Dr. Walid A. Fitaihi

Today’s health topic is about love in general and the emotions it gives rise to throughout one’s life.



It is about love for our Creator, love for mankind, and love of the universe and the beauty in it.



Love is not restricted to mere physical attraction because this type of love or infatuation usually lasts no longer than six months and it may not develop into the second phase of love which can be learned and is more lasting.



Real love involves wishing good for the other person just as you would wish for yourself, making tremendous efforts to rectify your character, and a very high level of self-discipline.



Allah has created mankind with an inbuilt ability to self-heal and research has proven that love can actually heal. When you give or receive love, the brain releases several curative hormones, the most important one being oxytocin which is also dubbed the love hormone.



Oxytocin reinforces positive behavior and encourages individuals to form strong relationships as well as provide support and care for family members or friends.



Naturally secreted at very high amounts in women during breastfeeding, oxytocin plays an essential role in the unique bond, attachment, and connection that develops between mother and baby after birth.

 

The benefits of oxytocin extend beyond fostering emotional attachment but it also protects the body from the negative physiological, emotional, and mental effects of stress.



Studies conducted by the researcher, Dr. Kathleen Light, at the University of North Carolina show that oxytocin not only makes you feel good and improves your mood, but it also reduces the harmful effects of the hormone cortisol when you are under stress.



Oxytocin lowers blood pressure, speeds the recovery from illnesses and also the wound-healing process, and increases one’s ability to handle physical pain.



Love is intricately involved in the chemistry of the brain. Therefore, love is felt in the brain not the heart.



Researcher Helen Fisher has spent her academic life trying to figure out what happens in the brain when one falls in love.

 

She scanned the brains of participants in the study and she found that when they focus on the object of their affection, a certain part of the brain lights up, which means it is active.



The parts of the brain activated by love are, not surprisingly, those responsible for secreting the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinehphrine; chemicals which bestow feelings of pleasure, excitement, and elation.



These neurotransmitters provide a powerful and almost unlimited supply of energy and stamina.



This explains how a passionate love for someone or something gives you the ability to stay up all night without feeling any fatigue, to concentrate without faltering, to travel great distances, even change jobs, and accomplish tremendous feats — all for the sake of the object of your love.

  

Scientific research and modern technological imagery have enabled scientists to discover wonders that occur in the body when one feels loved or gives love to others. Scientists detected that the cells in the body become bathed in an unknown fluid that is milky and cohesive.



This fluid somehow physically brings cells closer to one another and improves the function of the cells and organs in the body.



Love can amazingly change the physical nature and the function of the body as a whole and it is no wonder that the one who loves is able to overcome the most challenging problems in life.



Love stimulates cellular repair, rebuilding healthy cells, and other therapeutic processes in the body; it is a valuable power that we can all possess.



And the opposite is true because sadness and hatred affect the body at the most miniscule level.



This healing fluid between the body’s cells diminishes and the cells function with impaired coherence between one another, resulting in a less than optimal function of the organs as well as weakened immunity and reduced energy and vigor.



Feelings of depression, helplessness, and lack of self-worth may set in to the extent that even getting out of bed to go to work may become arduous.

Love may be the best medicine for depression. Love is like oxygen; without it life would be impossible and unbearable.



Love heals — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.



Islam encourages love while guiding and channeling it in the right direction. The noblest form is to love our Creator, to love others for the pleasure of Allah, to love our brothers and sisters in Islam, and to show love and gentleness to our family.



As narrated by Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love each other.”



It is by genuinely loving other Muslims that we may gain the pleasure of Allah and also gain the acceptance and approval of the people in our communities and society at large. Allah loves two people who were joined by a friendship that was based on the love of Allah.



The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel will love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heavens so all the inhabitants of the Heavens will love him, and then he is granted the pleasure and acceptance of the people on the earth.”



Islam is a religion of peace and love and not only to other human beings, but even to the animals and nature. A woman was granted Paradise for giving a drink of water to a thirsty dog. The Prophet’s love and mercy was expressed toward animals, plants, trees, and the environment.



“Indeed, the mountain of Uhud loves us and we love it,” said the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).



If you truly want to heal and nurture your body and soul, love Allah, his Prophets and companions, love your family, friends, and those around you, and love the environment.