MUSLIMS are known for their charity. Ask a beggar, and he'll tell you. Any person who has even heard a little bit about Islam knows how much charity is stressed in this religion. But charity is not just spending money, as we all know, it constitutes a whole of lot of deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “A charity is due for every joint in each person's body every day the sun rises. To act justly between two people is a charity; to help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity; a good word is a charity; and removing a harmful thing from the road is a charity.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) This subject is vast and the different types of charity is a different subject. This article, however, is about one of the miracles of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) sayings on charity. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever wants an increase in his sustenance and that the marks of his feet remain for a long time in the world (i.e. a long life) – he should be kind and helpful to his relatives.” (Al-Bukhari) The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “Cure your sick people with Sadaqah (i.e. charity).” A decade ago the HeartMath Institute in Boulder Creek, Ca., carried out a research which proved that giving of charity and taking care of others is really a big antidote to shorter life. In one month's research, a group of 30 individuals were asked to focus on feelings of love, care, compassion and appreciation every time they felt anger or frustration. After this period, levels of DHEA (an anti-aging hormone) were measured. It was found that DHEA levels had increased by 100 percent and the cortisol (a stress hormone) had decreased by 23 percent. During the same period, a control group of 15 individuals had no changes in the hormone levels. This study and another one of a group of 25 people were published in Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science. In the group of 25, 80 percent experienced slower breathing rates and their hearts became synchronized with their breathing. HeartMath Institute's director Rollin McCarty stated, “There are a lot of implications for health. With feelings of love, the inner systems synchronize. That affects your immune system, your hormones, and even cognitive performance.” The results can be found at the website: www.bowtechforhealth.com. Another 12-year-research on 2,754 individuals by Dr. J.S. House published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1982 found out that persons who have good social relations and are helpful to other individuals in the society live longer than the persons who do not have these qualities. One must wonder how the Prophet (peace be upon him) precisely mentioned the age factor 1,400 years ago, apart from mentioning other rewards for charity and kindness. Though science is not the yardstick to check the Prophet's (peace be upon him) message (which is proved by several unmistakable clear proofs of it being from God and truth), this is just another affirmation of the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
