Taking Care of Yourself

We as human beings have many duties to carry out.  Our first duty is to our Creator, God, Allah or whatever name you ascribe to the Lord of Creation.  Our second duty is to self.  What is our duty to ourselves?  It is to take care of yourself.  What we possess, this body, this house, this temple really doesn’t belong to us.  We are just borrowing it!  However, the better we care or take care of it, the longer it can potentially last or serve us.  How many of you produced yourself?  Did you make your arm?  Did you produce your “good looks?”  No!  Allah says in the Holy Quran that He formed us in our mothers’ wombs!  When we could not care for ourselves, our mothers were there to do that job.  Now that we have been nurtured by mom and evolved into mature folks we are responsible for our own care and maintenance.

So what is taking care of yourself or preforming your duty to yourself?   Since this blog is about food, you should know that I’m going to say that EATING RIGHT is taking care of yourself.  I didn’t say eating too much!  That will make you other than yourself!  We must take care of ourselves physically.  This as I just said means eating right, exercising, washing, bathing, showering, washing your hair, brushing your teeth, cleaning your teeth, washing your clothes, watching your weight, and getting the proper rest or sleep.  Now to be able to do this one must be working, have a job that produces income.  Mentally, taking care of our self is educating ourselves, reading.  Reading good books, reading newspapers and magazines.  Staying abreast of current events and world affairs.  Morally, taking care of our self is being upright, being righteous, being honest, having integrity, and making your word bond.  Spiritually, taking care of ourselves is being and staying connected to our Creator, praying, fasting, atoning, giving in charity, being good to others, giving, and serving others.

On a higher level, taking care of our self is self-preservation.  Isn’t that the first law of nature, to look out for number one!  That’s you doctor!  The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, “Self-first, then others.”  How can you become universal, when you haven’t built your own nation?  So, on a higher level feeding yourself is taking care of yourself.  I mean growing your own food.  Clothing yourself could also be considered taking care of yourself.  Housing yourself could also be considered taking care of yourself.  So, on a higher-level growing food, making clothing and building your own houses is taking caring of yourself.  Isn’t it time to accept responsibility?