Work and Relaxation

1. Do not relax so much that it causes you to gain weight and laziness overtakes you. Don't let it happen that you are found in bed most of the time while leaving your domestic tasks to others. This is because too much of relaxation affects the fulfilment of domestic tasks and at times also causes sicknesses. At the same time, do not overwork to the extent that you fall ill. Instead, you should use your hands, feet, and the rest of your body in a moderate way. The method for this is that you should do all your work quickly. Abandon the habit of laziness. Adopt the habit of walking in the house for a little while. If there is no fear of anyone seeing you outside, walk around outside. Alternatively, if you live in a double-storey house, go upstairs and come down a few times. Also try to use the spinning wheel and millstone or grinding stone. We are not saying that you should start earning money through this (i.e. grinding wheat and other products), although there is nothing wrong with that. However, it is necessary for you to take care of your health. In undertaking such manual tasks, one remains healthy. Look at those women who work hard in such manual tasks and see how strong and healthy they are. As for those who seek relaxation all the time, they are constantly under some medication or the other. Such work is also known as exercise. Do not engage in any exercise for about three hours after a meal. When you commence exercising, continue until you begin perspiring or you begin gasping for breath. Once this happens, stop exercising.

2. Swinging small children on a swing is a good form of exercise for them.

3. Make it a habit of waking up early in the morning. In fact, you should try and offer the tahajjud salaat daily. In doing so, one remains very healthy.

4. Do not sleep unnecessarily in the afternoon. However, if you feel tired or sleepy, there is no harm in this.

5. It is also necessary to engage in some sort of mental work. If one does not take any work from one's brain, this causes an increase in moisture in the brain and one becomes dim-witted. And the person who over taxes his brain and is always in deep thought, causes dryness to his brain which leads to weakness. It is therefore preferable to estimate the amount of work prior to undertaking it. Be in the habit of reading and teaching. Recite the Quran daily. Try and read some book or the other. Always think over matters. Do not become so angry that you lose control over yourself. At the same time do not be so tolerant that you are unable to maintain any discipline. Do not become so happy to the extent that you feel that you are not in need of Allah, or to the extent that you forget His power. If He wishes, He can destroy all your happiness in a single moment. At the same time do not become so sorrowful that you forget the mercy of Allah. If anything afflicts you, turn your attention towards something else - occupy yourself in some other task. All these things can cause sicknesses, if not death. If you have to inform someone of something that would cause him extreme happiness and this person happens to be weak-hearted, then do not inform him all at once. First ask him as to how he would feel if a certain wish or task of his is fulfilled. Thereafter inform him that you are trying to ensure that it is fulfilled and there is hope of it being fulfilled. Thereafter inform him there and then or after a few hours that his task has been fulfilled. In the same way, do not give any sad news all at once. If you have to inform anyone of the death of a certain person, commence by saying that so-and-so person was ill, his condition was quite critical and death will approach everyone at some time or the other and that he passed away through the decree of Allah.

Note : When a woman is ill, or once life is given to the baby that is in her womb, it is harmful for her to have relations with her husband.