Author: Dr. Noor Mohammad Mohibi
The Quran: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (part 105)
Manifestations of the Miracle of the Noble Quran in Linking Worship with Human Health
One of the remarkable characteristics of Islamic law is that it establishes a deep and purposeful connection between worship and human health. Within the Quranic system of knowledge, divine commands and prohibitions are never confined to mere ritual devotion; rather, alongside spiritual growth, they also ensure physical well-being, psychological tranquility, and balance in human life.
What modern medicine, physiology, and public health have reached only after centuries of research has been wisely and precisely embedded within the fabric of Islamic law.
In this section, three major themes are examined:
-
The role of sunlight and its connection to the morning and evening prayers;
-
The relationship between ablution and the prevention of eye diseases, particularly trachoma; [1]
-
The broad benefits of ablution for overall bodily health.
These discussions represent clear examples of the legislative miracle of the Noble Quran, a miracle that manifests in perfect harmony with the physical structure of the human being.
Sunlight, Vitamin D, and the Wisdom Behind the Fajr and Maghrib Prayers
-
Vitamin D: The Link Between Heaven and the Human Body
From a medical perspective, vitamin D is regarded as one of the most vital vitamins for human health.
Unlike many other vitamins, it is not primarily obtained through food. Rather, it is synthesized in the human skin under the influence of sunlight. Thereafter, it undergoes metabolic processes in the liver and kidneys until it reaches its active form.
The essential functions of vitamin D include:
-
Assisting in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestines;
-
Stabilizing these minerals in the bones and preventing bone softening;
-
Playing an effective role in insulin secretion from the pancreas;
-
Contributing significantly to the growth of bone marrow cells;
-
Playing an important role in the growth and repair of cells in the outer layer of the skin.
These facts have today been conclusively established in authoritative medical sources.
-
The Optimal Time for Benefiting from Sunlight
An important and relatively recent finding in medical science is that the best time to benefit from sunlight for the production of vitamin D is at sunrise and sunset. During these two periods, ultraviolet rays reach the Earth’s surface in a diffused and gentle form, activating the process of vitamin D synthesis without causing harm to the skin.
Scientists emphasize that direct exposure to intense sunlight is not required; rather, the scattered rays of the sun in the early morning and late afternoon provide the most beneficial effect for human skin.
-
The Fajr and Maghrib Prayers: A Striking Harmony Between Worship and Health
In light of these scientific findings, the special wisdom behind the Fajr and Maghrib prayers becomes clearer. A person who rises for the Fajr prayer before sunrise, and one who remains awake during the time of Maghrib, naturally benefits from these health-giving solar rays.
By contrast, societies characterized by prolonged morning sleep and limited exposure to sunlight show a higher prevalence of diseases such as osteomalacia (bone softening).
This reality represents a clear manifestation of the harmony between divine commands and the biological needs of human beings.
-
A Quranic Indication Concerning the Movement of the Sun
This scientific truth may also be observed in light of the following noble verse from the Quran: (وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ[2]) Translation: “And you would see the sun, when it rises, incline away from their cave to the right, and when it sets, pass away from them to the left, while they are in an open space thereof. That is from the signs of Allah.”
In this verse, the precise movement of the sun and its effect on the human living environment are presented as among the signs of Allah, signs whose wisdom modern science has only recently begun to unveil. [3]
To be continued…
References:
- Trachoma is an infectious disease of the eye.
- al-Kahf: 17
- Encyclopedia of Scientific Miracles in the Quran and Sunnah, vol. 1, pp. 70–74
