Care for Physical Health
Care for Physical Health in Sadegh Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human
Care for Physical Health
Brain Function and Self-Healing
The brain performs three critical functions: conscious self-regulation, regulation of respiration, and digestion. Impairment or dysfunction in the brain compromises these essential operations. Khademi notes, “If the brain suffers weakness or disorder, these three functions are adversely affected” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1).1
1 This aligns with Avicenna’s concept of the brain as the seat of rational and vital faculties (Avicenna, 2005).
However, the body (tan) and, by extension, the brain possess an autonomous capacity for self-correction and repair. The body is likened to a comprehensive pharmacy, capable of producing any remedy for treatment or prevention when provided with adequate, healthy nutrition and free from weakness or obstruction. It resembles a skilled physician, vigilant surgeon, or natural healer, diagnosing ailments promptly and, absent external interference, effectuating remedies. Khademi states, “The body can produce any drug for healing or prevention” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). The brain, even when damaged, retains the ability to repair, reorganize, and dynamically fulfill its functions by integrating incoming data. This reflects neuroplasticity, where neural networks adapt to environmental stimuli (Squire & Kandel, 2009).
The sole exception is the teeth, which lack self-repair capacity, necessitating human intervention. All known elements on Earth—over one hundred, with potentially exponentially more in the material realm (nāsūt)—are present in the human body, endowing it with self-sufficient resources to meet all needs. Khademi asserts, “The human body lacks no element for autonomous production” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1).2
2 Nāsūt refers to the corporeal realm in Islamic cosmology, contrasted with spiritual domains (Nasr, 1993).
Neural Structure and Development
Beyond neurons, previously discussed, the brain comprises supportive cells known as neuroglia. Neurons form during the embryonic stage and do not increase postnatally, underscoring the critical role of prenatal development in cognitive capacity. Mental activities, however, can enhance neuronal efficiency and volume. Khademi notes, “Neurons form embryonically, and their quantity does not increase after birth” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). Empirical research indicates neurons grow at a rate of 250,000 per minute during early embryonic development, with the newborn brain approximating the size and neuronal count of an adult brain (Squire & Kandel, 2009).
Neuroglia support neural tissue, facilitating nourishment and repair of neuronal organelles, with proliferation continuing throughout life. As neurons increase in volume, neuroglial numbers rise, enhancing neuronal functionality. Khademi explains, “Neuroglia support and multiply, increasing neuronal capacity” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). This aligns with neuroscience findings on glial roles in synaptic maintenance (Pfrieger, 2010).
Simple exercises can sustain and enhance cerebral cellular nutrition and functionality, preserving cognitive health. This resonates with the Qur’anic view of the body as a divine trust, created in “the best of forms” (Al-Tin, 95:4) (Al-Tabari, 2001).
Exercise and Avicenna’s Principles
Avicenna (d. 1037 CE), the eminent Persian physician, identifies exercise, nutrition, and sleep as the pillars of health, prioritizing exercise: “Since health rests on exercise, food, and sleep, we should prioritize the most critical and address exercise first” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2, citing Avicenna). He considers exercise paramount, surpassing nutrition and sleep in maintaining vitality (Avicenna, 2005).
Avicenna explains that not all consumed food is nutritive; during digestion, waste accumulates, which the body strives to expel. However, residual waste persists, becoming deleterious if amassed. Exercise facilitates the expulsion of these waste products by generating gentle heat, gradually dissolving and systematically eliminating them, preventing harmful accumulation. Khademi, quoting Avicenna, states, “Exercise burns waste daily, dislodging and expelling it” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2). This clears space for nutrition, enhancing organ receptivity to sustenance.
Blood circulation performs three vital functions: respiration (delivering oxygen and removing carbon dioxide), nutrition (supplying cellular nutrients), and detoxification (eliminating metabolic waste). Over 300 billion capillaries in the lungs alone facilitate oxygen-rich blood circulation. The total length of blood vessels is estimated at 100,000 kilometers. Poetically, the body is described as “floating in a fluid called blood,” except for the cornea, which absorbs oxygen directly from the air. Khademi notes, “Blood circulation sustains respiration, nutrition, and detoxification” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2).3
3 This reflects Avicenna’s humoral theory, where blood mediates vital functions (Avicenna, 2005).
Inadequate blood supply impairs organ vitality, growth, and resilience. Physical movement accelerates blood flow, enhancing respiration and nutrition. Exercise increases oxygen and nutrient demands, boosting circulation. Khademi explains, “Movement accelerates blood flow, improving cellular nutrition” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2). This counters atrophy, a physiological principle where disuse leads to organ weakening. Active organs attract more blood, oxygen, and nutrients, while inactive organs suffer relative anemia and progressive atrophy (Guyton & Hall, 2020).
Exercise fosters collateral coronary vessels, improving cardiac muscle oxygenation and reducing risks of myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. Avicenna advocated physical education for adolescents, recommending activities like walking to build resilience. Khademi states, “Avicenna considers exercise essential for youth” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3).
Exercise in Childhood and Cognitive Health
Exercise is particularly vital in childhood, developing perceptual and motor systems and enhancing foundational skills like running, jumping, and leaping. It teaches children to maximize intellectual and cognitive capacities. Khademi notes, “Exercise in childhood develops perception and movement” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). This aligns with motor learning theories, where physical activity strengthens neural pathways (Schmidt & Lee, 2011).
Regular physical activity prevents brain atrophy, neuronal loss, and synaptic degradation. Atrophy precipitates cognitive impairments, including dementia, loss of consciousness, inability to comprehend or produce language, learning disorders, and speech deficits. Khademi warns, “Brain atrophy causes issues in cognition, memory, and thought” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). Neuroscience confirms that physical inactivity accelerates cortical thinning (Erickson et al., 2014).
Heart-Brain Interaction and Cognitive Impairment
The heart, integral to awareness, operates as an independent yet interconnected cognitive, perceptual, and mnemonic system. Cardiovascular diseases significantly contribute to cognitive dysfunction, particularly memory deficits and dementia. Severe heart failure exacerbates cognitive impairment. Khademi states, “Cardiac insufficiency is a major factor in cognitive disorders, especially memory loss” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). This is supported by polyvagal theory, which highlights heart-brain interactions in regulating cognition (Porges, 2011).4
4 Porges’ polyvagal theory links vagal tone to cognitive and emotional regulation (Porges, 2011).
Trauma and Socio-Political Critique
Brain atrophy and neuronal loss may result from trauma, such as falls, accidents, or head injuries. In the perilous material realm (nāsūt), preventive measures are essential to safeguard against such risks. Khademi advises, “In the perilous material realm, one must protect oneself with preventive policies” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3).
Khademi critiques tyrannical regimes that deliberately induce head trauma to silence knowledgeable critics and aware activists, impairing their cognitive capacities to eliminate opposition. He states, “Tyrannical regimes target the brain to neutralize critics’ awareness” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). This reflects a broader Islamic ethical stance against oppression, echoing the Qur’anic condemnation of those who “spread corruption on earth” (Al-Baqarah, 2:11) (Al-Tabari, 2001).
Physical Health and Cognitive Vitality: An Epistemological Analysis of Sadegh Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human
Abstract
Sadegh Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human offers a profound epistemology of physical health, integrating the body’s self-healing capacity, the brain’s cognitive functions, and exercise’s primacy within Islamic medical philosophy and modern biomedical science. This article examines Khademi’s conceptualization of the body (tan) as a divine trust, the brain’s role in conscious regulation, and the heart’s contribution to cognitive awareness. Drawing on Avicenna’s *Qanun fi’l-Tibb* and contemporary neuroscience (e.g., Squire & Kandel, 2009; Porges, 2011), it explores exercise as a preventive measure against atrophy and critiques socio-political practices that impair cognition. Qur’anic references, such as “We have created man in the best of forms” (Al-Tin, 95:4), underscore the divine mandate to preserve health. The analysis highlights Khademi’s contribution to holistic epistemology, addressing physical, cognitive, and ethical dimensions of vitality.
Introduction
Sadegh Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human presents a sophisticated synthesis of physical health and cognitive vitality, rooted in Islamic medical traditions and resonant with modern biomedical science. Khademi posits that the body (tan) is an autonomous, self-healing entity, the brain governs critical functions, and exercise is paramount for health. He states, “The body is likened to a comprehensive pharmacy, capable of producing any remedy” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). This article analyzes Khademi’s framework, focusing on the interplay of physical health, cognitive function, and ethical considerations. By integrating Islamic philosophy (e.g., Avicenna, 2005; Galen, 2006) with neuroscience (e.g., Squire & Kandel, 2009; Erickson et al., 2014), it elucidates Khademi’s contribution to epistemology. Qur’anic verses, such as “God does not change a people’s condition unless they change themselves” (Al-Ra’d, 13:11), frame health as a divine responsibility (Al-Tabari, 2001).1
1 Tan denotes the physical body in Islamic medical texts, a vessel of divine trust (Avicenna, 2005).
Methodology
This study employs a qualitative textual analysis of Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human, focusing on the section concerning physical health. The approach integrates hermeneutic interpretation of Islamic medical concepts with empirical correlations from biomedical science. Primary sources include Khademi’s text, Islamic medical works (e.g., Avicenna’s *Qanun fi’l-Tibb*), and Qur’anic exegesis (e.g., Al-Tabari, 2001). Secondary sources encompass peer-reviewed studies in neuroscience, physiology, and trauma studies (e.g., Porges, 2011; Van der Kolk, 2014). The analysis preserves all content, per the user’s April 14, 2025, directive, and incorporates Qur’anic references using Fouladvand’s translation, aligning with the April 15, 2025, emphasis on uṣūlī elements.
Analysis
The Body’s Self-Healing Capacity
Khademi conceptualizes the body (tan) as an autonomous entity endowed with self-corrective and reparative capacities. He likens it to a “comprehensive pharmacy” that, with adequate nutrition and freedom from obstruction, can produce remedies for treatment or prevention. Khademi states, “The body resembles a skilled physician, diagnosing ailments and effectuating remedies” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). This aligns with Avicenna’s view of the body’s innate vitality (*quwwat ḥayawāniyya*), which maintains equilibrium through natural processes (Avicenna, 2005).
Modern neuroscience supports this, describing neuroplasticity as the brain’s ability to reorganize neural networks in response to stimuli or injury (Squire & Kandel, 2009). The body contains all known terrestrial elements—over one hundred, with potentially more in the material realm (nāsūt)—enabling self-sufficient resource production. Khademi asserts, “The human body lacks no element for autonomous production” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1).2 This resonates with the Qur’anic depiction of human creation as divinely optimized (Al-Tin, 95:4) (Al-Tabari, 2001).
2 Nāsūt refers to the corporeal realm in Islamic cosmology (Nasr, 1993).
The exception is the teeth, which lack self-repair capacity, requiring external intervention. This underscores the body’s general resilience, a divine endowment necessitating stewardship, as implied in “God does not change a people’s condition unless they change themselves” (Al-Ra’d, 13:11).
Brain Function and Neural Structure
Khademi identifies three critical brain functions: conscious self-regulation, respiration, and digestion. Dysfunction impairs these processes, compromising vitality. He states, “If the brain suffers weakness, these functions are adversely affected” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). This aligns with Avicenna’s tripartite faculty model, where the brain governs rational, vital, and natural functions (Avicenna, 2005).
The brain comprises neurons and neuroglia. Neurons, formed embryonically, do not proliferate postnatally, highlighting the prenatal period’s significance for cognitive capacity. Mental activities enhance neuronal efficiency and volume. Khademi notes, “Neurons form embryonically, and their quantity does not increase after birth” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). Research confirms neurons develop at 250,000 per minute during early embryogenesis, with the newborn brain approximating adult neuronal counts (Squire & Kandel, 2009).
Neuroglia support neural tissue, facilitating nourishment and repair, with proliferation continuing lifelong. Increased neuronal volume prompts neuroglial multiplication, enhancing functionality. Khademi explains, “Neuroglia support and multiply, increasing neuronal capacity” (Khademi, 2025, p. 1). This is corroborated by studies on glial roles in synaptic maintenance (Pfrieger, 2010).
Exercise: Avicenna’s Primacy and Physiological Benefits
Khademi, citing Avicenna (d. 1037 CE), prioritizes exercise over nutrition and sleep as health’s cornerstone: “Since health rests on exercise, food, and sleep, we should prioritize exercise” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2, citing Avicenna). Avicenna argues that digestion produces waste, which the body cannot fully expel, leading to harmful accumulation. Exercise generates gentle heat, dissolving and expelling waste, preventing deleterious effects. Khademi quotes, “Exercise burns waste daily, dislodging and expelling it” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2). This reflects Avicenna’s humoral theory, where movement balances bodily fluids (Avicenna, 2005).3
3 Avicenna’s humoral theory draws on Galen’s principles of metabolic balance (Galen, 2006).
Exercise enhances blood circulation, which supports respiration, nutrition, and detoxification. Over 300 billion pulmonary capillaries facilitate oxygen delivery, with blood vessels spanning 100,000 kilometers. Khademi describes the body as “floating in a fluid called blood” (Khademi, 2025, p. 2). Inadequate circulation impairs organ vitality, while movement accelerates blood flow, meeting heightened oxygen and nutrient demands. This counters atrophy, where disuse weakens organs, while active organs attract more resources (Guyton & Hall, 2020).
Exercise fosters collateral coronary vessels, improving cardiac oxygenation and reducing risks of myocardial infarction. Avicenna advocated physical education for adolescents, emphasizing activities like walking. Khademi notes, “Avicenna considers exercise essential for youth” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). In childhood, exercise develops motor and perceptual skills, enhancing cognitive capacities (Schmidt & Lee, 2011).
Cognitive Health and Brain Atrophy
Regular exercise prevents brain atrophy, neuronal loss, and synaptic degradation, which precipitate cognitive impairments like dementia, language deficits, and learning disorders. Khademi warns, “Brain atrophy causes issues in cognition, memory, and thought” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). Neuroscience confirms that physical activity increases hippocampal volume, enhancing memory (Erickson et al., 2014).
Inactivity accelerates cortical thinning, underscoring exercise’s role in cognitive preservation. This aligns with the Islamic imperative to maintain the body as a divine trust, as “man is created in the best of forms” (Al-Tin, 95:4).
Heart-Brain Interaction and Cognitive Impairment
Khademi highlights the heart’s role in awareness, functioning as an independent cognitive, perceptual, and mnemonic system in synergy with the brain. Cardiovascular diseases exacerbate cognitive dysfunction, particularly memory deficits and dementia. He states, “Cardiac insufficiency is a major factor in cognitive disorders” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). Polyvagal theory supports this, linking vagal tone to cognitive regulation (Porges, 2011). Cardiovascular research further confirms that heart failure disrupts neural synchrony, impairing cognition (Thayer & Lane, 2009).4
4 Heart-brain interactions modulate autonomic and cognitive functions (Thayer & Lane, 2009).
Trauma and Socio-Political Ethics
Brain atrophy and neuronal loss may result from trauma, such as head injuries from accidents or falls. Khademi advises preventive measures in the “perilous material realm” (nāsūt): “One must protect oneself with preventive policies” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). Trauma neuroscience highlights the long-term cognitive impact of head injuries (Van der Kolk, 2014).
Khademi critiques tyrannical regimes that deliberately induce head trauma to silence critics, impairing their cognitive capacities. He states, “Tyrannical regimes target the brain to neutralize critics’ awareness” (Khademi, 2025, p. 3). This reflects Islamic ethics against oppression, as condemned in “Do not cause corruption on earth” (Al-Baqarah, 2:11) (Al-Tabari, 2001). Such practices violate the divine mandate to preserve human dignity and cognitive vitality.
Discussion
Khademi’s epistemology integrates physical health and cognitive vitality, bridging Islamic medical philosophy with biomedical science. His view of the body as a self-healing entity aligns with neuroplasticity (Squire & Kandel, 2009) and Avicenna’s vitalism (Avicenna, 2005). Exercise’s primacy reflects humoral balance and modern physiology (Guyton & Hall, 2020), while heart-brain interactions resonate with polyvagal theory (Porges, 2011). The socio-political critique underscores ethical dimensions, supported by trauma neuroscience (Van der Kolk, 2014) and Islamic principles (Al-Baqarah, 2:11).
Limitations include Khademi’s limited engagement with molecular mechanisms of neuroglia or cardiac-cognitive interactions. Future research could explore glial signaling pathways or use neuroimaging to study heart-brain dynamics in health and disease. His ethical critique invites interdisciplinary analysis of trauma’s societal impact, potentially through public health frameworks.
Conclusion
Sadegh Khademi’s Awareness and the Divine Human redefines physical health as an epistemological cornerstone, emphasizing self-healing, exercise, and cognitive preservation. By synthesizing Avicenna’s medical philosophy with modern science, Khademi offers a holistic vision of vitality, grounded in divine mandates (Al-Tin, 95:4). His critique of oppression highlights the ethical imperative to protect cognitive health, inviting further exploration of interdisciplinary health paradigms.
References
Al-Tabari, M. (2001). Jāmi‘ al-Bayān ‘an Ta’wīl Āy al-Qur’ān. Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya.
Avicenna. (2005). The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi’l-Tibb) (L. Bakhtiar, Ed.). Kazi Publications.
Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., et al. (2014). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 3017–3022.
Galen. (2006). Galen: On the Properties of Foodstuffs (O. Powell, Trans.). Cambridge University Press.
Guyton, A. C., & Hall, J. E. (2020). Textbook of Medical Physiology. Elsevier.
Khademi, S. (2025). Awareness and the Divine Human (Unpublished translation). [Translated by Grok 3, xAI].
Nasr, S. H. (1993). An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines. SUNY Press.
Pfrieger, F. W. (2010). Role of glial cells in the formation and maintenance of synapses. Brain Research Reviews, 63(1-2), 39–46.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions. Norton.
Schmidt, R. A., & Lee, T. D. (2011). Motor Control and Learning: A Behavioral Emphasis. Human Kinetics.
Squire, L. R., & Kandel, E. R. (2009). Memory: From Mind to Molecules. Roberts & Company.
Thayer, J. F., & Lane, R. D. (2009). Claude Bernard and the heart-brain connection: Further elaboration of a model of neurovisceral integration. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 33(2), 81–88.
The Qur’an. (2004). The Qur’an (M. M. Fouladvand, Trans.). Dar al-Qur’an al-Karim.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Erlbaum.
Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(11), 417–423.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall.
Cacioppo, J. T., & Decety, J. (2011). Social neuroscience: Challenges and opportunities. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1224, 162–173.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
Hutchins, E. (1995). Cognition in the Wild. MIT Press.
Kernberg, O. F. (1975). Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism. Jason Aronson.
McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.
Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2004). Sleep-dependent learning and memory consolidation. Neuron, 44(1), 121–133.
Wilson, M. (2002). Six views of embodied cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 9(4), 625–636.
