INTERDISCIPLINARY QURANIC STUDIES
Year:2015 | Volume:6 | Issue:2|Papers Count:6

Leisure time provides a good ground for the uplifting and growth of one's personality as well as giving direction to one's life and improvement of health. It is an important part of life and attention has also be paid to it in the Holy Quran. In Islamic teachings, healthy leisure activities and in spending time in nature has been emphasized. So leisure time is of great importance in life and especially in one's health. This research, conducted through the document-based method using library sources, aims to reach strategies for spending leisure time based on the teachings of the Quran and the Infallible (AS). Some of the strategies offered in these teachings include doing sports, spending time in nature, and doing religious activities like visiting family members and visiting religious sites. These strategies not only fill one's leisure time appropriately, but also help to maintain and improve health in individuals and society. Proper planning for leisure time based on religious teachings and scientific facts is an effective way for best spending one's leisure time in order to achieve cheerfulness, spirituality, and health in family and society.

Human beings always seek the desired results and make efforts and struggles to that end. Fear of undesired results and failure irks human soul. Today, failure to reach one's objectives has become a major source of mental health problems in society. Some factors in life cause one's efforts and toils not to succeed. This research, using the descriptive-analytical method, has investigated such factors based on the teachings of the Quran. The Quranic teachings highlight the fact that man's efforts are different from his responsibility. They also introduce internal obstacles to the success of efforts, including lack of determination, imprudence, conceit, hypocrisy, lack of pure intention (Ikhlas), lack of Trust in God (Tawakkul), and lack of purpose. This research seeks to clarify how much these factors impact mental health, because one of the main aspects of health is mental health that paves the way for one's personal and social growth. Being healthy requires various factors, one of which is having a healthy mind. One who is suffering from thought disorder and mental anxieties can never have an accurate understanding of the realities of the universe and society will not be able to grow and make progress physically and mentally.

Mankind has various dimensions with the most-noble one being his heart. That is why when God wants to grant man a blessing and address him, addressed this dimension, i.e. heart (not the physical organ but the spiritual core). The heart, as a major means for cognizance has an important status in man's creation and is considered the best path for guidance. Based on the Quran and the teachings of Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS), understanding the characteristics of the heart and guiding it to a healthy path is necessary for perfection of every individual's knowledge and for finding the path of the truth and improvement of one's own and others' lifestyles. Neglecting this important issue would render any effort for rectification and guidance incomplete and inadequate. This paper was conducted through the descriptive-analytical method, using verses of the Quran and Hadiths as well as analyses by Quranic experts. It concluded that in order for rectifying one's lifestyle, it is necessary to rectify one's heart. One should understand the role, characteristics and conditions of the heart and its life and death as well as their reason in order to come up with appropriate models for lifestyle.

Humankind is exposed to tensions, failures, and stress throughout his or her life. An individual can overcome the consequences of anxiety and depression through paying attention to Islamic teachings, including fulfillment of duties as a servant of God, as well as through teachings conforming to Fitrat (nature), Tawakkul (putting one's trust in God), Zikr (prayers), practice, and learning ways for self-improvement. He or she is always facing stress resulting from the difference between their needs and their inability to meet those needs as well as from obstacles and limitations in the environment. He or she is constantly facing tension for having demands that cannot be fulfilled. Hence, understanding the factors behind creation of anxiety and depression is important as these affect one's health. This pa­ per, using the analytical method of research and benefiting from the teachings of the Quran describes tries o clarify the treatment aspects of anxiety and depression and seeks to offer a Quranic teaching for removing every factor that has a role in causing anxiety and depression. Some Quranic premises can be viewed as psychological theories about behavioral errors (that cause anxiety and depression) and acting upon these premises can be effective in preventing and curing common psychological disorders.

Health is a divine blessing and it is everyone's obligation to maintain health. The Holy Quran considers the life of one human being as equal to the life of all humanity, which signifies how important it is for every human being to maintain his or her health. It is also a confirmation of what has been narrated from Imam Ali (AS), "Two blessings are unrecognized: security and healthy. Humankind will recognize their worth once they are gone." Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the renowned Iranian Muslim physician who believes he is indebted for his knowledge to his Ta­ wakkul (putting his trust) in the main physician of the world, namely God, and to his recourse to Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS), considers the main part of Hifz-ul-Sihha (hygiene, maintaining health) to be physical exercise, eating, drinking and measures related to sleeping. Today, in modem medicine, the growing trend of sleep disorders has turned into a fundamental problem and that necessitates knowing the Quran's view about it. It seems unlikely that the Quran, a book that is the savior of human beings and their guide in all times, remain silent on the important issue of sleep and wakefulness. This paper has been conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and studying physiological sources and books on Hadith and Tafsir (Quran interpretation), including Nemuneh Exegesis of the Quran. It concluded that based on the first category verses of the Quran, the main time for sleep is at night, in accordance with the body's rhythm and bio­ logical clock. Fundamentally, God has specified night for rest and day for activities. But in the second category of verses, the Quran exactly defines the span of sleep in the duration of the day and night: from after Isha prayers (a little after midnight as defined in Islamic Sharia) until the Adhan of morning or dawn. This can be inferred from verse 11 of Surah Maryam.

Peace is a rare and precious thing that is among the most fundamental human needs and plays an important role in the happiness and health of individuals and society. Feeling peaceful is a major characteristic of every healthy human being as one can obtain growth and perfection in light of peace and calm. The Holy Quran, as the book of guidance for humanity, provides the best prescription for achieving peace. This paper seeks to describe true peace and correct man's understanding of it on the one hand, and investigate the factors that contribute to creation and establishment of peace in heart based on divine teachings. To understand the true meaning of peace, one should bear in mind its distinction from comfort. Also, based on the teachings of the Quran, peace is achieved through paying attention to both material and spiritual needs and if there is a conflict between the two, spiritual needs should be given primacy due to the priority of the spirit. There are different words and phrases in the Quran that include the meaning of peace. They include Tathbit, Fuad, Thabat, Rabt-e Qalb, Sukn, and Sakina. A look into these words in the verses of the Quran reveals that the only origin and source of giving peace to hearts is relation with God, the Almighty. In view of the Quran, there are different factors involved in creation and establishment of peace. They include: faith, Zikr (recitation of prayers), correcting one's view of the world, Tawakkul, (putting one's trust in God), thankfulness, Taqwa (God-fearing), and performing religious rites.