رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Prophet's Guidance on treating various illnesses with food and medicine the body is used to

فَصْلٌ فِي هَدْيِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي عِلَاجِ الْأَبْدَانِ بِمَا اعْتَادَتْهُ مِنَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ وَالْأَغْذِيَةِ دُونَ مَا لَمْ تَعْتَدْهُ

Guidance of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Treating the Body with Familiar Medicines and Foods

This is a great principle in medicine, one of the most beneficial aspects of treatment. If a doctor overlooks this, he may harm the patient while thinking he is benefiting them. A doctor should not deviate from what the body is accustomed to in terms of medicine and food to things found only in medical books unless they are ignorant of the true nature of the patient’s condition. The compatibility of medicines and foods with bodies is based on their readiness and acceptance. People like those in the desert, farmers, and others are not affected by light medicines like Nilofar (water lily) or fresh rose water. Such medicines have little impact on their temperaments. In fact, many of the medicines used by people in cities or those who live in luxury are ineffective for them, and experience proves this.

Anyone who reflects on the treatment methods of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم will find that they were all suited to the patient’s habits, environment, and what they were accustomed to. This is a crucial principle in treatment that must be attended to. Some of the most respected physicians of the time have explicitly stated this, including the renowned Arab physician, Al-Harith ibn Kaladah who said, "Diet is the foundation of medicine, and the stomach is the house of illness. Accustom everybody to what it is used to." In another narration, he said, "Fasting is medicine." By fasting, he meant abstaining from food, referring to hunger, which is one of the greatest remedies for diseases caused by excessive consumption. In fact, it is often better than purgatives for treating such conditions unless there is a risk of an excess of harmful fluids, or an overabundance of bodily fluids.

His statement, "The stomach is the house of illness," refers to the stomach as a hollow, nerve-rich organ shaped like a gourd. It is composed of three layers made of fine nerve fibers. The stomach is involved in the first stage of digestion, where food is broken down and then passed to the liver and intestines. Some residues remain in the stomach because the digestive power is sometimes insufficient to fully digest the food, either due to the amount of food, its poor quality, or improper dietary habits—or a combination of these factors. These issues are difficult for a person to avoid entirely.

As for habit, it functions much like a second nature for a person. This is why it is said that habit is a "second nature," providing great strength to the body. The same action can have different effects on different bodies depending on their established habits, even if those bodies are otherwise similar. For example, consider three persons, each with a warm temperament and in the prime of youth: one is accustomed to consuming warm substances, the second to cold ones, and the third to moderate ones. If the first person consumes honey, it won’t harm him; the second will be harmed by it; and the third may experience mild harm.

Therefore, habit plays a crucial role in maintaining health and treating illnesses. This is why the prophetic guidance emphasizes treating each body in accordance with its habitual diet, medication, and other practices. That is why Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said that each person should be treated according to what he is accustomed to of medicine and food.

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