“God establishes the habit of creating every act the acquisition of which man intends.”
– Introduction to Al-Ghazali’s, ‘On Intention, Sincerity and Truthfulness’.
Viewing entries in
tibb nabawi
Types of Sickness
Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" advises that there are two types of sickness:
- sickness of the heart
- sickness of the body
The two Sicknesses of the heart
- uncertainty and doubt
- desire and temptation
The three Rules of bodily medicine
- preservation of health - for example, you can break the fast when ill or travelling
- expulsion of harmful substances - for example, you can shave the head whilst in a state of Ihram when sick or having an ailment of the head*
- protection from harm - you can wash with earth instead of water when sick
Ten things which if blocked or restrained cause harm
*Ibn Qayyim says, "[Allah] drew attention to the least significant - the vapour congested in the head - to indicate the importance of evacuating what is more serious. Such is the method of the Qur'an: to give instruction about the greater, through mentioning the lesser." These are:
- blood when it is agitated
- semen when it is moving
- urine
- wind
- vomiting
- sneezing
- sleep
- hunger
- thirst
A report published today announces the discovery of a new field, reclassifying the mesentery, originally considered to be part of the digestive system, as an organ.
Image
Mesentery: Four figures of the lacteals, the aorta & mesenterica inferior, the urinary bladder and a demonstration of vision. Line engraving by Campbell, 1816/1821.
https://wellcome.ac.uk/press-release/thousands-years-visual-culture-made-free-through-wellcome-images
A 2016 study concludes that frequent sauna bathing may reduce the risk of dementia.
From the Scholars
Another example of one-size-fits-all thinking which needs to be carefully examined.
Ibn Sina in “Avicenna’s Medicine” devotes an entire section to baths and what is required before and after baths and saunas.
Image by Satayman (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Medicine of the Body
- By opposites
- By thought and reflection
Medicine by Opposites
- Hunger
- Thirst
- Cold
- Weariness
- Similar Conditions
Their opposite will put an end to these states.
Medicine by Thought and Reflection
Imbalance in the temperament as to heat or cold, dryness or moisture.
According to Tibb, Chishti in "The Traditional Healers Handbook" said, "When there are toxic matters in the body, … the body tries to expel them as quickly as possible ... the normal systems are sometimes already congested … the body then tries to send the toxins out through … the pores of the skin. Since the skin is not designed to eliminate this type of matter, the pores themselves become clogged, and a boil is formed.” He then advises on different types of boils appearing on different parts of the body.
In TCM many skin problems are seen as “heat and toxins in the blood” so the aim is to use herb formulae to increase sweating, coolness and defecation. These herbs may include Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle), pictured.