Islamic Medicine History and Current Practice - International Society ...
Islamic Medicine History and Current Practice - International Society ... Islamic Medicine History and Current Practice - International Society ...
Spiritual Medicine in the History of Islamic MedicineIbrahim B. SYED, Ph.D** Clinical Professor of Medicine University of Louisville School of Medicine Louisville, KY 40292President, Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc 7102 W. Shefford Lane Louisville, KY 40242-6462e-Mail: irfi@iname.comWebsite: http://www.irfi.orgSpiritual Medicine has two components: Distant Healing and Self-care. It is known that the spiritual elements also play an importantrole in the recovery process from acute or chronic sickness. Spiritual healing techniques frequently can support or complementconventional health care modality. It has been known for centuries, that the “placebo effect” is substantial and has positive influenceover the body.In this paper, the relation between religion and health is emphasized and the importance of spiritual medicine is defined.Key Words; Spiritual Medicine, History of Islamic Medicine.SummaryThe articles of faith in Islam are: 1. Tawhid orbelief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) 2. Salat or contactualprayer 3. Siyam or Fasting during the monthof Ramadan 4. Zakah or charity 5. Hajj or pilgrimageto Mecca.History has recorded that Babur, Mughal Emperorof India, prayed for his son, Humayun’s health whowas seriously ill or almost near death. Hence Baburasked Allah (SWT) to spare his son’s life and take his(Babur’s) life in lieu thereof.Recent scientific research indicates that affirmingbelief in God or Allah (SWT) makes a critical contributionto our physical health. When people call uponfaith, they activate neurological pathways for selfhealing.The Muslim prayer consists of contact prayer(salat), Zikr (Dhikr) or remembrance of Allah andrecitation of the Qur’an. These elicit the physiologicrelaxation response. The Prophetic saying is“Worship in the congregation is more excellent thanWorship alone, by twenty seven degrees.” Hajj andcongregational Prayers serve to buffer the adverseeffects of stress and anger, perhaps via psycho-neuroimmunologicalpathways. It is speculated that congregationalprayers may trigger a multi-factorialsequence of biological processes leading to betterhealth. Studies have shown higher degrees of socialJISHIM 2003, 2connection (through family and friends or congregationalprayers in the Masjid) consistently relate todecreased mortality.Zakah is altruism and in sharing the wealth, apartfrom the socio-economic benefits, the Muslims alsogarner better health. Doing good to others is alsoZakah and those who volunteer their work findmarked improvement in their health.Several studies have already documented thehealth benefits of fasting during the month ofRamadan.The National Institute of Health, in Bethesda,Maryland, a few years ago opened an Office ofAlternative Therapies, which encouragesHomeopathy, Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, and other“alternative” therapies.Recently there is a tremendous surge in interestand publications in the field of spiritual medicine inthe United States. An abundance of articles (1-8),books, and conferences in recent years haveaddressed the impact of spirituality on patient, physician,and health care. For example Dr. James S.Gordon, MD who is the founder and Director of theCenter for Mind-Body Medicine at GeorgetownUniversity, Washington, D.C. published “MANI-FESTO FOR ANEW MEDICINE: Your guide to45
Ibrahim B. SYEDSPIRITUAL MEDICINE IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAMIC MEDICINEhealing partnerships and the wise use of alternativetherapies (Addison-Wesley, 1996). Dr. Gordon wrotethat medical education is long on technical masterybut short on issues of personal and spiritual growth.Dr. Gregory Plotnikoff, MD who is the medicaldirector of the University of Minnesota’s Center forSpiritual Care and Healing advocates care for thebody and the soul (9). “ Timeless Healing: The Powerand Biology of Belief,” by Herbert Benson, M.D.(Scribner, 1996) draws on Benson’s work atHarvard’s Mind/Body Medical Institute. Benson’sprescription for doctors and patients contains threeingredients: 1. identifies each other’s importantbeliefs and motivations, 2. discuss and act on thosebeliefs, and 3. let go and believe. Religious belief andfaith are the vehicles for his prescription.Dr. David Larson, MD who is the president of theNational Institute for Healthcare Research (NIHR),Rockville, Maryland awarded five $10,000 grants in1996 to Medical Schools to incorporate classes onReligion and medicine into their Curricula. He is theauthor of the 1995 book, “The Neglected Factor.” Dr.Ornish, MD has documented the reversal of coronaryartery occlusion by diet and meditation.This message-that health care has a spiritual component-fliesin the face of modern Western healthcare culture, which holds to a biomedical model forhealing and recovery.Spiritual Medicine has two components: DistantHealing and Self-care (that is healing by patient’sown efforts). Distant healing is defined as any purelymental effort undertaken by one person with theintention of improving physical or emotional wellbeing in another. In clinical practice, healing mayinvolve a mental effort in or out of the healer’s presence,with or without his or her awareness, and withor without touch. This broad definition would alsoinclude petitionary prayer or Du’a in which the practitionergenerates a mental request for a particularoutcome or that God’s “will be done.”What is spiritualityAn individual has biological, psychological, andsocial dimensions and yet there is a spiritual dimension,which connects to all of these and contributes toan individual’s sense of wholeness and wellness.Experiences such as joy, love, forgiveness and acceptanceare manifestations of spiritual well being.Imbalance in one of the several dimensions led to diseaseand exacerbating illness. It is known that the spiritualelements also play an important role in the recoveryprocess from acute or chronic sickness. Spiritualhealing techniques frequently can support or complementconventional health care modality (3).Spirituality is often defined as the experience ofmeaning and purpose in our lives-a sense of connectednesswith the people and things in the world aroundus. For many, this connectedness encompasses a relationshipwith God or a higher power. For manyAmerican, spirituality is experience and expressedthrough religiousness. The terms “religiousness” and“spirituality” often are used interchangeably.Religiousness is adherence to the beliefs and practicesof an organized place of worship or religiousinstitutions. Spirituality provides a sense of coherencethat offers meaning to one’s existence as ahuman being. Sometimes a patient may experiencestates of consciousness that have profound spiritualand transformative impact, including near-deathexperiences, mystical states, and delirious statesassociated with alterations of brain chemistry. Theseevents may have a positive impact on the individualor they may lead to distress. Reassurance and legitimizationof the experience by a health care providercan be very therapeutic (10). Physicians are helpingpatients look beyond the physical dimension to findcomfort, answers, and cures. The vast majority ofAmericans believe that spirituality influences theirrecovery from illness, injury, or disease, says onerecent poll. Two thirds of the respondents indicatedthey would like physicians to talk with them aboutspirituality as it relates to their health or even to praywith them.Religion and healthReligiousness may contribute to the enhancementof well being in a number of ways.The relaxation responseAbodily claim that all of us can evoke and thathas the opposite effect of the well-known fight-or-46 JISHIM 2003, 2
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Spiritual <strong>Medicine</strong> in the <strong>History</strong> of <strong>Islamic</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>Ibrahim B. SYED, Ph.D** Clinical Professor of <strong>Medicine</strong> University of Louisville School of <strong>Medicine</strong> Louisville, KY 40292President, <strong>Islamic</strong> Research Foundation <strong>International</strong>, Inc 7102 W. Shefford Lane Louisville, KY 40242-6462e-Mail: irfi@iname.comWebsite: http://www.irfi.orgSpiritual <strong>Medicine</strong> has two components: Distant Healing <strong>and</strong> Self-care. It is known that the spiritual elements also play an importantrole in the recovery process from acute or chronic sickness. Spiritual healing techniques frequently can support or complementconventional health care modality. It has been known for centuries, that the “placebo effect” is substantial <strong>and</strong> has positive influenceover the body.In this paper, the relation between religion <strong>and</strong> health is emphasized <strong>and</strong> the importance of spiritual medicine is defined.Key Words; Spiritual <strong>Medicine</strong>, <strong>History</strong> of <strong>Islamic</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.SummaryThe articles of faith in Islam are: 1. Tawhid orbelief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) 2. Salat or contactualprayer 3. Siyam or Fasting during the monthof Ramadan 4. Zakah or charity 5. Hajj or pilgrimageto Mecca.<strong>History</strong> has recorded that Babur, Mughal Emperorof India, prayed for his son, Humayun’s health whowas seriously ill or almost near death. Hence Baburasked Allah (SWT) to spare his son’s life <strong>and</strong> take his(Babur’s) life in lieu thereof.Recent scientific research indicates that affirmingbelief in God or Allah (SWT) makes a critical contributionto our physical health. When people call uponfaith, they activate neurological pathways for selfhealing.The Muslim prayer consists of contact prayer(salat), Zikr (Dhikr) or remembrance of Allah <strong>and</strong>recitation of the Qur’an. These elicit the physiologicrelaxation response. The Prophetic saying is“Worship in the congregation is more excellent thanWorship alone, by twenty seven degrees.” Hajj <strong>and</strong>congregational Prayers serve to buffer the adverseeffects of stress <strong>and</strong> anger, perhaps via psycho-neuroimmunologicalpathways. It is speculated that congregationalprayers may trigger a multi-factorialsequence of biological processes leading to betterhealth. Studies have shown higher degrees of socialJISHIM 2003, 2connection (through family <strong>and</strong> friends or congregationalprayers in the Masjid) consistently relate todecreased mortality.Zakah is altruism <strong>and</strong> in sharing the wealth, apartfrom the socio-economic benefits, the Muslims alsogarner better health. Doing good to others is alsoZakah <strong>and</strong> those who volunteer their work findmarked improvement in their health.Several studies have already documented thehealth benefits of fasting during the month ofRamadan.The National Institute of Health, in Bethesda,Maryl<strong>and</strong>, a few years ago opened an Office ofAlternative Therapies, which encouragesHomeopathy, Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, <strong>and</strong> other“alternative” therapies.Recently there is a tremendous surge in interest<strong>and</strong> publications in the field of spiritual medicine inthe United States. An abundance of articles (1-8),books, <strong>and</strong> conferences in recent years haveaddressed the impact of spirituality on patient, physician,<strong>and</strong> health care. For example Dr. James S.Gordon, MD who is the founder <strong>and</strong> Director of theCenter for Mind-Body <strong>Medicine</strong> at GeorgetownUniversity, Washington, D.C. published “MANI-FESTO FOR ANEW MEDICINE: Your guide to45
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