رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

Prophet's Guidance on observing diet as part of the cure

فَصْلٌ فِي هَدْيِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْحِمْيَةِ

Diet as a CURE : This discussion describes the guidance of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم regarding diet and health (Himyah). It emphasizes that treatment revolves around two key principles: moderation in diet (Himyah) and preserving health. If an imbalance occurs, suitable purging is needed. Medicine, in general, depends on these three rules: diet, health maintenance, and appropriate cleansing when necessary.

Diet (Himyah) itself is of two types:

1. Avoiding what causes disease—this is for healthy individuals.

2. Avoiding what worsens an existing disease—this is for the sick, so the illness doesn’t worsen, and the body’s strength can fight it.

The foundation of this approach is rooted in Allah’s words from the Quran (4:43): 

وَإن كُنْتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيداً طَيِّباً

And if you are ill or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with wives (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean soil ~ (Mai'dah : 43)

Here, Allah prohibited the use of water for the sick because it could harm them.

وَفِي سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ أم المنذر بنت قيس الأنصارية، قَالَتْ: دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسلم ومعه علي، وعلي نَاقِهٌ مِنْ مَرَضٍ، وَلَنَا دَوَالِي مُعَلَّقَةٌ، فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا، وَقَامَ علي يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا، فَطَفِقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول لعلي إِنَّكَ نَاقِهٌ حَتَّى كَفَّ. قَالَتْ: وَصَنَعْتُ شَعِيرًا وَسِلْقًا، فَجِئْتُ بِهِ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لعلي:  مِنْ هَذَا أَصِبْ، فَإِنَّهُ أَنْفَعُ لَكَ وَفِي لَفْظٍ فَقَالَ: مِنْ هَذَا فَأَصِبْ، فَإِنَّهُ أَوْفَقُ لَكَ

It is narrated in the Sunan of Ibn Majah that Umm al-Mundhir bint Qays al-Ansariyyah said:  The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered my house with Ali Radi Allaho Anh, who had recently recovered from an illness. We had some hanging bunches of dates, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم began to eat them, and Ali joined him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Ali, "You are still recovering." So, Ali refrained from eating. Then I made a dish of barley and beetroot and brought it to them. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Ali, "Eat from this, for it is better for you." In another narration, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Eat from this, for it is more suitable for you."

وَفِي سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ أَيْضًا عَنْ صهيب قَالَ: قَدِمْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ خُبْزٌ وَتَمْرٌ، فَقَالَ:  ادْنُ فَكُلْ ، فَأَخَذْتُ تَمْرًا فَأَكَلْتُ، فَقَالَ:  أَتَأْكُلُ تَمْرًا وَبِكَ رَمَدٌ ؟ فَقُلْتُ: يا رسول الله! أمضع مِنَ النَّاحِيَةِ الْأُخْرَى، فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

In another narration from the Sunan of Ibn Majah, Suhaib Radi Allaho Anh said: 

I came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while he had bread and dates (in front of him). The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Come closer and eat." So, I took some dates and began to eat them. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Are you eating dates while you have an eye infection?" I replied, "I am chewing them from the other side." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم smiled.

وَفِي حَدِيثٍ مَحْفُوظٍ عَنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:  إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْدًا، حَمَاهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، كَمَا يَحْمِي أَحَدُكُمْ مَرِيضَهُ عَنِ الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ . وَفِي لَفْظٍ:  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْمِي عَبْدَهُ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا

Another Hadith reports that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:  "When Allah loves His servant, He protects him from worldly temptations, just as you protect your sick from food and drink."

As for the saying that is often quoted by people: 

الْحِمْيَةُ رَأْسُ الدَّوَاءِ، وَالْمَعِدَةُ بَيْتُ الدَّاءِ، وَعَوِّدُوا كُلَّ جِسْمٍ مَا اعْتَادَ» فَهَذَا إِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنْ كَلَامِ الحارث بن كلدة طَبِيبِ الْعَرَبِ، وَلَا يَصِحُّ رَفْعُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

"Prevention is the head of medicine, the stomach is the house of disease, and accustom everybody to what it is used to," this saying is attributed to Al-Harith ibn Kaldah, an Arab physician, and it cannot be authentically traced back to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as stated by many Hadith scholars. However, it is also narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 

وَيُذْكَرُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.  أَنَّ الْمَعِدَةَ حَوْضُ الْبَدَنِ، وَالْعُرُوقُ إِلَيْهَا وَارِدَةٌ، فَإِذَا صَحَّتِ الْمَعِدَةُ صَدَرَتِ الْعُرُوقُ بِالصِّحَّةِ، وَإِذَا سَقِمَتِ الْمَعِدَةُ، صَدَرَتِ الْعُرُوقُ بِالسُّقَمِ ç ورد في كتاب مجمع الزوائد إلا أن في سنده يحيى البابلتي وهو ضعيف

"The stomach is the pool of the body, and the veins flow towards it. If the stomach is healthy, the veins return (back to the whole body) with health. If the stomach is sick, the veins return with sickness." Al-Harith further said:  "The foundation of medicine is prevention." According to physicians, for a healthy person, avoidance of harmful things is as necessary as treatment for the sick and recovering. The most beneficial time for prevention is during recovery, as the body is not fully restored, and the digestive power is weak. If harmful foods are consumed, the body can relapse into illness, which is more difficult to treat than the original disease.

This is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade Ali from eating dates while recovering from an illness, as dates can be difficult to digest and can harm a recovering body.

"Know that in the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition for Ali to eat Dawaali (دَوَالِي) while he was recovering is the best of guidance. Dawaali (دَوَالِي) are clusters of dates hung in the house to be eaten, like grape clusters. Fruits can harm a person recovering from illness because they quickly change in the body, and the weakened digestive system may struggle to process them."

وَقَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ: حَمَى عمر رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مَرِيضًا لَهُ، حَتَّى إِنَّهُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ مَا حَمَاهُ كَانَ يَمُصُّ النَّوَى

Zayd Bin Aslam reported that Umar Radi Allaho Anh restricted the diet of a sick person to such an extent that he was asked to only suck date stones.

In summary, dietary restriction is among the best preventatives before illness, as it can prevent it from occurring, and, if illness does develop, it prevents its progression and spread."

Thus, the Prophet's wisdom in preventing Ali Radi Allaho Anh from eating dates and instead recommending a dish that suited his recovery is an excellent example of his attention to health and well-being. Dates, while beneficial, can be too heavy for a sick person who has not fully regained his strength, due to their rapid decomposition in the body and the weakness of the recovering person’s natural defenses.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم advised moderation and gave specific guidance on certain foods during recovery. For instance, when he found Ali Radi Allaho Anh recovering from an illness and about to eat dates (which were likely too heavy for his condition), he stopped him and offered him barley and beetroot instead, which were lighter and more suitable for his recovery. Barley water and beetroot are known for their cooling, nourishing, and soothing properties, which would help strengthen the body and aid in recovery without causing further strain.

It is also narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم allowed patients to eat what they desired if it wouldn’t harm them. For example, he permitted Suhaib, who was suffering from an eye ailment, to eat a small number of dates because they wouldn’t cause harm in moderation. Similarly, when a patient expressed a desire for a specific type of bread, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed those around him to provide it, saying “if a sick person among you desires something, then feed it to him.”

رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ فِي سُنَنِهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عكرمة، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَادَ رَجُلًا، فَقَالَ لَهُ:  مَا تَشْتَهِي ؟ فَقَالَ: أَشْتَهِي خُبْزَ بُرٍّ. وَفِي لَفْظٍ: أَشْتَهِي كَعْكًا، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ خُبْزُ بُرٍّ فَلْيَبْعَثْ إِلَى أَخِيهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ إِذَا اشْتَهَى مَرِيضُ أَحَدِكُمْ شيئا، فليطعمه

Among these teachings is what was narrated by Ibn Majah in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ikrimah, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم visited a man who was ill and asked him, “What do you desire?” The man replied, “I desire wheat bread.” In another version, he said, “I desire cake.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then said, “Whoever has wheat bread, let him send it to his brother.” He then added, “If a sick person among you craves something, then feed it to him.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah)

This Hadith contains a subtle medical insight, when a sick person eats something he genuinely craves with a true, natural appetite, even if that food might normally have some harmful effects, it is actually more beneficial and less harmful than something he does not crave, even if it is beneficial on its own. The genuine craving and the body's natural desire for it helps to counteract any harm. Conversely, if the body dislikes and resists something beneficial, it may actually cause harm.

In short, food that is delicious and craved is accepted by the body with care and digested in the best possible way, especially when the desire for it is genuine and the body's strength is intact. Allah knows the best.

This demonstrates the balance in the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم approach to diet and medicine, recognizing that the body’s natural cravings can sometimes indicate what it needs for healing. At the same time, moderation and proper judgment are required to avoid harmful foods, especially during times of recovery when the body is still vulnerable.