IMPLICATION OF A PROPHETIC DIET FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE: AN EXPLORATION REVIEW.

• Author: Yargatti, Rizwan

1. Background--an introduction

   Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) was a human being like the rest of us. He was commanded in the Holy Quran (18.111). He is regarded as the last prophet and messenger of Almighty God by all Muslims all over the world. He is ranked as the most effective person in the world history by Michael. H. Hart in his book titled, 'A ranking of the most influential persons in history' (Hart 1980). According to him, "Prophet Muhammad was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels". It is this unmatched blend of both secular and religious impact what has made the author to choose Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at the top of his list followed by Isaac Newton, Jesus Christ (PBUH), and Buddha respectively.

   Muhammad (Arabic meaning of the word is Praised) was born in 570 C.E. in Mecca, a flourishing city that was a hub of caravan trade and religious pilgrimage in the northwest Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad (PBUH) was orphaned at an early age and was raised by his parental uncle Abu Talib. He lived his life in poverty. He worked as a herdsman for his family and neighbours. This gave him enough time and privacy to wonder about deeper questions of life. He soon became known in the community as a trustworthy and peace-loving person (Toronto 2000). His teachings were based upon the Holy Quran which is said to be the word of God and which was revealed to him at the age of 40 (Fisher 1997). Most of his sayings were recorded largely accurately when he was alive (Saniotis 2012). According to the article in oxfordislamicstudies.com, Hadiths (his ordinance) were compiled not so long after his death and had become very effective. It covered all sectors of life including food. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has advised his followers to live their lives based on the teaching of the holy book Quran and the way he lived his life. The main task of the last messenger Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) according to him was to guide humanity on the right path (Alkhatib, 2010).

   Another literature that is relevant to our study is the Hadiths. Al Hadith Al Shareef, as it is popularly known, is a collection of deeds and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions (Alkhatib 2010). Sahih Bukhari is a collection of sayings and deeds of the Prophet that is considered to be the most authentic among the 6 canonical books of Hadiths. According to the essay, "How the Quran and Hadith tell us to keep physically healthy", published on 11th August 2017 at the muslimvibe. com; it recommends to "eat what is lawful and good in the Earth". Looking for more evidence from Quran, honey, vegetables such as corn and herbs, fruits such as olives, dates, grapes, pomegranates and bananas are good for humans. It has also recommended meat of certain animals and their milk, as well as fresh fish and birds.

   Below the verses from Quran mention the above-mentioned foods:

   He created cattle for you, wherein is warmth and many gains, and you eat thereof. For you there is in the cattle a lesson; We give you to drink what is in their bellies from betwixt the chime and the blood pure milk, easy and palatable for those who drink it. He it is Who made the sea of service that you might eat fresh (fish) meat from it. And the meat of fowls of what they like. Also it is essential to note that all these foods have been advised to be consumed in moderate amount for being beneficial. The following verse from Quran mentions the same: "eat and drink and do not commit excesses; indeed He does not love those who are excessive". The Prophet (PBUH) has also advised against overeating as identified in the Hadiths: "Don't indulge in over-eating because it would quench the light of faith within your hearts "(Alamdar 2003). Another famous Hadith in Sahih (Darussalam) Volume 4, Book 29, Hadith 3349, suggest that only one third of the stomach should be filled with food leaving one third for water and remaining one third empty.

   The eating habits of the Ahlul-Bait reports that Prophet Muhammad refrained from eating bread from refined flour and preferred bread made with two parts of barley and ten parts of bran. He also rarely consumed meat suggesting vegetarian type diet as a more preferred one. One of his close companion quotes: "Don't let your stomach become a graveyard for animals" (Anderson 2007). The manner in which food needs to be consumed as directed in Holy book Quran and practiced by Ahul-Bait matches the balanced diet pattern recommended by national and international health organizations in today's time. Example of this could be the ratio of vegetables to meat in a particular diet suggested in Quran, i.e. three parts to one, exactly the same as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) suggested in 2010.

   Various authors have mentioned the nutritional benefits of these individual foods separately in their studies (Harun 2011, Newman 1991). However, for the present research we do not intend to address them, but we cannot deny the fact that the recommended foods mentioned in the religious text of Quran and Hadiths are consumed even today. Though little has been researched on the active ingredients of these plants and their products, in today's times the benefits of these foods are known among few religious...