وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Wa nunazzilu minal-Qur’ani maa huwa shifaa’un wa-raHmatun lil-mu’mineen
And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers.
Suratul Israa (No. 17), Aayat 82
Health is a great asset for the human being. Both health of the body and health of the soul are important. Just as the human body gets sick, the human heart also gets sick. The latter is more dangerous for the human being than the former. Imam Ameerul Mu’mineen Ali (a) says: Surely from among the trials is poverty, and worse than that is sickness of the body, and worse than that is sickness of the heart.
Both physical and spiritual diseases need to be diagnosed and cured. Both can spread and become worse if not caught early, and both have the power to create great pain and distress.
According to this verse, the holy Qur’an is a healing for believers. It is a cure for the diseases of the soul, for pride and jealousy, hypocrisy and selfishness. It is a healing for the negative emotions of anger, fear, and sadness. It vaccinates people from blind attachment to this world, from the following of whims and desires, and from the love of materialism. Regular recitation of the Quran, and pondering over its verses, keeps the soul healthy and free of many diseases.
The verse also says that the Qur’an is a mercy. According to Tafseer, the Qur’an first cures. Once the soul is purified and healthy, the believer advances to the next stage of training and self-building through the Qur’an. It is from the mercy of God and His love for the human beings that He has communicated ways of reaching Him and attaining happiness in both worlds through the Qur’an.
Heal your inner maladies through the verses of Qur’an. It is both medicine and good nutrition. The result will be a healthy soul that has a strong immune system able to face the challenges of life in this world.
Sources:
Tafsir Namune, Aytaullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi (ed).
Mizanul Hikmah, Muhammadi Rayshahri