paragonimus, clonorchis senesis and erysipelothrix rhnsiphathiae.’11 He goes on: ‘In short, the pig, the supreme germ carrier, is the cause of many serious and fatal diseases, among them dysentery trichinosis, tape worm, round worm, hook worm, jaundice, pneumonia, suffocation, intestinal obstruction, acute pancreatitis, enlargement of the liver, diarrhea, emaciation, high fever, hindering the growth development in children, typhoid, lameness, heart trouble, abortion, sterility and sudden death.’12
Drinking alcohol is prohibited by Islam. Although it has some beneficial effects, it leads to addiction with all its moral and physiological problems. Further, ingestion of large amounts causes irritation of the stomach and peptic ulcer formation. It also affects the liver and causes its inflammation, cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure.
The Muslim is required not to restrain a sneeze, rather to thank God for this blessing. Sneezing results from irritation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and it leads to the expulsion of the irritating substance. Prevention of sneezing will retain the irritant which may then cause inflammation where it lodges. Covering the mouth when sneezing is recommended in order to prevent the transmission to other persons of bacteria which may be present in the upper respiratory tract of some individuals.
Circumcision, required of every male Muslim, has been increasingly carried out in some parts of the Western world on medical grounds. The prepuce (a quite redundant piece of skin), if not cut off, can accumulate dirt and organisms which encourage the growth of bacteria. This may be one of the factors causing cancerous changes in the female genital tract.
Sexual intercourse during menses, which is completely forbidden in Islam, is harmful for two reasons:
1. The cervix is opened during menses, and intercourse will facilitate the entry of bacteria into the uterus and the fallopian tubes leading to inflammation and formation of adhesions which can cause sterility.
2. The negative psychological effect on the man when he discovers blood on his sexual organ. This may create a sensation of disgust such as to inhibit proper sexual relations with his wife.
The wisdom behind the prohibition of anal intercourse is that it is a painful process and it stimulates the defecation reflex. In addition, the male sexual organ may be soiled with some faeces which may contain pathogenic micro-organisms, in turn causing urinary tract infection in the male.
During the menstrual period the female sexual hormones are disturbed, leading to psychological upset, mainly in the form of nervous tension and depression, and this may explain the changes observed in the behaviour of women during the menstrual period. It partly explains the wisdom of the exemption of women from prayer and fasting.
The fact that, according to Islamic injunctions, the corpse must be buried without delay, shows proper understanding of the dangers of putrefaction: dangers much greater in hot climates where no cooling facilities are available.
The wisdom behind forbidding Muslims to own dogs, except watch and hunt dogs whose place must be outside the house, is clearly seen in the fact that the saliva of dogs contain rabies virus which can be transmitted to man by biting or by contact with the dog’s saliva through any cut in the skin. Echinococcus worm is found in the intestine of dogs; transmitted to man through food contaminated with dogs’ excreta, it can lead to the formation of cysts primarily in the liver and lungs.
Contribution of Ādāb al-Islām to the National Economy
The observance of ādāb al-Islām is also essential to a healthy economy; extravagance is forbidden, thriftiness encouraged, even required. Money plays an important role in the life of a nation, both in times of peace and of war. As a store of value it serves as a reserve of ready purchasing power and medium of exchange.13 Money power is essential for the nation as a whole. ‘The private individual is not absolutely free to spend any amount of money in any way he likes, as this leads to the destruction of this national power. Ādāb al-Islām give Muslims a religious motive for saving. In other words, it is the religious duty of every Muslim to abstain from extravagance, for Allah says in the Qur’ān: ‘Lo! the squanderers were ever brothers of the devil, and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord.’14
Here are different aspects of Islamic life which demonstrate the importance that Islam attaches to a healthy economy:
1. Moderation in eating and drinking is required. No food, however little, should be wasted. Forbidding wastefulness saves a large amount of the national wealth, and directs it to more useful investments.
2. Moderation in dress is required. Clothes should not become an end in themselves, and spending large sums of money on clothes should be avoided.
3. Furniture and other household items should be of moderate price. Silver or gold should not be used in domestic furniture or for utensils, or in any other items. Also silk or silk brocade should not be used in furniture or in men’s clothes.
4. Large sums of money should not be spent on building lavish houses. Even extravagance in mosque buildings is forbidden. Ornamentation in both cases should also be avoided.
5. In Islam, the ideal wedding is that which involves the least expense and avoids the unnecessary.
6. Funerals should also be inexpensive. Extravagance is forbidden. Coffins should not be used, unless to comply with special regulations or for health reasons.
7. Though generosity and hospitality toward guests is highly recommended in Islam, extravagance is forbidden.
8. Suspending work on Friday is not specifically prescribed in Islam except for about an hour to say the Friday prayers. Useful work should be continued, for to stop working for even a day may cause a loss to the national economy as a whole. Abandoning work on Friday is not encouraged, for the concept of the Sabbath does not exist in Islam. However, if Muslims have to have a day off, it should be Friday and not Saturday or Sunday.
9. Skill and thoroughness in every task entrusted to a Muslim is considered as his duty in Islam: according to the hadith, ‘Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency in all things.’15 A successful economy is obvious when industry and quality combine.
Marriage, the Family and Ādāb al-Islām
The family ‘provides the environment within which human values and morals develop and grow in the new generation; these values and morals cannot exist apart from the family unit. The family system and the relationship between the sexes determines the whole character of a society and whether it is backward or civilised.’16
Because marriage and family are so important, it is not surprising that so large a number of Our’anic verses and Prophetic Traditions are devoted to these two areas; these sources provide the basis and the details necessary for successful marriage and a morally sound, stable society.
1. A Muslim is recommended to marry at an early age. Marriage enlarges the circle of relatives by adding new ones through the marriage tie. Breast-feeding by foster nurses is permitted in Islam for it too enlarges the circle of the family with new-found relatives, called ‘relatives in breast-feeding’.
2. Muslims are encouraged to make marriage an easy task. According to the Islamic view, the most blessed marriage is that which involves the least burden upon the bride and bridegroom.
3. Celebrating marriage has been made commendatory in Islam, for marriage is
