Allah’s (swt) Miracle Blessing – The Power of Human Touch

By
Rana Rais Khan – Editor-in-Chief and Founder – Hiba Family Resource Centre

The COVID-19 pandemic brought isolation, a touch-free environment, and seclusion of humans. Warm hugs, energetic handshakes, high-fives, and close proximity departed from our lives due to social distancing. The world was sold the idea that it was to ensure health, secure safety, and prevent death.

Amusingly, scientific research today proves otherwise. Human touch is a means to build and strengthen the human immunity system. In fact, ‘touch starvation’ or ‘touch deprivation’, when one longs to touch or is confined to an environment where they cannot have human touch, has endless detrimental and adverse effects.

“Skin is the largest organ in your body and sends good and bad touch sensations to your brain. When you engage in a pleasant touch, like a hug, your brain releases a hormone called oxytocin. This makes you feel good and firms up social and emotional bonds while lowering anxiety and fear.” (Alexandra Benisek – WebMD)

Effects of Touch Starvation

People who do not get enough physical touch and care tend to fall into stress, anxiety, and depression. Next, it impacts the immune system and digestive system. People are at great risk of developing disturbed sleep patterns or even insomnia. Other medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure, can become worse, too. Personality disorders are a fallout of a lack of good human touch, as well. Anger, bullying, jealousy, rancour, etc., can settle inside such people.

As children, siblings, spouses, and especially parents, we must analyze our own comfort level and common practice. Do we receive and give positive touch to others?

The Gift of Touch You Must Use and Why?

Human touch is a huge part of how we interact with each other. Here are a few good reasons for good touch to happen:

1. As a baby, touch was the first sense you developed

Touch is the first sensory system to form in humans. Eight-week-old fetuses begin to respond to tactile stimuli in utero. This essentially laid down the foundation of your nervous system and attachment development.

2. Touch is the initiator of important hormones in your body

When you touch a loved one, like your parent, child, sibling, or spouse, it triggers the release of the bonding hormone, oxytocin, as discussed earlier. This increases dopamine and serotonin in your body. It elevates your mood and intention to trust and brings down anxiety.

3. You can say goodbye to stress by human touch

Everyone around us seems to be tied to the clock, running on a schedule. The expectations of self and others are sky-high. This is bound to produce stress in our lives. Physical contact actively lowers cortisol (the primary stress-inducing hormone). Stress reduction regulates your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing.

4. Gentle strokes over the skin cause serenity

Our skin contains specialized slow nerve fibers that are activated by gentle stroking. These send direct signals to the brain that cause pleasure and serenity. It is also one of the reasons why body massage relaxes people. Physical therapy helps in healing chronic patients.

5. Touch is a very vital and essential means to communicate human emotions

Who doesn’t like a pat on the back? A warm hug? Someone holding your hand? That is because, as humans, we can accurately identify complex emotions such as love, gratitude, and mercy through a brief, one-second touch. We don’t even need any visual or verbal cues for that. Isn’t that amazing?

Human Touch Encouraged by Islam and Modelled by Prophet Muhammad (sa)

Sometimes, we forget that Allah (swt) is the Creator of human beings. Naturally, the laws, customs, and guidance He will give to humanity will be in sync with their physiology and spirituality. Hence, we have listed above some of the psychological and neurological advantages of human touch.

Prophet Muhammad’s (sa) life depicts positive touch in every relationship of his. Following are some examples:

With Fatimah (rta), his daughter

Prophet Muhammad (sa) was known for honouring others, but the manner in which he greeted or visited his daughter is exemplary. He would stand up to greet Fatimah (rta), lead her by the hand, kiss her on her forehead, and offer her his own seat. Can you imagine if a father behaves like that with his daughter, would she not feel loved and fulfilled, with a high sense of self-esteem? Would it ever be easy for her to overstep the boundaries set by her father or transgress against him, as we commonly hear parents complain today about their disobedient teenagers?

With Ayesha (rta), his wife

Prophet Muhammad (sa) balanced his time and attention among all of his wives justly. However, we have some accounts of intimacy recorded in the Ahadeeth. He would rest his head in Ayesha’s (rta) lap, kiss her while he was fasting, drink from the exact spot of the cup where she had sipped, and let her lean against him for a long time while she watched some Abyssinian performers from their house. The relationship was tender and compassionate, as the Quran commands relationships between spouses to be.

With his grandchildren

Even in public, while the Messenger of Allah (sa) was among his companions, he frequently kissed and hugged his grandchildren, Hassan (rta) and Hussain (rta). He carried them around and let them ride on him while he became their mount. Once, he was offering Khutbah from the pulpit and saw his grandchildren running towards him when they were very young. The Prophet (sa) paused his Khutbah to step forward and carry the children in his arms happily. It was a mutual moment of joy for him and his grandchildren.

With his companions

The Messenger of Allah (sa) was known for his physical affection, healing words, and caring service towards his companions. He firmly shook hands with them, as is the Sunnah of performing Musafaha.

Often, while narrating a Hadeeth to his male companions to teach them, the Prophet (sa) would gently hold their hand. Once, he playfully embraced Zahir (rta), the average-looking Sahabi from the desert, from behind to startle him. The Prophet (sa) later compassionately reassured him of his worth in the sight of Allah (swt).

Sitting together among his Sahabah in close proximity, the Prophet’s (sa) thigh would rest over their thighs. We have accounts of him receiving Quranic revelation in this position, too, as a companion testifies to how his thigh seemed crushed under the weight of the revelation as it came to the Prophet (sa).

Can Emojis replace the human touch?

As we become digital natives globally, there has been an increase in the usage of cute and loving Emojis in our interaction. There seems to be a downside to this. Most people feel that this is the pinnacle of association with anyone. A heart or a couple of hearts, etc.do the job. Now we do not need to verbally or physically express our emotions to the important people in our lives.

Positive human touch is a very important element of expressing emotions. It strengthens relationships and reassures the other person of your loyalty, good intentions, and investment in him or her. Nothing can replace it.

Allah (swt) has provided humans with a physiological and emotional make-up that responds beautifully to human touch. Prophet Muhammad (sa) has modelled the best behaviour in all aspects of his relationships, which can be fortified with physical tenderness.

It’s surprising to see Muslims hold themselves back and be so icy and barren in their interactions with each other, be it at home or outside. This is alien to Islam; hence, it must be addressed by believers to reform themselves.

Allah knows best.