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The Negative Effects of Disbelief Upon the Human Body
As well as its many undesirable effects on society, disbelief is pernicious
to the physical and spiritual well-being of individuals. In this section,
we will deal with this spiritual and physical harm.
As mentioned earlier, those who are not bound by the morals of Islam
live in constant sorrow, trouble and stress. Thus, they suffer from many
psychological diseases. Their bodies go through a rapid process of aging.
The spiritual suffering can attack their bodies.
These effects turn destructive for even the most healthy, young and beautiful
person. Physical changes-dull hair and eye-colour, intense hair loss,
baldness-appear in a young person, though a believer of the same age suffers
none of these. For psychological reasons, the skin thickens, becomes hard
and loses its flexibility in a short time. Soon the skin even begins to
look unhealthy. There is no doubt that not adhering to the recommendations
of the Qur'an about cleanliness have a great impact on this. These are
the traits commonly seen in societies where people do not live by the
morals of Islam and do not adhere to the Qur'an as a guide to the true
path. They are so widespread that they are considered to be natural phenomena.
They start to bear the consequences of their preference for disbelief
in this world, with even worse to come in the hereafter.
Believers, however, remain robust, since they stay psychologically healthy
and are not dragged down by feelings of sorrow, stress or hopelessness.
Putting their trust in God, seeing goodness in every incident and the
promises and glad tidings of God, all have a positive impact on their
physical health. This situation applies to people who have a thorough
appreciation of God and who are conscientious in the real sense.
Of course, believers also become sick and grow old, yet these states
do not have psychological causes as in the case of disbelievers: disease,
death and growing old are inevitable for all mankind. Yet, the rapid,
intense and destructive nature of these processes bears a direct relation
to the negative psychology and attitude a person assumes as a result of
the disbelieving way of living he adheres to. A person spending his entire
life in a peaceful state of mind, placing his trust in God and seeking
goodness in every incident will naturally be happy and peaceful and thus
prevent the detriment that troubles could otherwise bring to his health.
A society where people do not adhere to religious values is doomed to
remain bereft of the peace and comfort religion provides and will encounter
the consequent psychological and the physical damage. Society abounds
in such examples.
In our day, two diseases are associated with the term "the complaints
of our age:" stress and depression. These two are not only "catch-all"
complaints, but are also linked to physical disorders.
The most known disorders linked to stress and depression are of the mental
variety: drug addiction and sleeplessness. Then there are dermatological
and abdominal diseases, as well as disorders related to blood pressure,
the kidney and respiratory system, allergies, flu, migraine, heart attacks
and enlargement of the brain. Of course, it would be wrong to link the
causes of these diseases to stress and depression alone. However, a whole
body of scientific research proves that they frequently have their roots
in psychological problems.
A life in which religious principles predominate always involves putting
one's trust in God and having faith in destiny. Knowing that God is the
friend of His righteous servants, the individual is secure in an attitude
which is most likely to please Him and gain His approval. Ultimately,
doing the best one can whatever the circumstances, brings the kind of
relief one can enjoy from having acted conscientiously. Encountering even
the worst of all circumstances, the believer acknowledges this to be a
trial devised by God and responds and assesses the situation as instructed
by the Qur'an. Never does he fall into despair or feel frustrated or distressed.
Having to attain the hereafter as the ultimate goal in his mind, what
really matters is to conduct himself in such a way as will earn him the
eternal rewards of the hereafter. Due to his strong faith in God, seemingly
negative incidents do not distress him or drive him into a desperate mood.
Consequently, his calm and positive state of mind builds a strong constitution.
There is basically an unbridgeable gap between living by the principles
of religion and adhering to a non-religious way of living. It is the main
ambition of a disbeliever to "make the most of living," to maintain his
strength and health to enjoy life. In this sense, he is strongly attached
to his body which makes this ambition possible. This is the most profitable
thing to do, he believes. He is evidently wrong, however. Not being bound
by the values of the Qur'an draws him towards ruin rather than to leading
a charmed life. Prior to the great grief he will face in the hereafter,
he goes into a state of torment in this life. In this way, the body, nurtured
to taste every "joy" in life, is unexpectedly subjected to irremediable
damage.
Both the human mind and body are created by God to be joined by the religious
way of living. They are tuned to a system in which religious values prevail
and are accordingly equipped with appropriate attributes. Where the body
is used for purposes other than for what it is intended, it is doomed
to corruption and ruin. Indeed, the human mind and body are meshed. Being
created by God, it is essential that they should be used in compliance
with the purpose behind their creation.
In the previous chapters, we emphasised how the human soul is vulnerable
to great torment in this world whenever one ignores the principles laid
down by God. Those who do so also suffer from severe physical harm. The
close relation between spirit and body manifests itself in an abundance
of examples in society. It is observed that joyful and peaceful people,
who evaluate every incident positively and can see goodness in whatever
befalls them, and who do not display pessimism or express outrage, remain
robust till quite late in life, the ageing process taking longer in their
bodies. That is why health magazines and newspaper columns emphasise that
their readers should stay positive about life as a prescription for a
happy life. What they commonly recommend is to remain calm and optimistic,
whatever the circumstances may be. However, if one pays due attention,
these are all the traits one can in actuality possess, merely by living
by the principles of religion. Without complete adherence to the morality
of the Qur'an, people are unlikely to have complete mastery over their
moods.
Stress is Inevitable When the Values of Religion Are
Disregarded
Failure to put one's trust in God, feelings
of insecurity and fear for the future constantly do people physical
and spiritual harm. Stress and depression are the inevitable consequences
of that kind of distress-filled life. |
Stress, an alarmingly widespread misery, also named the "universal torment,"
is traceable to psychological origins. It is a general state of tension
in mind and body caused by fear, insecurity, hopelessness, anxiety and
feelings like fear of losing one's job, concerns over health or losing
one's family members.
The body responds to stress, by initiating a series of biochemical reactions.
The adrenaline level in the blood increases accompanied by a peak level
of energy consumption and accelerated bodily reactions. Meanwhile, sugar,
cholesterol and fat acids are released into the blood stream, blood pressure
increases and the heart begins to race.
Chronic stress does great damage to the body, mainly to the bodily functions.
Due to stress, the levels of cortisone and adrenaline also increase dramatically.
Glucose heading to the brain leads to a higher level of cholesterol, meaning
danger for the body. Chronic stress leads to heart diseases, hyper-tension,
ulcers, depression, diseases related to the respiratory system, eczema,
psoriasis and many other health problems.
It is related in many scientific sources that there is an important relation
between stress and the tension and the pain stress causes. According to
scientific studies, the tension caused by stress leads to contraction
in the veins, which in return impedes the blood flow to particular sections
of the brain. This process ends up in a considerable reduction in the
amount of blood reaching these particular sections. Meanwhile, deprivation
of blood for an extended period of time inflicts pain on the tissues.
Under stress, the tense tissue needs more oxygen, but, inadequately supplied
with blood, it alerts the specific pain receptors. Meanwhile, during tension,
adrenaline and noradrenalin, the hormones affecting the nervous system,
are secreted which, directly or indirectly, increase the tension of the
muscles. This tension causes pain. Then begins a vicious cycle of pain
leading to tension, tension leading to anxiety and anxiety to severe pain.
One of the most serious bodily malfunctions that stress causes is surely
the heart attack. A large corpus of research shows that people who are
inclined to aggression, anxiety and competition are more likely to have
heart attacks than those who tend to control irritations in their lives.
According to the scientific sources on the subject, excessive stimulation
of the sympathetic nervous system initiated by the hypothalamus simultaneously
causes excessive secretion of insulin and consequently an excess of insulin
in the blood. This is a serious threat to health, since none of the conditions
leading to coronary vein disease is more detrimental than an excess of
insulin in the blood.
This is an unusual situation for the human body and its persistence over
an extended period of time is detrimental to health and the natural balance
of the body. The negative effects of stress on the human body are basically
the following:
* Concern and panic: feeling anxiety about losing control over the irritations
in one's life;
* Sweating: excessive sweating and the frequent need to use the bathroom;
* Change in voice: stammering, trembling voice;
* Hyperactive state: sudden explosions of energy, poor diabetic control;
* Insomnia: nightmares;
* Dermatological diseases: acne, fever, eczema and psoriasis;
* Gastrointestinal symptoms: indigestion, ulcers, nausea;
* Muscle tensions: clamping or chattering teeth, pain in the jaw, back,
neck and shoulders;
* Mild infections: flu, etc.
* Migraine;
* Rapid heartbeat, chest pain, high blood pressure;
* Kidney disorders, water retention in the body;
* Disorders related to the respiratory system, being short of breath;
* Allergies;
* Heart attack;
* Weakening of the immune system;
* Diminishing in the brain size;
* Sense of guilt, insecurity;
* Confusion, poor judgement, failure to conceptualise, weak memory;
* Extreme pessimism, a strong conviction that things will go wrong;
* Difficulty in standing still;
* Failure in concentrating, or having difficulty in concentrating;
* Nervousness, touchiness;
* Being irrational;
* Anorexia or canine hunger.
Anger and violence, caused by anger, are one
of the most significant characteristics of irreligious societies.
Being arrogant and greedy, these people attempt to harm one another
even over minor conflicts of interest. Everyone becomes like a bomb
ready to explode. In a society where people adhere to the moral values
of the Qur'an, however, none of these miseries exist. God describes
believers who live by these values as follows:
"…those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who
control their rage and pardon other people-God loves the good-doers."
(Surah Al 'Imran: 134) |
People who are unaware of the benefits granted by the morals of Islam
or those who are far removed from them, are doomed to endure this torment
which we call "stress." As long as they remain rigid in their thoughts
and outlook on life and incidents, they have no chance of saving themselves
from this torment. This fact is also evident from what experts recommend
on how to cope with stress. An example will make this point clear. For
instance, one of the commandments of God's religion is to "overcome rage."
Experts make the following comment on rage, which is considered to be
one of the most important factors causing stress: "Do not lose your temper,
no matter how provocative the conditions may be. Do not resort to violence
(except in cases where you need to defend yourself) even if you feel you
have reasons to do so."
As we have seen, whenever the individual succeeds in remaining peaceful,
calm, secure and unconcerned, he has more chances of avoiding many diseases.
This is a scientific fact. It is evident that a peaceful and comfortable
state of mind is only attainable through religion.
Immunal Disorders Result from Stress
There is a close relation between stress and the immunity system. Physiological
stress has an enormous negative impact on the immunity system. It ruins
it. Under stress, the brain increases the production of the cholesterol
hormone in the body and weakens the immunity system. In other words, the
brain, the immunity system and hormones are correlated.
Studies on psychological and physical stress reveal that after intense
stress of long duration, the resistance of the immunity system weakens
in relation to the hormonal balance of the body. It is today well established
that many diseases, including cancer, appear and intensify in correlation
with stress.
 That
is why, a peaceful brain and a tranquil mood restore the corporal system
in general. This turns out to be a hindrance to the emergence of factors
contributing to diseases. Essentially, having faith in God builds such
an outlook as enables the individual to attain a strong mental state and
constitution. Taking a positive attitude towards every incident is considered
as worship, provided that it is done to earn God's approval. Having a
spirit full of hope and putting one's trust in God are the attitudes the
Qur'an teaches to believers. The Qur'anic standpoint guides them to attain
the next world, as well as providing them with a happy, joyful, blissful
life in this world. This is, however, only a minor part of the boundless
favour-the part one can enjoy in this world-God promises to those who
turn to Him and who are willing to be guided by Him. Of course, this does
not mean that believers never become sick or encounter any difficulties.
It is simply that, compared to other people, believers are less likely
to develop diseases, since they never experience stress or foul moods.
One important point deserves mention here: people certainly do not live
by religion in order not to suffer from diseases. Yet, in the general
run of events, putting trust in God and complying with the rules He has
laid down, leads to mental and physical well-being. In other words, the
fact that believers are healthy people is consequent upon their strong
faith and firm spiritual foundation.
In plain words, the man of the 21st century needs to accomplish one thing:
to turn to his natural character, the one God created for him, and commit
himself to the principles of religion. Otherwise, both in this world and
the hereafter, he will be the one to lose. Apart from the mental and psychological
adversities he faces, one who also remains in poor health in this world
will encounter even more torment in the next one. Believers, on the other
hand, due to their loyalty to God and their attachment to their religion,
will always have bliss and a life of abundance.
People who distance themselves from religion
never consider the negative effects of stress on their bodies. They
simply accept it as a natural consequence of daily life. The fact
is, however, that anger, jealousy and stress do psychological and
physical harm |
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