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Foreword

God has bestowed upon humans innumerable blessings, both hidden and apparent. He has enjoined mankind to worship and thank him in accordance with the precepts enshrined in His tolerant sharia, which tends to their individual and public interests, promotes their spiritual and material aspects and achieves their well-being in the world and the here after.

God says: It is God who has made for ."ou the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes beautiful and has provided for you sustenance, of things pure and good: SuCh is God your Lord. So Glory to God, the Lord of the Worlds! (40:64).

One of the most valuable blessings granted by God to His worshippers is good health. The Islamic Sharia contains many teachings and provisions that urge fostering of one's health and preserving it against the factors of weakness and disease. Islam has made good things licit and bad things illicit, forbidding alcoholic beverages and narcotics and calling for moderation in eating and drinking. Similarly, it urges cleanliness and hygiene, ordains the adoption of a healthy diet and administration of medication and encourages people to be moderate in all walks of life.

As part of its efforts to disseminate the true Islamic principles in the field of public health. The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has translated into English and French Health Promotion through lslamic lifestyles. The Anmlan Declaration, jointly published by ISESCO and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. It is being disseminated on a wide scale in order to gain maximum benefit to the public.

The publication contains the proceedings of all expert meeting held in Amman, Jordan, in cooperation with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences and the Royal Academy for Research in Islamic Civilization-Aal AI-Bayt Foundation. The aim of the meeting was to prepare a detailed exposition on the Islamic guidance concerning the great impact and tremendous benefit of the Islamic principles in tile field of health.

We hope that the publication of this book in English and French will ensure continued collaboration between ISESCO and WHO and will be of use readers.