Islamic Medicine : A Misused Term

Islamic Medicine: A Misused Term

Dato' Prof. Dr Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin

1. There is no such thing as "Islamic medicine" that only refers to healing chants or materials mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him) alone. Seeking medical treatment is indeed commanded by Islam. Whatever medicine that follows proper medical methods is treatment permitted by Islamic law. This includes treatments and medicines mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him), or others that follow medical knowledge disciplines. Therefore, modern, Chinese, Indian, or Malay medicine that is based on true methods—and is not forbidden, superstitious, or polytheistic (syirk) —is treatment permitted by Islam. In fact, if it is believed it can cure a sick person, it is commanded by Islam regardless of the origin of that treatment.

2. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned medicine and treatment in general in hadiths, without limiting them. Therefore, every person should try to find the most effective medicine. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

عِبَادَ اللَّهِ ، تَدَاوَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَضَعْ دَاءً إِلاَّ وَضَعَ لَهُ دَوَاءً إِلاَّ دَاءً وَاحِدًا الْهَرَمُ

 "Treat your illnesses, O servants of Allah, for Allah has not created a disease without creating a cure for it, except for one disease, which is old age." (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).

He also said:

لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَاءٌ فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءُ الدَّاءِ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

"For every disease there is a cure. When the right medicine is found for the disease, it is cured by the permission of Allah." (Narrated by Muslim).

Al-Imam Nawawi (died 676H) said: "This hadith gives a sign that treating diseases is recommended. This is the view of our scholars (the Syafi'i school), most of the early scholars, and all later scholars. Al-Qadi 'Iyadh said: In these hadiths, there are several items of religious and worldly knowledge, including: the truth of medical science, and that seeking treatment in general is allowed.." (Al-Nawawi, Syarh Sahih Muslim, 359/14, Beirut: Dar al-Khair).

3.  Next, one thing that must be remembered is that not all hadiths about medicine are authentic; in fact, many are fabricated. Al-Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah (d. 751H), who wrote the book al-Tibb al-Nabawi (Prophetic Medicine), himself warned in his book al-Manar al-Munif that one characteristic of a fabricated hadith is: a hadith that sounds more like the sayings of medical practitioners whose falseness is proven by senses or true facts. In other words, in today's time, if science facts successfully prove a hadith's fact wrong, then that is one sign that it is a fabricated hadith. One clear example is the hadith: "Eggplant is according to the need it is eaten for" and the hadith "Eggplant is a cure for all diseases." These are fabricated narrations. Al-Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: "May Allah make ugly the creators of the two hadiths above. If something like this were said even by the most expert person in medicine, people would laugh at him. If eggplant is eaten for high fever, depression, and many other diseases, it only adds to the badness. If a poor person eats it to become rich, he will not become rich. If an ignorant person eats it to become smart, he will not become smart." (Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah, al-Manar al-Munif fi al-Sahih wa al-Da'if, p. 51. Syria: Maktab al-Matbu`at al-Islamiyyat).

4. Therefore, many claims said to come from hadiths, such as eating raisins improves memory, have no authentic proof from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ibn al-Qayyim himself mentioned in al-Tibb al-Nabawi that there are two hadiths mentioned about the benefits of raisins, but both are not authentic. However, there is a report from al-Zuhri where he stated raisins are useful for memory. (See: Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma’ad, 4/318).

5. What is mentioned by the Quran, such as the benefits of honey and olive oil, has no doubt about its divine origin. This is because honey and olive oil are clearly recognized by the Quran and Sunnah as good items for health. However, how the medical process should be carried out, or the dose and method, require scientific medical research.

6. As for authentic hadiths that mention specific medicines like habbatus sauda' (black seed), cupping, camel urine, camel milk, Indian oud, and the like; scholars have different views about them. Some view that these hadiths are based on revelation. Others view that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned these items based on experience, environment, and the time he lived in, not revelation from Allah S.W.T.

7. Generally, Hadith scholars lean towards the view that authentic medical hadiths are based on revelation. In other words, it is news from Allah S.W.T to His Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, all its content is true, accurate, and meant to be practiced. Meaning, it is medicine that received recognition from Allah S.W.T Himself. So, in hadith books, these matters are detailed so much that in Sahih al-Bukhari there is a Book of Medicine (Kitab al-Tibb). Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Tibb al-Nabawi holds this view.

8. A second group, such as al-Qadi 'Iyadh, Ibn Khaldun, and Muhammad Abu Zahrah, views that these medical hadiths are not based on revelation; instead, the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke based on his experience and environment at that time. For scholars who hold this view, they state that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not sent as a medical doctor, and that was not the purpose he was sent for. Therefore, his words or actions in medicine were just like other members of Arab society at that time and were not necessarily exact with medical reality. Among those who hold this understanding is al-Imam Ibn Khaldun (d. 808H) in his book al-Muqaddimah. Ibn Khaldun said:

والطب المنقول في الشرعيات من هذا القبيل، وليس من الوحي في شىء وإنما هو أمر كان عادياً للعرب. ووقع في ذكر أحوال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، من نوع ذكر أحواله التي هي عادة وجبلة، لا من جهة أن ذلك مشروع على ذلك النحو من العمل. فإنه صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما بعث ليعلمنا الشرائع، ولم يبعث لتعريف الطب ولا غيره من العاديات. وقد وقع له في شأن تلقيح النخل ما وقع، فقال: " أنتم أعلم بأمور دنياكم . فلا ينبغي أن يحمل شيء من الذي وقع من الطب الذي وقع في الأحاديث الصحيحة المنقولة على أنه مشروع، فليس هناك ما يدل عليه ، اللهم إلا إن استعمل على جهة التبرك وصدق العقد الإيماني ،يكون له أثر عظيم في النفع

"And the medicine mentioned in religious texts is of this kind. It is not revelation at all; rather, it was just a normal custom of the Arabs. It was mentioned as part of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) everyday human habits and nature, not as a religious law to be followed in that exact way. Indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent only to teach us religious laws, not to teach us medicine or other everyday habits. Something happened with him regarding the pollination of date palm trees, and he said: "You know better about your worldly affairs." Therefore, none of the medical treatments found in authentic hadiths should be taken as a religious law, because there is no proof for that—unless it is used to seek blessings with true and sincere faith, in which case it can have a very great benefit." (Ibn Khaldun, al-Muqaddimah, 493-494. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr).

9. As Ibn Khaldun mentioned, among the reasons of the group who view that the Prophet's (peace be upon him) medicine was based on habit and experience—not revelation—is an authentic hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw companions pollinating date palm trees, and he said:

مَا تَصْنَعُونَ؟. قَالُوا كُنَّا نَصْنَعُهُ قَالَ لَعَلَّكُمْ لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا كَانَ خَيْرًا . فَتَرَكُوهُ فَنَفَضَتْ أَوْ فَنَقَصَتْ - قَالَ - فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ إِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ مِنْ دِينِكُمْ فَخُذُوا بِهِ وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ مِنْ رَأْىٍ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ

"What are you doing?" They answered: "We used to do this." He said: "Perhaps if you did not do it, it would be better." So they left it, and the trees produced less or no fruit. They mentioned this to the Prophet (peace be upon him), so he said: "I am only a human. When I command you regarding something of your religion, take it (obey it). But if I command you something from my opinion, I am only a human." (Narrated by Muslim).

In another narration, he answered:

إِنْ كَانَ يَنْفَعُهُمْ ذَلِك َفَلْيَصْنَعُوهُ فَإِنِّى إِنَّمَا ظَنَنْتُ ظَنًّا فَلاَ تُؤَاخِذُونِى بِالظَّنِّ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ عَنِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا فَخُذُوا بِهِ فَإِنِّى لَنْ أَكْذِبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

"If it benefits them, let them do it. I only made a guess, so do not blame me for a guess. But if I tell you something from Allah, then take it, for I will never lie about Allah Great and Glorious." (Narrated by Muslim).

In another narration, he also mentioned:

أَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِأَمْرِ دُنْيَاكُمْ

"You know better about your worldly affairs." (Narrated by Muslim).

The narrations above in Sahih Muslim were given a title by Al-Imam al-Nawawi (died 676H):

بَابُ وُجُوبِ امْتِثَالِ مَا قَالَهُ شَرْعًا، دُونَ مَا ذَكَرَهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ مَعَايِشِ الدُّنْيَا، عَلَى سَبِيلِ الرَّأْيِ

"Chapter on the obligation to follow what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding religious law, not what he mentioned regarding worldly livelihoods based on personal opinion."

10. There are also other proofs showing that some actions and words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were based on habit, experience, or his opinion, not revelation. This includes the hadith of al-Ghilah (الْغِيلَةِ), which is having intercourse with a wife during the breastfeeding period. Likewise, the choice of location he made during the Battle of Badar, where Hubbab bin Munzir later suggested a different place, and the Prophet changed his view to agree with the suggestion—though the authenticity of that hadith has some discussion. This topic became a long discussion among scholars in separating the Sunnah of the Prophet that is legislated to be practiced from what is not.

11. If we examine narrations, we find that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself accepted medical advice from those who had knowledge in that field. Among the proofs, when 'Urwah bin al-Zubair asked his aunt, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Mother of the Believers 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about her knowledge in medical science:

يَا أُمَّتَاهُ، لَا أَعْجَبُ مِنْ فَهْمِكِ، أَقُولُ: زَوْجَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبِنْتُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَلَا أَعْجَبُ مِنْ عِلْمِكِ بِالشِّعْرِ، وَأَيَّامِ النَّاسِ، أَقُولُ ابْنَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَكَانَ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ أَوْ مِنْ أَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ، وَلَكِنْ أَعْجَبُ مِنْ عِلْمِكِ بِالطِّبِّ كَيْفَ هُوَ؟ وَمِنْ أَيْنَ هُوَ ؟ قَالَ: فَضَرَبَتْ عَلَى مَنْكِبِهِ وَقَالَتْ: أَيْ عُرَيَّةُ، " إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَسْقَمُ عِنْدَ آخِرِ عُمْرِهِ، أَوْ فِي آخِرِ عُمْرِهِ، فَكَانَتْ تَقْدَمُ عَلَيْهِ وُفُودُ الْعَرَبِ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ، فَتَنْعَتُ لَهُ الْأَنْعَاتَ، وَكُنْتُ أُعَالِجُهَا لَهُ، فَمِنْ ثَمَّ "

'Urwah said: "O mother! I am not surprised by your understanding (of religion) because you are the wife of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and the daughter of Abu Bakr. I am not surprised by your knowledge of poetry and human history because I know you are Abu Bakr's daughter, and Abu Bakr was the most knowledgeable or among the most knowledgeable people. But I am amazed by your knowledge in medicine—how is it and where is it from?" So 'Aishah patted 'Urwah's shoulder and said: "O my dear 'Urwah! Indeed, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was sick toward the end of his life. Arab delegations came to him from all directions. They described remedies to him, and I prepared them for him. That is where I got medical knowledge." (Narrated by Al-Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad. Syu'aib al-Arnaut said: "Authentic report").

From this narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself accepted medical views from those who had knowledge about medicine.

12. I see that, generally, the purpose of medical hadiths is to tell us that we are commanded to seek treatment using materials that are believed to give good results. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned materials available in his society that were used and gave results during his time and climate. Those materials can be taken as a lesson and used, but they are not necessarily the best choice for every time, place, and condition. What matters is that we are commanded to look for what works, regardless of its type, and refer to experts. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852H), when explaining the hadith in al-Bukhari:

إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْحَبَّةَ السَّوْدَاءَ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ إِلاَّ مِنَ السَّامِ

"Habbatus sauda is a cure for every disease except death", mentioned: "It is useful for cold diseases, but for hot diseases, it is not!" (Fath al-Bari, 11/290. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr).

Therefore, in conclusion, every useful medicine is recognized by Islam, and is not limited only to what is mentioned in hadiths. Based on the view of some scholars mentioned earlier, what is stated in hadiths also needs to be studied again for suitability because conditions may differ, or there may be more effective medicines available. We should not limit Islamic medicine to only specific types of materials and methods. That is a wrong interpretation. All useful medicine that does not go against Islamic law is recognized by Islam. This aligns with Allah's words in Surah al-Nahl verse 43 and Surah al-Anbiya verse 7:

فَسۡ‍َٔلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

(meaning) "So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know."