With exercise comes strength in service of the Almighty

ABU DHABI // A healthy body and sound mind play a vital role in a person’s life and helps them to carry out their duties to family, society and the Lord, today’s sermon says. Prophet Mohammed once said: “Indeed, your body has a right on you; and your Lord has a right on you; and your family has a right on you. So you should give the rights of all those who have a right on you.”

In this sense, one of the rights that a person should give to his body is protecting it from weakness and infirmity. Indeed, a strong and healthy body is of great help to people in their lives. Strong and healthy people can perform their daily work and tasks properly and help others, too.

Allah stressed in the Quran the importance of maintaining physical fitness, which was illustrated in the story of Moses when he came to the well of Madyan and found a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women driving back [their flocks].

He said: “What is your circumstance?” They said: “We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [ their flocks]; and our father is an old man.” (Al-Qasas: 23)

That is to say, because of his old age, their father had become too weak to water the flock. As a result, his two daughters had to bear the burden of doing so as a duty towards their father.

So, being a strong man, Musa helped them by removing a big rock that was on the well, allowing them to water the flock and go back to their father quickly.

When the daughters returned to their father, they told him what happened.

“O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy,” said one of the daughters (Al-Qasas: 26)

Indeed, being physically fit is an important factor in accomplishing success. This was also emphasised in the story of Dhul Qarnain, when he helped those who sought out his assistance in building a dam to separate them from the corruptors.

Dhul Qarnain told them: “But assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam.” (Al-Kahaf: 95) This means help me with the strength of your bodies. As such, with the joint power of their bodies, they could build the dam at a faster pace. Truly, physical strength is a prerequisite for man to acquire agility, stamina and positivity to populate the earth and build civilisations. The sermon says there are many kinds of sport that one can practice. Prophet Mohammed used to walk with his companions as well as with his wives, may Allah be pleased with them.

The sermon also urges people to practice sports as the Government has taken great care to create areas for fitness and physical activities.