Natural healers

"Every illness has a cure, and when the proper cure is applied to the disease, it ends it, Allah willing."

This one quote delivers an important message - all our illnesses, big and small, can be cured without the use of harsh medicines. We and our complex bodies suffer from many ailments and according to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the lesser we consume, the healthier we stay, and this applies to both food and medicine. The key is to fight illness with nourishment and diet whenever medicines can be avoided. 

The key to good health is a rested stomach, for which the whole digestive system has to be running smoothly - clear from mouth to the intestines. Vinegar is a good disinfectant, and when used in water to gargle with, it destroys all the germs in the mouth.

Other than that, olives are known to have properties that expel intestinal parasites and regulate the digestive process; along with onions which strengthen and cleanse the stomach for rested bowels.

The key to keeping your heart healthy and running along with you is minimum cholesterol and unclogged blood vessels. Honey and cinnamon powder together helps fight clogged blood vessels when consumed regularly and will reduce the cholesterol levels in the arteries and may even save one from a heart attack. Maintaining this regularly will strengthen ones heartbeat and breathing rates. 

Other than that, dates are also helpful for weak hearts. Taking raw or soaked dates twice a week will strengthen one's heart and protect from heart attacks. 

In order to live and breathe properly we must take proper care of our lungs and respiratory systems to ensure clean breath and life. 

Basil, an herb full of rich fragrance, opens up our respiratory passages when inhaled and helps our spirit soar. The plant also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties which help clear pathogens and excess dampness from the lungs. Basil can be consumed in the form of capsules, added to tea or drinks, or spread round the house for inhaling.

In our busy schedules, only a lucky few do not suffer from frequent headaches or mild fevers. Applying cold pads soaked in vinegar and water together helps relieve both headaches and fever. Onion extracts when administered through the nose also help with headaches and relieve nausea that tags along with it. An ointment of aloe blended with rose oils on the forehead and the cheeks helps too. 

The black cumin, also known as Islam's miracle cure seed in the Muslim world is more than an occasional remedy but a staple family medicine. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "In the black seed is healing for every disease except death". 

There are many ways to incorporate black cumin into our daily lives. Consuming black seed mixed with honey, boiled in water and strained, heated in milk, etc. can both cure and prevent ailments.

For over a thousand years people have used these remedies to cure ailments and prevent diseases. And even in this age of medical miracles these time tested remedies still work the same. 

By Anisha Hassan

Source: Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jauziyah.