Taking Measures to Maintain Sanity

Islamic law recommends to preserve the mind, prohibiting aggression against it in any way, and imposing penalties for its violation. lslam paid attention to the mind and made it a condition for accountability, understanding, implementation, and a basis for dealing with the conditions of the soul, and gave it a role in deriving the legal rulings from their original sources. Islam opened the door of ijtihad for the mind. Ijtihad is defined as the mental act based on contemplation, thinking, and management. The mind is seen as the blessing that God bestowed upon man and distinguished him from the rest of the other creatures and through it man realizes right from wrong, the importance of his existence in this world, and his foundation in this universe. For this reason, God made man a sovereign on earth to build it. Islam has forbidden everything that hinders and disables the mind, such as alcohol and intoxicating substances. God prescribed deterrent punishment for consuming intoxicants due to their danger and extremely harmful effect on the individual and society. Sharia law took a number of legal preventive measures necessary to preserve the mind. It also emphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy body, learning and seeking knowledge, and the contemplation of God’s creation.