Health Promotion through Islamic Lifestyles

The Amman Declaration
on Health Promotion

The Consultation on Islamic Lifestyles and their Impact on Health Development and Human Development in General, held in Amman, Jordan, on 19 to 22 Thul-Qa'da, 1409 AH (corresponding to 23-26 June 1989) with a view to achieving Health for All by the Year 2000, hereby issues the following Declaration on Health Promotion: 

Whereas the Consultation was convened in response to the urgent need in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for the formulation of health messages to its populations, in language that they can understand and respond to, and for the initiation of health promotion activities, making use of the devotional spirit that characterizes them, and that makes of the religion the authority to which they turn and the stimulus for their survival; Therefore, and based on the deep-rooted health heritage with which the people of the Region have contributed to human civilization, on the goal of WHO aiming at achieving Health for All, on the Alma-Ata Declaration on primary health care, and on the resolution by the World Health Assembly regarding the spiritual dimension; the Consultation declares the following;

First: Health is a blessing from God, which many people do not appreciate, as is mentioned in the hadith.

Second: Health is but one element of life, and cannot be complete unless the other major elements are provided, including: freedom, security, justice, education, work, self-sufficiency, food, water, clothing, housing, marriage and environmental health.

Third: People can preserve their health, as enjoined in the Quran, by maintaining a moderate health balance in a state of dynamic equilibrium, neither exceeding the bounds, nor falling short in that balance of :

Fourth: Every human being is in possession of a certain health potential, 'which they must develop in order to enjoy complete well-being and ward off disease, as is mentioned in the hadith.

Fifth: The lifestyles followed by human beings have a major impact on their health and well-being.

Sixth: Islamic lifestyles embrace numerous positive patterns promoting health and rejecting any behavior which is contradictory to health.

Seventh: Islam, as defined in the Quran, is the natural course of life which God has bestowed on humanity. Hence, adhering to Islamic lifestyles is, in itself, realization of the true nature of the human being, and ensures harmony with the laws of God in body and soul, in the individual, the family and community, and between human beings and their environment.

Eighth: The document appended to this Declaration comprises a list of the Islamic lifestyles derived from the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and affecting health development and human development in general. It comprises an integral part of this Declaration.

Ninth: The Consultation calls upon all international organizations, governments, voluntary and nongovernmental organizations to promote health by encouraging positive lifestyles, particularly through:
1. Introducing the health-promoting Islamic lifestyles, and             advocating them through proper channels, as befits the circumstances of each country.
2. Providing conditions that are conducive to promotion of health and healthy lifestyles; and not contradicting such through advertising unhealthy lifestyles, supporting the production of materials harmful to health, or promoting unhealthy behavior.
3. Encouraging the comprehensive development of local communities, and supporting them in attaining their basic needs through self-reliance, this being , a practical introduction to the implementation of healthy lifestyles.
4. Reorienting health, educational, instructional and public information institutions, in such a manner that promotes health and encourages healthy lifestyles, especially those mentioned in the document appended to this Declaration.
5. Reorienting educational institutions in the health field, in such a way as to give a human dimension to the health professions, and to make each of these professions a vocation rather than a mere occupation.
6. Declaring a Decade dedicated to promoting efforts to implement the action plan agreed upon by the concerned parties, for adoption and application of Islamic lifestyles.

Article printed with permission from Dr. A.R. El-Gendy, Secretary General Assistant, Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences (IOMS)
Please Check out IOMS's website which contains a wealth of information on health/medical issues for Muslims at: http://www.Islamset.com


Back to more articles