What happens if we use laundry detergent in the dishwasher instead of dish soap? What happens if we open the dishwasher in the middle of the washing process? Obviously, not good things. The reason we do not do these things is because there are consequences that can lead to damaging the dishwasher. That’s why we read the instruction manual first in hope of understanding how to operate and use the products accordingly.

The human body is a perfect working system. How, then, can we maintain this remarkable and also very complex system? Do we have a user’s manual as well? For centuries, scientists have been trying to find this mysterious manual in order to help us live healthy and happy lives. And even though no one likes diseases that interfere with our system, these diseases provide scientists with the main clues for further understanding how to protect our bodies and what we might be doing wrong. We are constantly learning about things that are harmful to our bodies and to the environment. Of course, no one opens the engine hood of a good working car unless it’s necessary, but we have created so much error with our bodies thereby putting scientists in situations that make it necessary for them to investigate under the “hood”.

So far, studies have revealed many interesting things about the human body especially with regards to our internal clock. Scientists have revealed that the disruption of our internal clock can cause many diseases. On the other hand, it has been proven that waking up before sunrise, napping during the midday or afternoon, avoiding light during the night, and eating one or two times a day at scheduled meal times have positive effects on our internal clock and consequently on our health.

While I am grateful to scientists who are constantly working to enlighten us about our bodies and our health, I also wonder how the very first people of the earth used to manage their health and their bodies before these studies and investigations began on humans. In my opinion, their main characteristics were to observe the universe in a much more intelligent way and to listen to their inner voices. However, these abilities were weakened with each passing generation by the noise caused by the growing external stimuli.

Each time their ability to listen and respond to their bodies using intuition diminished, they began to make improper decisions. Despite their mistakes, “their manufacturer”, undoubtedly, He who is the Almighty Allah (s.w.t.), did not want them to be harmed. Whenever they forgot the guidelines, He (s.w.t.) kept sending them new “manuals” in the form of religious books with “master repairmen” in the form of our beloved prophets. Finally, Allah (s.w.t) sent the most perfect and final repairman with an equally perfect manual that acknowledged all the previous ones, but stated that it would be the last and the very best! As He (s.w.t.) says, as long as we read the manual and follow the repairman’s footsteps, our bodies and everything else in the world will be in peace and harmony! Then and only then will we feel the rhythm of the cosmos and be able to keep up with it’s beat!

…..

Now, a very little thing, a virus, which can be debated if it is living or not, is shaking our world. Because of this tiny virus, we have put aside many other things that are still going on in the world; wars, crashing economies, our troubles, illnesses, goals and dreams. We have abruptly dropped to the bottom of the pyramid of Maslow; to our basic physiological and safety needs. The virus is reminding us of the power of the Manufacturer who states without hesitation in His manual in Surah al-Hajj 22:73 that we are helpless even against a fly if He so commands it. Now we are witnessing His power through a virus. Perhaps this is because we have not done a good enough job in using the manual that was sent to us accordingly.

We apologise!

We did not respect your creation and construction on earth! We cut the trees selfishly, we caved the mountains with greed, we damaged the genes in the name of science!

We apologise!

We have re-shaped everything and all the body parts simply because we could! We changed the nights into days, and the days into nights and harmed our inner clock!

We apologise!

Everything we constructed against your will poisons us now! We cannot breath in these concrete cities! We cannot hear the music of the rivers and the birds! We have lost the rhythm of life and we are lost now!

Oh, our Lord! You are the only creator! You know the best! You arranged everything magnificently in the best form and function!
Please forgive us! Please help us find the right way and follow it rigorously!
Please don’t let us damage the cosmos and the even bigger cosmos within us!

We promise as Adam (a.s.) did! Let us open a clean page and write just what You (s.w.t.) want us to write!

Please let us get to know you in detail and reach for you so that we may feel the rhythm of life forever!

Kehhal