Modern medicine considers the Human body more or less like a machine and it doesn’t
recognize the concept of either creator or soul (reductionist theory). It invalidates the holistic
principles of Medicine and promoted the ideology that man is separate from nature. Mind
(heart) is considered independent from the body and therefore irrelevant in the context of
health and disease.
The disease is viewed as a physical or mechanical disorder with little relationship to a person’s
psychological, social and spiritual experiences. Treatment usually involves reacting to and
suppressing symptoms, rather than encouraging self-healing or disease prevention. In practice,
conventional medicine relies heavily on the use of synthetic, new-to-nature, drugs, which are
chemicals alien to the body. It also consists of excessive use or unwanted surgical
interventions. These generally work intrusively and often suppress the body’s normal self-healing processes, known in Ṭibb as physis (Qi in Chinese, rooh in Unani, Prana in Indian
Ayurvedic, etc)
Whereas Prophetic medicine establishes the principle that healing comes from Allah
“I entered the tent of the Prophet with my father, who was a physician.
My father diagnosed that the Prophet had a back infection, so he said,
‘Please let me treat this back infection of yours, for I am a physician’. The
Prophet replied, ‘You are my friend. Allah is my physician”
The above ḥādīth reported by Abū Ramthah
Allah is in control of every aspect of our lives including our health, whether in health
maintenance or in the treatment of disease. Allah has bestowed a divine intelligence in each of
us; this is embedded in the genetic makeup of every cell in our body. This intelligence works in
a pre-determined, instinctive manner with a capacity of self-healing and for the perpetuation of
life. This inherent wisdom is not only part of our genetic makeup, but also in every living entity,
from the smallest life form to the perfection of creation, the human being. In man, this inherent
wisdom is called ‘Physis’.
Physis is controlled by Allah, the Creator who created the human body to perfection with self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms. Physis operates at every level of human existence,
from the moment of fertilization in the mother’s womb, continuing after birth, and persisting
until death. Every action, reaction or response – be it physical, emotional, spiritual, bio-chemical
– internal or external, is responded to by physis to ensure homeostasis or equilibrium. Physis
operates during every second of existence to maintain good health, and especially when
sickness develops.
It supports the body during convalescence and is very active following injury. It acts to repair
wounds, to overcome the infection, and to eliminate the cancers which form constantly in our
bodies. These functions are carried out through immune responses such as fever, vomiting,
diarrhea, coughing, sneezing etc. By doing so, it safeguards a person’s state of good health
against a hostile environment, and actively promotes wellness if he or she is suffering from any
ailment. Physis is the sum total of all the body’s natural, instinctive reactions and responses
given to the human being to stay well and healthy. Thubbin Nabawi teaches that, the doctor’s
job should be not to suppress these responses, but to support and encourage the body’s self-healing ability.
Principles of Thibb-un-Nabawi
Below are the principles of Prophetic medicine which one must follow. Imam Ibn Qayyim AlJawziyah has clearly mentioned these concepts ion his book Thibbun Nabawi.
1. Prophetic medicine is based on revelation (wahyi)
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim stated; “Prophetic medicine is not like the medicine of the physicians, for
the medicine of the Prophet is certain, definitive, emanating from (divine) revelation, the
lantern of Prophethood, and perfection of reason. As for the medicine of others, most of it is
conjecture, presumptions and experimentation.” – Zaad al-Ma’aad (3/97-98)
2. Allah has sent down every disease with its cure, hence every disease is curable except old
age.
It is narrated in Al-Bukhari that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah has not sent down a
disease except that He has in addition sent down its cure.”
Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلمsaid: “Every illness has a cure, and
when the proper cure is applied to the disease, it ends it, Allah willing.”
Usamah ibn Sharik reported: A bedouin said, “O Messenger of Allah, shall we not seek
treatment?” The Prophet said, “Yes, O servants of Allah, seek treatment. Verily, Allah did not place a disease but that he also placed its treatment or cure, except for one ailment.” They
said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is it?” The Prophet said, “Old age.”
ource unan al-Tirmidhī 3 Allah is the only Healer
The therapist and the patient must believe that the true healer is Allah alone; Physician is only a
friend who assists the self-healing mechanism of the patient.
A physician’s job is to assist the self-healing mechanism of the human body but not to suppress
it. Ibn Ahmad al-Ayni asserted that the purpose of ilm al-ilaj (therapeutic medicine) is above all to
support the natural striving of the body to return to its natural, healthy state. The best doctor is the one
who treats the patient from the simplest medicine to the complex one.
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered upon Umm
a’ib and he said, “What ails you, O Umm a’ib? You are shivering.” he said, “It is a fever. Allah
has not blessed it.” The Prophet said, “Do not curse fever. Verily, it removes the sins of the
children of Adam just as a furnace removes dirt from iron.”
Prophet said “Fever is from the heat of the Hell, so cool it with water” – Sahih Bukhari:
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4. Prevention and preservation of health is the most important branch of Islamic medicine
Preventing and preserving the state of the body in its nature, the state in which human beings
function normally and in sound and perfect condition: in healthy body, mind and spirit. It is
generally acknowledged that hifz al-sihhah is the most important branch of Islamic medicine
since it is primarily concerned with the prevention and preservation of health rather than with
cure. In order to show the importance of prevention and preservation of health amongst his
followers, the Prophet said “There are two gifts of which many men are cheated: health (alsihhah) and leisure (al-faragh)”. By linking al-sihhah (health) and al-faragh (le-isure) together
has its significant. It stresses the fact that Muslims should take good care of their health and
always strive to remain in a healthy state because if he is in a healthy state, he would be able to
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fulfill his duty towards Allah during leisure (al-faragh) by acquiring both spiritual and physical
knowledge, so that his soul will reach the ultimate goal namely the appreciation of Allah.
5. When treating a sick person, treatment revolves around measures that boost deficient
qualities, or suppress qualities which are in excess.
5. Diseases should not be treated with prohibited things or unlawful procedures
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “Allah has not put your healing in that which He has forbidden to you
“( ahih Al-Bukhari no 11 /7) When Waʾil al-Haḍramī explained to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that the
only reason he and his people fermented wine was to use it as a remedy, the Prophet retorted
that “It is not a remedy; rather it is a disease” Imam Ibnul Qayyim stated in his book
“Prohibited substances affect the heart and soul and make them impure. Since various
substances that the body consumes affects the body. When a substance causes an evil outcome
in the body the nature of the body will acquire this evil temperament.”
7. The best doctor is the one who treats the patient from the simplest medicine to the
complex one
8. The doctor should be able to identify the diseases of the heart (Islamic Psychology). He is
not a doctor who doesn’t identify the diseases of the heart.
9. A physician should consider other important aspects such as
Season
Climate
Location
Habits of the patient
10. Thibbun Nabawi works only on pure hearts that have faith in Allah and His wisdom. Belief
and faith have a profound effect on our physical body and health. Negative thoughts hamper the
body’s immune system which leads to delayed healing or makes the body susceptible to
infections. Strong belief in Allah and reliance upon him leads to healing and happiness in life.
The means to build a strong faith is attained by learning the beneficial knowledge of the Quran,
Sunnah and the teachings of Islamic Scholars.