One of the most common mistakes I see, especially in wellness spaces that overlap with Islam, is the belief that sunnah equals a universal health prescription.
That misunderstanding creates confusion, guilt, and sometimes even harm.
Sunnah is not a biohacking protocol. It was never meant to replace medical discernment, nor was it designed to optimize every body in the same way.
Sunnah is a moral and spiritual framework, not a one-size-fits-all treatment plan.
When the Prophet ﷺ recommended or practiced certain things, the goal was not physiological perfection.
It was alignment, moderation, humility, and remembrance of God in daily life. Health was part of that picture, but not in the reductionist way we think of health today.
This is where modern confusion creeps in.
Take black seed, for example. The Prophet ﷺ spoke highly of it, and today many people interpret that to mean everyone should take black seed oil daily, in the same form, at the same dose, regardless of their constitution or condition. That was never the claim.
Black seed is an herb. Herbs work through dosage, preparation, timing, and individual response.
Classical scholars understood this. They did not practice blind literalism when it came to medicine. They assumed wisdom, context, and medical knowledge.
Sunnah legitimizes remedies. It does not erase physiology.
Another example is simplicity in living, eating, or sleeping. The Prophet ﷺ lived simply, but simplicity is not the same as deprivation. There is a difference between avoiding excess and actively harming the body in the name of discipline.
Traditional Islamic principles make this clear. There is a foundational rule: there should be no harm and no reciprocating harm. If something worsens the body or weakens it, it is not required, even if it resembles a sunnah practice.
What often gets missed is that sunnah operates on a different level than medicine.
Sunnah sets direction.
Medicine adjusts execution.
Sunnah teaches restraint, balance, and humility. Medicine asks what this body needs right now to function and recover. These two are not in conflict unless we force one to do the other’s job.
The Prophet ﷺ himself sought treatment. He allowed different remedies for different people. He did not impose uniform bodily practices regardless of outcome. That flexibility is part of the tradition, not a modern invention.
The problem isn’t sunnah.
The problem is collapsing spiritual guidance into rigid health rules.
Ironically, this rigidity often mirrors the same reductionism people criticize in conventional medicine. Different system, same mistake.
Understanding sunnah properly actually frees us. It allows us to live intentionally without obsessing over optimization or punishing the body for not fitting an ideal.
Sunnah isn’t about doing the hardest thing.
It’s about doing the right thing, with wisdom.
And when health is approached through that lens, the confusion starts to dissolve.
Honestly, Vanessa 