Category Archives: Muhammad

The Prophet’s Medicine: Part Two

Islamic Sciences, Muhammad, Qur'an


[Illustration: Teaching Caesarean Birth, al-Biruni, (973-1051 CE)

THE MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC VIEW OF MAN

The Arabic books on the Prophet’s Medicine generally begin with an overview of the human constitution. Since this is far different than would be found in medical school today, it is important to understand the context in which statements about human health were made centuries ago. In describing man, seven parts of his “natural” being were distinguished. At the most fundamental level the human body was seen as a mixture of the four basic elements that defined the material world in classical science. These were fire (hot and dry), air (hot and wet), water (cold and wet) and earth (cold and dry). In this physical respect the human body was no different from other animals. And these were the same elements that were thought to make up everything material in the universe. Continue reading The Prophet’s Medicine: Part Two →

The Prophet’s Medicine: Part One

Islamic Sciences, Muhammad, Qur'an, Traditions (hadith literature)


[Illustration: Miniature illustrating the treatment of a patient, Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu. Jarrahiyatu’l-Hâniya. Millet Library, Ali Emiri, Tib 79.

In the 7th century Muhammad set in motion one of the world’s great religions, Islam. As an Arabian prophet, Muhammad spoke of the same God known to Jews and Christians for centuries. The message received by Muhammad, and revered today by over a billion Muslims, is contained in the Arabic Qur’an. Although the focus of this scripture is on the spiritual health of mankind, there are also numerous statements regarding physical health and emotional wellbeing. Muhammad himself often spoke regarding medicine and diet, and his words are accepted as authoritative only beneath the level of God’s revelation in the Qur’an. As Muslim scholars in later centuries encountered the medical traditions of classical Greece, Syriac tradition, and India, they compared this indigenous knowledge with the Qur’anic view of man and the prophet’s statements about health. Eventually, a specific literary genre called the “Prophet’s Medicine,” or al-tibb al-nabawi in Arabic, came into existence. In the texts of this genre Muslim scholars tried to merge the most accepted and current scientific knowledge about medicine with the folklore of Muhammad’s Arabia. Continue reading The Prophet’s Medicine: Part One →

Hate the One Your With

Danish Cartoon Controversy, Islamophobia, Muhammad, Traditions (hadith literature), Yemen, Zaydi


[Photo of Muhammad al-Asadi by Mohammad al-Sharabi for Newsweek.

If your down and confused
And you don’t remember who your talking to
Concentration, step away
‘Cause your baby is so far away
And there’s a rose and it fits me close
And the eagles fly with the doves
And if you can’t be with the one you love honey
Love the one your with
Love the one your with
Love the one your with
You gotta Love the one your with
— Will Young

There is no dearth of Islamophobic and outright anti-Muslim rhetoric in both American and European public opinion forums. A litany of recent events, from the 9/11 Twin Tower tragedy to the Danish cartoon controversy, makes it seem to many people that Muslims are on the attack against “civilized” secular society. Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine (perhaps even Dubai these days) look at their nightly news and see an indiscriminate political war against their moral principles as well as individual lives. The rash of suicide bombings against Western targets, especially U.S. and British military in Iraq, gets precedence because it falls into the usual tit-for-tatness that uncontrolled violence feeds on. But how are we to understand the increasing threats and actual mayhem between fellow Muslims? Continue reading Hate the One Your With →