Prophetic
Medicine
Taught by
Shiekh Atabek Ash Shukurov
An Nasafi
An Introduction
The Prophet’s Knowledge of medicine
Our Mother Aisha gained knowledge of herbal medicine through The Prophet and and also through
visitors who came to visit There were visitors who were versed in Greek medicine (Unânî),Christian
and Jewish medicine some of their expertise having been passed down by The Prophet Solomon.
However, the prophet himself gained his knowledge of Medicine directly from the Quran
The origins of medicine
Contrary to modern science, we say that medicine and the knowledge of the cures for the countless
diseases did not originate from men haphazardly but rather God (Allah) blessed The Prophets with
the knowledge of the cures to the countless diseases that arose.
Once Prophet Solomon was worshipping in his monastery and the plants and trees suddenly began
to speak, explaining their purposes and their uses for man. The plants also expounded on their
medicinal properties that cure man and his ailments and also the processes to extract these cures.
~Related from the Hadith scholars At Tabarânî, Ibn Hibbân and Al Hâkim
Solomon recorded these descriptions of the plants within this miraculous event.
Remnants of The Prophet’s Medicine and inheritance of foreign Medicine
Although there are narrations of the actual medicinal practices and uses of the Prophet
Muhammad himself, due to a various factors there were not any scholars of highest calibre to
deduce rules of medicine that could apply to the countless illnesses, from them.
i.e. In Fiqh (Laws of Worship) The scholars took hundreds of Qur’ânic and hadîth principles and
applied them to the thousands of methods and cases (masâ’il) that appeared.
As a result hadîth pertaining to Medicine existed but few valuable commentaries were created
causing the science to be lost.
Existence of Prophetic Medicine
Unfortunately prophetic medicine does not exist today.
We have Unaanî (Greek Medicine) with some Prophetic Medicine and we also have the medicine
practiced by The family of The Prophet (Ahl Al Bayt) preserved through the Shi’a but there is no
conclusive proof that their medicine is directly from the Prophet. i.e. The descendent of The
Prophet, Jaf’ar As Sâdiq did relate from converts to Islam who prior to Islam were Christian Priests
and Rabbis like the Great Wahb ibn Munanbbih. Their teachings may have contained teachings on
the medicine of previous prophets like Solomon
Development of Medicine
The Muslims inherited and developed Unânî Medicine (Greek Medicine). We also acquired
knowledge of medicine through The Family of the Prophet (Ahl Al Bayt) and the Shia but
mentioned earlier there is no conclusive proof that their medicine is directly from the Prophet.
Greek Medicine was translated towards the latter stages of the Umayyad Caliphate (Umawi
Khulafâ’) to the early stages of the Abbasid Caliphates (Abbasi Khulafâ’)
There are many great Muslim scholars who were scholars of Greek Medicine but not Prophetic
Medicine i.e. Farâbi, Bayrûni, Ibn Sîna
As a rule – The Andalusian scholars and their students and followers were effected by the thinking
of Ibn sîna and Farâbi’ which was related to Socrates /’Socratic thinkers’ i.e. Ibn Rushd,
Initial Material on Prophetic Medicine(Tibb An Nabawi)
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At Tibb An Nabawi – The first Book on this subject published on this subject. By Ali Ar Riddâh
(a descent of the Prophet), 11th Imam of the Shi’a.
Died 203 After Hijra (AH) (818 CE). A small book quoting hadîth on Prophetic medicine but
without explanations. translated in French, latin and Arabic.
Tibb An Nabawi, Abd Al Malik bin Habeeb (Hubayb), d 238AH (853 CE)
A Arabian Qurayshi Born in Andalusia, Spain
Tibb An Nabawi, Al Hâfiż Ibn As Sinni (Abu Bakr Adaynûri) d 365AH
Tibb An Nabawi, Abû Nu’aym al Aspahânî,. d 430AH. (818 CE). Author of the famous Hilyatul
Awliyâh, In the same age as Ibn Sîna,
Explanations and Commentaries on Prophetic Medicine
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Initially most of those scholars that related Prophet Medicine were Muhadithûn (Scholars of
Prophetic Narrations) thus looked at the hadîth through a legal perspective, essentially not
commenting on the narrations
The first explanation came from the philosopher, herbalist (hakîm) and linguist, Abdul Latîf
al Bagdâdî, d 629AH (1231 CE) (closer to the time of the great Polymath Ibn al Jawzî) 200
years after Ibn Sîna (Avicenna)passed away
The Famous notables of Islamic Medicine
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Smallpox and measles, L. Rhazes/Muhammad Ibn Zakarîya al Razi. died 240AH (925 CE)
The Canon of Medicine (Al Qânûn) by Avicenna/Abu Ali Al Husayn Ibn Sîna. d 428AH (1037
CE). Probably the most famous book on Islamic and Pre-Modern Medicine
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Simplification of Therapeutics and Diet by Avenzoar/Abd Al Mâlik Ibn Zuhr. d 557AH (1162
CE)
Generalities in Medicine by Averroes/A.M Ibn Rushd d 595AH (1198 CE)
A commentary on the analysis of the cannon of Avicenna, by Alî b n al Nafîs. d 607AH (1288
CE)
note: the name after the ‘/’ indicates the given name of the author
Notable Islamic Scholars of the middle era
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At Tibb An Nabawi by ibn Qayyim al Jawziyah. d 751AH(1350 CE)
Probably the most famous at present on this subject
At Tibb An Nabawi of Imam Dhahabî, d 748 AH (1274 CE).
Ordered/stratified his work emulating the work of Avicenna called Al Qanûn and teacher of
the Polymath, Al Jawzi
At Tibb An Nabawi, Imam Suyûti. d 911 AH (1505 CE) Another famous work. He also quotes
from Ibn Al Nafîs and Avicenna
Types of medicine
There are two types of medicine;
 Allopathic – Linguistically meaning ‘different than the disease’
This is to treat a illness with it’s opposite or that which is different. Especially concerning
modern conventional medicine which is allopathic
 Homeopathic - To treat a disease with it’s likeness. That the treatments must be able to
produce symptoms that are similar to those of the disease being treated for. Thus not
causing problems with other areas/processes of the body that are not related to the illness
The type of medicine The Prophet used
The Prophet used to practice his own type of medicine (from the Qur’ân)
However he did demonstrate a mix of medicines
An homeopath example of the Prophet’s Medicine
The prophet came upon a young boy whom had been suffering from in an inflammation of his
throat and a person was attempting to cure his condition through rubbing the uvula (throat) area
with a abrasive type of fabric wrapped around the hand
He said in amazement;
‘Do not kill your children.
When your child suffers from throat inflammation (uhtraa) or headache, use Costus/Indian Aloe
(Qist al Ûd) treated in freshwater and make the child sniff it’
This is a example of a hot disease being treated by a hot medicine (here, of the third degree)
An Allopath example of the Prophet’s Medicine
Towards the end of the life of the Prophet, he was affected with fever and commented thus upon
it’s cure;
‘Whosoever is amongst you is struck with fever, which is a slice of hell-fire, let him extinguish it with
cold water’
(Reported by Rafi’ bin Khadij)