The Wisdom Of Rest

Get Fit to Live Column:
"The Wisdom of Rest"

By Audrey Muhammad

Do you know the impact rest has on your ability to heal and rejuvenate?  In Torchlight for America, The Honorable Minister Farrakhan listed “rest and relaxation” as the 6^th step for preventative care.  Minister Farrakhan stated that getting proper rest and relaxation will “allow your body time to recuperate from the emotional stress and physical exertion of the day, to re-energize itself to meet the challenges of the next day (A Torchlight for America, p. 147). 

One day I was listening to a podcast by Shawn Stevenson, author of Sleep Smarter and he shared how he broke his hip while running when he was a teenager.  He was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease, but refused to accept it as a “death sentence.” He went on to study nutrition and kinesiology and found that, not only was his diet lacking, he was not allowing his body adequate time to rest and heal.   Sometime later, he improved his diet and started getting at least 7 or more hours of sleep.  As a result, he was able to lose weight AND his hip was healed. 

In his book, Shawn Stevenson discusses many benefits to proper sleep including:  Faster weight loss, better skin, better memory and a stronger immune system.  The author quotes renowned neurologist Kulreet Chaudhary, MD., who says, “Timing your sleep is like timing an investment in the stock market—it doesn’t matter how much you invest, it matters when you invest” (Sleep Smarter, p. 41).    According to Dr. Chaudhary, sleeping between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. is the best times for people to get the most health benefits, especially for recovery, (p. 41)

The teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad also support the above claim.  “Eating one meal once a day or once every two days, with no meals between, gives the body time to rest the digestive machinery after the previous meal-and this give the blood time to purify itself o the poison from the last meal” (How to Eat to Live Book II, p. 130). 

At an event at Mosque No. 34 in Durham on August 11, 2018, Student Minister Carlos Muhammad, NOI Historian, shared a letter that Master Fard Muhammad wrote to the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.  In the letter written on October 10 1933, Master Fard Muhammad wrote, “You must have rest and time for other walks of life which is also necessary….”  Brother Carlos also dispelled the myth that a person only needs four hours of sleep; a myth that has circulated in the Nation.  He said Minister Farrakhan told him that he couldn’t function properly on that little sleep.  Granted, there are days where we may only get a couple hours of rest, but that is the “exception,” not the rule. 

Getting proper rest also affects your decision making process.   Have you noticed that when you go to sleep at a decent hour, at least at 9 or 10 p.m., that your mind functions better.  Also, when you get enough rest, you are also less likely to overeat; you have more discipline. “The less you eat the longer you live” (How to Eat to Live Book II, p. 176)

Eating properly and at the proper times, between 4-6 p.m., allows your body enough time to digest some of your food so that your sleep cycle isn’t disrupted.  When you constantly lack sleep, other problems may occur.  Sleep deprivation can also lead to mental illness and other ailments.

Overall, sleeping early helps gives us the drive and determination to stay up after prayer and exercise.  When you are able to get proper rest, did you know that your body’s metabolism works better and you burn more fat?  Do something “kind for yourself” each day: pray, eat right, do exercise and get proper rest.

There is wisdom in resting; let’s use it. May Allah bless us all with peace, health, wealth, love and happiness.

(Audrey Muhammad is an educator, aerobics instructor and the author of The Sister’s Guide to Fitness and How to Set Worthy Goals. Please consult a physician before beginning any new diet or exercise program.)   To order either book, send a $12 money order to Get Fit to Live, P.O. Box 61402, Raleigh, NC, 27661 or visit her website www.virtuetodaymag.com).