"Medicine of the Prophet" and "Islamic medicine": Traditions and modern science The biography (sira) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is studied through the prism of various branches
"Medicine of the Prophet" and "Islamic Medicine": Traditions and Modern Science
The biography (sira) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is being studied through the prism of various branches of traditional and modern science: political science, psychology, pedagogy, biology, dietology. One area marked by the direct contribution of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is traditional medicine. His postulates of medicine (al-tibb al-Nabawi) are recorded in various sayings (hadith) collected by scholars of the early era of Islam, such as Imam Bukhari. It is known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used medicinal plants, diet and hygiene procedures for the treatment and prevention.
Prophetic medicine has two unique features. On the one hand, it uses numerous medicines, and on the other hand, it serves as a system for treating the disease, combining various methods to achieve internal (spiritual) and external (physical) well-being. Consequently, the medicine of the Prophet is much broader in scope, it goes beyond the mere prescribing of medicinal drugs, and is of particular value as an integrated system that involves a "holistic approach" to the prevention and treatment of diseases.
For some time now, modern physicians have also started talking about the preference of the "holistic method" rather than the treatment of the disease as such. This approach indeed proves to be the most effective in terms of maintaining health and well-being.
Turning to this topic, we will talk about the medicine of the Prophet in general and study it as a universal system based on a holistic approach, a concept that has influenced the development of modern medicine.
Definition of Prophetic Medicine
The medicine of the Prophet refers to the actions and sayings of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in relation to physical and spiritual health in the treatment of specific diseases. This type of medicine has a “divine element” and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed remedies that heal both the body and the soul.
Although the terms "medicine of the Prophet" and "Islamic medicine" are often used interchangeably, there is a significant difference between the two. Prophetic medicine deals with general principles, while scientific [and Islamic] medicine deals with particulars.
Islamic medicine should be understood as a category of scientific medical knowledge practiced by the first Muslim doctors, this knowledge developed through hypotheses, observation and experience, and over time constituted a special system that we call Islamic medicine.
How did the Prophet treat
The medicines used by the Prophet are described in detail in many texts, including one of the most reliable collections of hadiths, Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Muhammad ibn Ismail Bukhari (b. 194 AH). The Book of Medicine (Kitab al-tibb) chapter lists various remedies for diseases, including:
Black Cumin Seed (nigella sativa) – Its black seeds are believed to aid the digestive process, have antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pain relieving properties. There is a famous hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
"Black cumin cures all diseases except death" (Bukhari).
Honey – the healing properties of honey are mentioned in Qur'an (Al-Nahl, 16:69), rivers of honey are also mentioned in the description of Paradise (Muhammad, 47:15). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) often pointed out that honey is the best remedy for healing.
In a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas, the Prophet said:
“Healing is in three things: hijama, a sip of honey and cauterization with fire, but I forbid my ummah cauterization” (Bukhari).
Dates – Narrated Saud: The Messenger of Allah said:
“If anyone eats a few dates [of the variety] Quince every morning, he will be protected from poison and magic for the whole day until night.” (Bukhari)
Bloodletting (hijama): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) highly recommended doing bloodletting in the treatment of certain disorders. Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: The Messenger of Allah said:
Scope of Prophetic Medicine
The Prophet's medical methods should not be presented as a universal practical guide to medicine, as his methods were not formalized into a complete medical system. Although the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had knowledge of remedies for certain diseases, he did not claim to be a healer. However, the scope of the Prophet's medicine expands greatly, not just to study the remedies that he recommended, but to speak of the Prophet's holistic approach to the treatment of diseases. Whereas the focus solely on drugs, in fact, limits the scope of his medicine.
It should be borne in mind that the remedies prescribed by the Prophet were intended for diseases common in his time. In fact, the views of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on medicines and cures were based on the principle that there is a cure for every disease (Bukhari). This principle serves as a stimulus for the study of new remedies, and, indeed, the development of traditional medicine does not stop at the medicine of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but goes further, finding new ways of treatment.
Classification of the Prophet's Medicine
As-Suyuti (b. 849 AH) divided the medicine of the Prophet into three areas:
1) Prophetic Preventive Medicine
The doctrine of moderation in food, physical activity, hygiene, sexual relations, rules for eating, quarantine for infectious diseases, the use of medicinal plants to improve the body.The medicines used by the Prophet are described in detail in many texts, including one of the most reliable collections of hadiths, Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Muhammad ibn Ismail Bukhari (b. 194 AH). The Book of Medicine (Kitab al-tibb) chapter lists various remedies for diseases, including:
Black Cumin Seed (nigella sativa) – Its black seeds are believed to aid the digestive process, have antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pain relieving properties. There is a famous hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
"Black cumin cures all diseases except death" (Bukhari).
Honey – the healing properties of honey are mentioned in Qur'an (Al-Nahl, 16:69), rivers of honey are also mentioned in the description of Paradise (Muhammad, 47:15). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) often pointed out that honey is the best remedy for healing.
In a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas, the Prophet said:
“Healing is in three things: hijama, a sip of honey and cauterization with fire, but I forbid my ummah cauterization” (Bukhari).
Dates – Narrated Saud:
The Messenger of Allah said:
“If anyone eats a few dates [of the variety] Quince every morning, he will be protected from poison and magic for the whole day until night.” (Bukhari)
Bloodletting (hijama): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) highly recommended doing bloodletting in the treatment of certain disorders. Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:
The Messenger of Allah said:
Scope of Prophetic Medicine
The Prophet's medical methods should not be presented as a universal practical guide to medicine, as his methods were not formalized into a complete medical system. Although the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had knowledge of remedies for certain diseases, he did not claim to be a healer. However, the scope of the Prophet's medicine expands greatly, not just to study the remedies that he recommended, but to speak of the Prophet's holistic approach to the treatment of diseases. Whereas the focus solely on drugs, in fact, limits the scope of his medicine.
It should be borne in mind that the remedies prescribed by the Prophet were intended for diseases common in his time. In fact, the views of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on medicines and cures were based on the principle that there is a cure for every disease (Bukhari). This principle serves as a stimulus for the study of new remedies, and, indeed, the development of traditional medicine does not stop at the medicine of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but goes further, finding new ways of treatment.
Classification of the Prophet's Medicine
As-Suyuti (b. 849 AH) divided the medicine of the Prophet into three areas:
1) Prophetic Preventive Medicine
The doctrine of moderation in food, physical activity, hygiene, sexual relations, rules for eating, quarantine for infectious diseases, the use of medicinal plants to improve the body.All this preventive measures whose goal is to preserve health and well-being.
2) Traditional Medicine Prophet
This category includes various funds that he prescribed for the treatment of certain diseases: honey, olive oil, black cumin, milk, etc., as well as surgical procedures, such as bloodletting and cavity. These funds were used for fever, disorders of digestion, headaches, rash, tonsillitis, heart disease, food poisoning, conjunctivitis, tumors, pumping, fractures, bite of dogs, etc.
3) spiritual medicine prophet