Managing a chronic health condition, be it diabetes or depression, is never easy, and the attitude with which a person approaches a long-term health problem is intimately tied to his/her faith. It seems, however, along with serving as an anchor and a source of refugee, many Muslims’ iman discourages them from taking a pro-active approach when it comes to battling health problems. When asked to describe illness, at least one-third of Muslim survey respondents used phrases such as a ‘test from God’ or a ‘part of life’, and consequently, a ‘part of being Muslim’.

So it appears that a sizable chunk of Muslims consider disease a litmus test of their devotion to and trust in God; this resigned, passive attitude flies in the face of some of the fundamental traditions of the Prophet, who advised us to care well for our bodies, and contradicts Qur’anic guidelines on maintaining a balanced lifestyle grounded in moderation, eating food that is tayyab and halal, and abstaining from self-destructive habits such as smoking and consuming alcohol. read more