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Islamic Medical Institutions
by Ibrahim B. Syed,
Ph. D. One word launched a section of the
people on earth who were illiterate and disunited to become the greatest
intellectuals in all endeavors of human knowledge and paved the way for European
Renaissance. What was that magical word? That word was "Iqra" (“read”) which
was the first Divine Word revealed to the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him)
in the Cave of’ Hera on the night of Lailatul Qadr, about the 27th night
of’ Ramadhan in 610 CE. The first five verses that revealed were: 1. Read: In the name of thy Lord who created. 2. Created man from a clot. 3. Read: And thy Lord is the most Bounteous, 4. Who taught by the pen, 5. Taught man that which he knew not.
Qur’an, The Clot, 96: 1- 5. This Divine injunction gave the
Muslims learning and erudition an elevated position in the Islamic Shari'ah.
Acting on this Divine injunction the followers of Islam attained glories both
religious and secular. With this inspiration the Muslims
focused their attention on discovering the secrets of nature and mysteries of
the earth and heavens in the light of’ Qur’anic tenets. The attentiveness to
these Qur’anic tenets made them leaders of the scientific thought. It is imperative for Muslims to
achieve a place of respect and honor in the world and excellence in the fields
of learning and scholarship and to hold scholars in high esteem and to love
them. It is the birthright of every Muslim and Muslimah to make advancements in
the fields of learning. To accomplish this one requires self-confidence, purity
of thought, love of our brothers and sisters, clean and clear conscience, Jihad
(continuous struggle) and honorable deeds. ISLAMIC MEDICINE What is TIBB-E- ISLAMI or Islamic Medicine? Some define it as the medicine practiced by the eminent Muslim physicians during the glorious days of Islamic Medicine. To the general public it means Unani Medicine. Some even think of it as medical treatment by herbs, seeds, honey or other natural ingredients. Some want to including the healing power of the Qur’an, as QST or Qur’an stimulating system. Modern medicine or Allopathic medicine caters to the body and mind and neglects the spirit. To me mind is part of the body. The definition of mind is it is a function of’ the brain. The Qur’an mentions both the Nafs and Ruh. The word Nafs is understood as soul, self, consciousness, I, ego, etc. whereas the word Ruh is understood as the spirit. After extensive research I have concluded that Ruh means Energy or more specifically Life Energy. When the Life Energy is gone then the life is gone. So the correct definition of Islamic Medicine then will mean it is the Medicine whose approach is all-embracing and it should cater to the body and the spirit. It, thus, enjoys a unique privilege over modern medicine, which lacks this property. The most comprehensive definition of Islamic Medicine is given by Dr. Ahmed El-Kadi (1):
"Although Islamic Medicine may
include, among many others, all the modalities of modern medicine, it differs
from modern medicine in that it fulfills all the following six criteria: It is
excellent and leading among other brands of the healing arts. It is a medicine
with faith and Divine ethics. It is guided and oriented. It is comprehensive,
paying attention to body and spirit, to the individual and the society. It is
universal, utilizing all useful resources, and offering its services to all
mankind. And last, but not least, it is scientific.
While modern medicine proclaims
these criteria, i.e. to be excellent, ethical, oriented, comprehensive,
universal and scientific, it has failed to fulfill any of them. The big question
is: Can Islamic Medicine overcome all the problems of modern medicine, and can
it provide its missing ingredients? The answer is a confident "yes". In all the
problem areas of modern medicine listed in this paper, the deficiencies are
either lack of ethical and moral guidance, lack of standardized value system,
disregard of certain restrictive or instructive rules related to ingested
materials, or disregard of certain hygienic and social guidelines governing
human relations and social life. These missing items, are the very one
abundantly provided by Islamic teachings.
The detailed elaboration on the
correlation between various Islamic teachings and the course or development of
various diseases is beyond the scope of this paper and will be the subject of
separate investigations. The combination of Islamic teachings and the existing
technological advances, which are fully supported by the Islamic teachings,
produces a unique blend of healing arts which qualifies as Islamic medicine, a
medicine which is most up-to-date and progressive while in full harmony with
divine teachings and guidance. The basic Islamic teaching asserting that there
is a cure for every illness (and it is up to us to find it) is an unbeatable
stimulus for study and research towards unparalleled progress and achievement.
The establishment of such a healing art entails the total reevaluation and
revision of all existing basic and clinical sciences. In addition to providing
the new medical foundation, the revised texts and restructured curricula will
reflect the link between the creator and His creation thus reinforcing the
concept of oneness of God (Tawheed) and automatically improving the faith of the
student through his own professional study. These texts and curricula will also
reflect the oneness of creation by showing how the various systems of animated
and non animated creatures follow very much the same laws of nature, or better
stated, laws of God, thus broadening the horizon of the student which will in
turn make him a better scientist and a better person. It will be a monumental
task to establish, but a task worth undertaking." SEEKING KNOWLEDGE For a Muslim seeking and learning knowledge is very essential and this could be achieved by both inductive and empirical methods. The Qur’an says: Are those equal, those who
know and those who do not know (39: 9) Do they see nothing in the Government of the heavens and the earth and all that God has created? (7: 185) The Prophet (PBUH) said some
inspiring words: · Seeking knowledge is an obligation to every Muslim. · A true scientist is one who applies knowledge to his work. · The superiority of the scholar to the worshipper is like my superiority over the humblest of you. He shunned at magical-practice,
priesthood and idolatry and asked the people to seek medical treatment based on
medical science; and he said: Oh, servants of
God, seek for medical treatment, God has put a remedy for every malady, clear to
whoever knows it and unclear to whoever does not know it. The foregoing words inspired the
Muslims who pursued scientific research and that led them to their great
achievements and they served as a lighthouse to the whole world for many
centuries. These achievements in all branches of knowledge formed the foundation
of the contemporary scientific awakening. Goals of the Institute of
Islamic Medicine The First International Conference
of Islamic Medicine was held in Kuwait from January 12 -16, 1981 (1401 A.H) and
five hundred papers were presented under the following sections: 1. The search for our scholarly heritage in medicine; or, the history of’ our medical heritage. 2. Corresponding elements between Tibb and allopathy and the study of subjects occurring as common factors between Islamic Medicine and modern medicine, 3. Research investigation, and 4. The principles of Tibb
and the correlation of ethics with the Islamic Shari'ah. The International Institute of Islamic Medicine (IIIM) should have the following aims and objectives (2): 1.
Reviving the Islamic medical sciences in the domains of heritage, scientific
research, verification and applied studies. 2. Encouraging the scholars
in the field of Islamic medicine by providing them with the necessary facilities
to enable them in their researches, strengthening the link between them, and
helping them to raise the standard of health. 3. Encouraging the
establishment of national organizations with the same objectives all over the
world and providing them with the necessary support to fulfill their missions
successfully. 4. Working to develop
educational curricula particularly in the domain of medicine, in an effective
system which aims at leading the Muslim youth to know about their heritage and
acquainting them with the values on which Islamic culture is based. Also,
acquainting them with their true religion and its tolerant Shari'ah. 5. Working to unify the scientific and ethical Islamic concepts of the medical profession. MEDICAL ETHICS The Kuwait Conference declared the
following Ethics of Medicine in the light of’ Islamic Constitution (3): ISLAMIC CODE OF MEDICAL ETHICS 1. Definition of Medical Profession 2. Characterization of Medical Practitioner 3. Relation between Physician and Physician 4. Relationship between Physician and patient 5. Professional Secrecy 6. Physician’s duties in the time of war 7. The Sanctity of Human Life 8. Responsibility and Liability 9. Physician and Society 10. Physician and Biomed - Technological advances 11. Medical Education 12. Oath of the Muslim
Physician The basic religious criteria
protecting the Physician are: 1. Recognized certification 2. Acceptance of the Physician by his patients 3. Good faith on part of the Physician and sole aim of curing his patient. 4. Absence of unacceptable fault as defined by medical By-Laws. NSTITUTES OF ISLAMIC MEDICINE IN
THE WORLD KUWAIT The construction of the Centre for
Islamic Medicine constitutes an additional asset to the edifice of health
services offered by the State of’ Kuwait. In 1987 the Centre for Islamic
Medicine for treatment by medicinal herbs was established. The Centre,
inaugurated on 21 February 1987, took four years to construct at a cost of KD
6.5 millions and occupies a total area of nearly 15,500 sq. meters including a
Mosque. The Ministry of Public Health pays full attention to the Centre. The
building features fine Islamic architecture and art. It consists of two
sections. The Centre for Islamic medicine and the Islamic Organization for
Medical Sciences occupy the right section. On the left stands Lulwa Alk-Nassar’s
mosque on an area of 1,267 sq. meters, with a capacity for 1500 worshippers. The
upper floor is reserved for women worshippers. The mosque resembles a museum
filled with the finest Islamic art and Architecture. Both the Centre for Islamic Medicine and the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences operate within the framework of common objectives for the revival of’ the Islamic medical heritage, fulfilled practically in the Centre through the treatment of’ patients by medicinal herbs, whereas the Organization seeks to revive this heritage through intellectual and informational means. INDIA/PAKISTAN The Hamdard Foundation located and operated both in India and Pakistan is doing an excellent job in the cause of Islamic Medicine. Although their work primarily concentrates on Unani Medicinal herbs (botanical herbs), they are modernizing their facilities to cater to Islamic Medicine for the treatment of body and the spirit. The establishment of Madinatul Hikmah or the City of Wisdom in Karachi is a milestone achievement, which is unparalleled in any Muslim country. They have quite modern and impressive facilities with regard to library and research, equipped with the latest high tech equipment of computers, faxes, copying and transmission of information. They have collected invaluable original manuscripts written by Islamic scholars. The credit goes to the late Hakim Mohammed who single handedly achieved all of these. MALAYSIA The Islamic Universities in Malaysia are establishing Medical Colleges geared towards Islamic Medicine. This is a great departure from the Medical Colleges in vogue in many Muslim countries. Hope this trend should be a model to other Medical Colleges, which are in existence
and which, will come into existence in the near future, in other Muslim
countries. U.S.A. There are several Islamic
Educational Institutions in USA and Canada. However Institutions of higher
leaning are only two: the East-West University and the American Islamic College
and both of them are located in Chicago, Illinois. They are still in the
embryonic stages of development. There is no Islamic Medical School in America.
Unfortunately there is no Muslim Hospital in the North America, although there
are several Jewish, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic, and other
denominational Hospitals and Medical Schools in existence in North America. It
is high time that Muslims in general and the Muslim physicians in particular to
establish Muslim Hospitals and Islamic Medical Schools. Dr. Ahmed El-Kadi, M.D., has taken a
significant first step in establishing the first INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC MEDICINE
in North America in Panama City, Florida. He is also active in Islamic Medicine
research and education. He has conducted research in a variety of clinical
areas, presented his results at national and international meetings of Muslim
physicians. He has also published his work particularly in the Journal of
Islamic Medical Association. There is a great potential in p1aces like Long
Island, New York and other places in North America for establishing Institutes
of Islamic Medicine. It is sincerely hoped that the establishment of’ the
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC MEDCINE shall be a light-house in guiding and
establishing Institutes of Islamic Medicines here in North America and over 60
Muslim Countries in the world.
IIIM (International Institute of Islamic Medicine) is a project
of IMA (Islamic Medical Association of North America) dedicated to research and
promotion of Islamic Medicine, its rich history, its impact on modern medicine
and its applications in contemporary times. Formed by the action of IMA
executive Council in February of 1993 the IIIM now functions under the able
leadership of eminent Muslim Physicians who have served as Presidents of IMA and
have dedicated themselves to this task. The secretariat of IIIM is presently
based in Brandon, Florida under the Chairmanship of Dr Husain Nagamia past
resident of IMA and past Editor in Chief of JIMA. IIIM sponsors research
projects and publications of books on Islamic Medicine. IIIM also sponsors
conferences on contemporary and classical issues in Medicine within the context
of Islam. IIIM has also collected a large number of posters, illustrations of
ancient and modern manuscripts on 'History of Islamic Medicine' these have been
exhibited at both the Conferences held in Orlando FL and met with excellent
reviews. It is an ongoing project and efforts are made to keep these updated.
IIIM conducts International Conferences in different countries and exhibits the
rare Islamic medical manuscripts. The conferences were held in USA, UK, and
India. REFERENCES
1. Ahmed El-Kadi, M.D., "What is Islamic Medicine", on line at (www.islamset.com/hip/i_medicine/) 2. The First
International Conference of Islamic Medicine Kuwait, 12-16, 1981, MEDICAL TIMES
XVI (6): 22-23, June 1981. Published by Hamdard Foundation, Karachi,
Pakistan. 3. THE KUWAIT DECLARATION: Ethics of medicine in the light of Islamic Constitution. Medical times XVI (6): 32, June 1981, published by Hamdard Foundation, Karachi, Pakistan. |
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