The words of prophet Muhammad on the medicine and cure of diseases are golden words that matter for each Muslim. He described the care and treatment for diseases and the medical treatments practised by the prophet on himself was an effective one in Islamic history when no modern medical science was invented. The prophet’s medical teachings were specific for place, population, and time. The guidance of prophet about physical health, mental health and overall well being is superb in all circumstances.

Tibb nabawi is not one monolithic or systematic medical system as some people would want us to believe. It includes preventive medicine, curative medicine, mental well-being, spiritual cures or ruqyah, medical and surgical treatments. It nourishes your spirit, body and mind.

Search for cures

The Prophet revealed a basic principle that in medicine, for every disease there is cure (ma anzala allahu daa; illa anzala lahu shifa’a- Kitaab al Tibb, al Bukhari).

The medical teachings of holy prophet encourage Muslims to search and experiment with new treatment modalities. The ground breaking research was done by the Muslim scholars in the previous centuries.

Sources of tibb nabawi

There are various sources for Tibb nabawi like revelation (wahy), empirical experience of the prophet, folk medicine of that time in the Arabian peninsula etc In sahi Bukhari, there are 129 hadiths  which are directly related to medicine. He devoted two books to medicine: kitaab al tibb and kitaab al mardha.

Scope of tibb nabawi

Tibb Nabawi is not complete cure for all diseases and it does not cover every conceivable disease at the time of the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad was not a doctor or physician and his mission was not medicine.  He looked at the signs of Allah and got knowledge of medicine  from the universe.

Classification of tibb nabawi

Jalaluddin al Suyuti  was a well known writer who divided medicine into 3 types: traditional, spiritual and preventive. Tibb nabawi  mostly includes preventive medicine which was divinely given to prophet Muhammad at that time. Hadith also taught quarantine for epidemics (hijr sihhi), forbidding urination in stagnant water (bawl fi mai raqid) and use of tooth stick (Siwak).

Along with these remedies, dua or prayer with recitation of Quranalso plays a vital role in the cure of diseases. Use of honey for treatment of many wounds and diseases has also been very effective over the years. The recitation of surat al fatiha is a way of spiritual healing.

Examples of tibb nabawi

There were many physical problems at the time of prophet muhammad that includes fever (humma), bowel movements (istitlaq al batan), dropsy (istisqa), wounds (jarh), epilepsy (sar’a), sciatica (‘irq al nisa), temparaments (tabau’), skin itch etc . Many other diseases like: plague, leprosy, eye diseases, throat and tonsils, diarrhea, abdominal disease, fever, plague, snake bite, scorpion bite, food contamination by a fly and headache were also common in the days of holy prophet.

 

 Tibb nabawi as part of the shariat

Toilet hygiene is a part of the shariat rules, the teachings of prophet Muhammad were valid and must be followed. There is no element of joke in them.  The Qur’an and hadith have records of divine intervention to comment on the prophet’s ijtihad on worldly matters.

In Egypt, many universities are taking scientific interest in the research of prophetic teachings on medicine. The National Research Center, the Desert Institute, and the Horticultural Department of the Ministry of Agriculture are researching black seed against bacterial infection.

 

Source: missionislam.com/health/prophetic.htm