It’s sort of like the placebo effect, or the idea that a person can benefit from treatment that has no health benefits, so long as they believe it holds a cure. When a person believes in their heart, their body is better able to accept that form of treatment, and begin the process of healing itself- and if this is true of a belief in just a drug, then how much more so, when your belief is in the One Who holds the Cure?

Healing through belief is not just limited to sickness. It encompasses all hardships we face. Whatever we are going through – health issues, financial difficulties, marital problems, loss of loved ones, challenging family relations – we heal and overcome our trials only from Allah. We must always have Him at the forefront of our hearts when seeking ease and healing.

Developing Yaqeen ( certainty )

Belief is a word as deep as the depths of the oceans. You may believe in Allah, but to truly rely on Him for healing, your faith has to be so firm that you fully trust with absolute certainty that He will cure you, and no one or nothing else can benefit you except by His will.

 

Here are some things you can do to build your yaqeen:

• Engage in the five daily prayers, remembering your standing in this world is a reminder for your standing before your Creator in the Hereafter. Imagine that day and how you want to meet Allaah, and do it before every prayer
•  Seek Allah’s aid through du’aa- keep talking to Allaah and asking Him to cure you of every disease in your body and every disease in your heart
• Remember Allah through dhikr- the special supplications and remembrances for the morning and evening are wonderful to make a part of your daily routine- said out loud, with the meaning, and in your mother tongue, these are easy to build into your daily routine
•  Read, recite, understand and implement Quran into your life- read it in a language you understand, as well as the Arabic, if you know it

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Taking Action after Yaqeen

After you’ve developed a firm belief in Allah’s abilities, here are some practical steps you can take to heal:

• Read Quran as healing for diseases of the heart, and the body
• Engage in more righteous acts like salah, ibadah, dhikr, dua, sadaqah, and saum
• Eat a nutritious diet full of whole, colourful foods
• Eat healing sunnah foods like honey and black seeds, two foods which Rasulullah (saw) told us had cure and healing in them.
• Get in daily exercise like walking, riding a bike, or anything else you enjoy- start small and build up – even 10 mins a day to build your habit
• Develop a stress management routine and get enough sleep
• Try hijama as the Prophet (saw) described it as the best treatment

Allah alone decrees our health and our trials, and Allah alone decrees healing and ease.
Prophet Ibrahim (as) said:“And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.” (Quran, 26:80)

May Allah give shifaa to all those suffering illness and grant them an easy and quick recovery. Ameen.

About the author:

Chelsea is an American revert Muslimah and a nutritionist who is a lover of natural living and all things health! After being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome in 2016, she set out on a mission to help other sisters heal naturally and regain their health, happiness, and fertility. You can find her at www.wellnessmuslimah.com as well as on Instagram and Facebook.