This paper examines the dietary practices and lifestyle habits of followers of Mohammed, emphasizing the integration of physical health and spiritual discipline. The diet included natural foods such as honey, dates, barley bread, olive oil, and yogurt, consumed in moderation to maintain bodily wellness. Beyond nutrition, the lifestyle incorporated five daily ritual purifications, fasting during Ramadan, and adherence to the Sunnah—the teachings and example set by Mohammed. These practices were unified by the Constitution of Medina and motivated by a holistic view of health that encompassed the body, mind, and soul in service to spiritual growth.
People who lived during the time of Mohammed followed a specific dietary system and lifestyle which was modeled on that of the prophet. The diet was natural and holistic, and the lifestyle was as well. For example, after morning prayers, the prophet would dissolve a spoonful of honey in water and drink this, and his followers would do the same. The purpose of this was that not only would the honey sweeten the water but also it would prepare the digestive tract for the breakfast that was soon to follow (Abdalshafy, 2014). This honey juice was especially important in the life of Mohammed and his followers in maintaining a healthy, regimental lifestyle. This paper shall discuss other aspects of the lifestyle and dietary system of the followers of Mohammed at this point in time.
Breakfast for the followers of Mohammed consisted of seven dates "soaked in milk" (Abdalshafy, 2014), which was meant to serve as an anti-toxin for the body. Dates have, in fact, been shown to reduce the level of toxicity in the body when consumed consistently for a substantial period of time. Thus, the prophet encouraged his followers to adhere to this dietary system in order to keep the body healthy.
Lunch followed the afternoon prayer and consisted of olive oil and apple vinegar eaten with barley bread. The oil and vinegar were helpful in eliminating cholesterol and reducing the chances of cancer. Mohammed would also eat a carrot and a dill with parsley, both of which helped to keep gall and kidney stones from forming.
The evening meal was made up of yogurt and barley bread, if this was attainable. Yogurt also helped to cleanse the body of toxins, and Mohammed's followers saw the benefit of this in the meal.
This diet mainly consisted of balanced nutrition. His followers did not eat or drink to excess but saw how certain habits could lead to pains or sickness within the body. They viewed moderation as a key to a healthy diet. They also practiced fasting during Ramadan. This exercise was helpful in keeping a habit of balance and self-denial, so that one did not get carried away with sensual pleasure. Fasting, which the followers practiced, also allowed them to spiritually cleanse themselves. It was not an unhealthy exercise, as each follower did partake of the necessary nutrients needed by the body.
The followers also did not indulge in alcohol or partake of the usage of drugs or intoxicating substances. It was understood that such activities only harmed the body, mind, and soul, and caused destruction within the community as a whole. The entire point of the diet and lifestyle was to be healthy and to preserve what God had created so that one could stay pleasing to God in the manner that He desired.
The lifestyle of Mohammed's followers was, however, also geared towards maintaining the health of the soul as well. That is why the followers of Mohammed would attend to the "ritual of self-purification" five times every day. This ritual was meant to be a spiritual exercise, a cleansing of the soul in order to prepare the soul for meeting the Creator (Muslim Health Network, 2014). By washing their hands, nose, face, arms, mouth, and feet, the followers of Mohammed showed that they were clean and prepared to pray to their God. The rinsing of the body with water was viewed as a purification process, and every follower had to do it at least once a week or more (if one recognized himself as being in a state of impurity).
The lifestyle example that Mohammed gave to his followers is known as the Sunnah and it is made up of the actions and sayings of Mohammed which serve as a model of behavior for his followers. It describes how one should pray and act during the day. It tells how his followers should attend to their lives within the home as well as outside the home in public (Nigosian, 2004). For example, it tells how his followers should enter a mosque and how to be good Muslims in general. It also describes the way that certain laws should be followed. The Quran, for example, is believed to be the Word of God, and it is understood that Mohammed passed this Word directly on to his followers in the Quran. As Mohammed built a mosque in Medina, his followers took to adhering to the calls to prayer that Bilal ibn Ribah would give to assemble the people at the appointed time. This daily ritual was a fundamental part of the lifestyle of Mohammed's followers. By assembling together all the various persons who came to follow him, Mohammed broke down the different tribal loyalties and united them all under one roof, which was the Muslim faith. In this way they all became followers of Mohammed (Muir, 1861).
"Legal framework uniting followers beyond tribal identity"
Abdalshafy, M. (2014). Optimum health from the food of the prophet. Encyclopedia of Miracles in Quran and Sunnah. Retrieved from http://www.quran-m.com/firas/en1/index.php/prophetical/458-optimum-health-from-the-food-of-the-prophet.html
Muir, W. (1861). Life of Mahomet. Smith, Elder.
Muslim Health Network. (2014). Islam and health. MHN. Retrieved from http://www.muslimhealthnetwork.org/islamandhealth.shtml
Nigosian, S. (2004). Islam: Its history, teaching, and practices. Indiana University Press.
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