Status of Medical science in Islam

Status of Medical science in Islam:

The importance of medical science in Islam can be understood by the fact that almost every book of Hadith like Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, etc. contain separate chapters named 'Book of Medicine' with dozens of ahadeeth.

lmam Ghazali RA said,
“Medical profession is one of the most important collective duties (fard kifayah).”

 Imam Shafi’ee RA said,
“Indeed, knowledge is of two types: knowledge of the religion and knowledge of the world. The knowledge of religion is of fiqh and the knowledge of the world is of medicine.”

(Adab Ash-Shafi’ee 1/244)

Al-Rabīʿ reported that al-Shāfīʿī said: “I don't know any knowledge more precious than medical science after the knowledge of ḥalāl and ḥaram, and Muslims lost one third knowledge of it and handed over to the Ahl al-Kitāb (ie: Christians and Jews).”

قَالَ صَالِحُ بنُ مُحَمَّدٍ جَزَرَةُ: سَمِعْتُ الرَّبِيْعَ، سَمِعْتُ الشَّافِعِيَّ يَقُوْلُ: لاَ أَعْلَمُ عِلْماً بَعْدَ الحَلاَلِ وَالحَرَامِ، أَنْبَلَ مِنَ الطِّبِّ، إِلاَّ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الكِتَابِ قَدْ غَلَبُوْنَا عَلَيْهِ.

Ḥarmalah said: al-Shāfīʿī was so distressful about it that Muslims lost the knowledge of medical science and used to say Muslims lost one third knowledge of it and handed over to al-Yahūd wa ʿl-Naṣṣārá (ie: the Jews and Christians).

قَالَ حَرْمَلَةُ: كَانَ الشَّافِعِيُّ يَتَلَهَّفُ عَلَى مَا ضَيَّعَ المُسْلِمُوْنَ مِنَ الطِّبِّ، وَيَقُوْلُ: ضَيَّعُوا ثُلُثَ العِلْمِ، وَوَكَلُوهُ إِلَى اليَهُوْدِ وَالنَّصَارَى. 

(Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, 10/57 of Imam al-Ḏahabī ) 

Importance of Health in Islam:

Islamic scholars have identified the Shariah’s objectives [Maqasid al-Shariah] as preserving religion, life, intellect, lineage and wealth. So the preservation of life and health is the second objective of Shariah next only to Deen.

According to Imam Al-Ghazali: “A proper understanding and implementation of religion, from the standpoint of both knowledge and worship, can only be arrived at through physical health and life preservation”.  (Al-iqtisad fi al-i'tiqad)

Our bodies belong to Allah, who has entrusted us with their care. As such, we aren’t completely free to treat our bodies however we wish. Rather, we must act in accordance with the instructions of its owner — Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Your body has a right over you”. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5199)

"Two favors that many of the people squander are health and free time." (Sahih al-Bukhari 6412, Ibn Majah 4170 and Tirmidhi 2304)

“A strong believer is better than a weak believer.” (Muslim)

“Indeed the first of what will be asked about on the Day of Judgment – meaning the slave (of Allah) being questioned about the favors – is that it will be said to him: ‘Did We not make your body healthy, and give you of cool water to drink?’” (Tirmidhi 3358)

"Whosoever begins the day feeling secure, having good health; and possessing food for his day is as though he possessed the whole world." (Tirmidhi)

'There is no harm in wealth for someone who has Taqwa, but good health for the person who has Taqwa is even better than wealth. Cheerfulness is a blessing.'" (Ibn Majah 2141, Adab al Mufrad of Imam Bukhari, grade Sahih)

“Make the best use of five things before the onset of five others: your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before being busy, your youth before your old age and your wealth before you end up in poverty” (Hakim and Baihaqi)

As Muslims, we are supposed to take care of our bodies by preserving our physical and mental health.
Several Islamic practices involve health-promoting actions, among them making Ghusl, Wudhu, using a miswak to clean our teeth, rules of consuming only halal and Tayyib things, moderation in eating, fasting, male circumcision, etc.

Other injunctions are in part meant to preserve health (e.g., the prohibition of intoxicants and illicit sexual behavior) and promote mental health via prayer, supplication and submission to God: “Verily, with the remembrance of God do hearts find peace” (Quran, 13:28).

At the community level, the Prophet  ﷺ  called for removal of filth from spaces, prohibition of urinating in areas frequented by people or used by them like water sources, cautious separation of animal vectors from humans, encouraging physical activities like swimming, archery, and horse riding, and making places and times for relaxation. Communicable diseases in the form of outbreaks are regulated using quarantines. He also suggested many medicines for various common diseases.
Truly, Islam is not a religion of pointless rituals benefiting neither the Creator nor the creation.

 Spreading health awareness among Muslims patients and doctors by the use of these Islamic teachings is likely to carry a strong influence on their behaviours.

Islamic approach to diseases:

Even if we follow all health guidelines, we may still get sick because God ordains all diseases. However, these are not necessarily punishments. 

Islam considers sickness as a test from Allah and a means to remove the sins, earn rewards, a means for spiritual growth, to enter paradise and to increase in ranks with Allah (however, all this is with the condition of Sabr on the sickness).

We believe that disease is part of destiny. Yet this is not the same as fatalism. We are instructed to take precautions as well as seek cure. And when a disease afflicts us, our belief in the hereafter enables us to bear the pain and suffering related to the disease or other calamities more readily.

Allah says,
“We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure…” (2:155)

The Prophet  ﷺ said,
“Do not curse the fever for it expiates the sins of the children of Adam just as furnace removes the impurities of iron”. (Muslim)

“When Allah desires good for someone, He afflicts him.” (Bukhari)

 Aisha RA said, "I did not see anyone more severely ill than the Messenger of Allah." (Bukhari)

'Ata' b. Abi Rabih said: Ibn Abbas said to me: May I show you a woman of Paradise? I said: Yes. He said: Here is this dark complexioned woman. She came to Allah’s Prophet  ﷺ and said: I am suffering from falling sickness and I become naked; supplicate Allah for me, whereupon he (the Prophet) said: Show Sabr (endurance/patience) as you can do and there would be Paradise for you and, if you desire, I supplicate Allah that He may cure you. She said: I am prepared to show Sabr (but the unbearable trouble is) that I become naked, so supplicate Allah that He should not let me become naked, so he supplicated for her. (Muslim)

Aim of medicine:

Our classical Islamic Scholars have described the comprehensive aim of medicinal treatment. The great Faqih and Usuli Imam Al Izz ibn Abdulsalam (RA) said in his famous book on Qawaid e Fiqhiyya,
“The aim of medicine is to preserve health, restore it when it is lost, remove ailment or reduce its effects.

To reach that goal it may be essential to accept lesser harm, in order to ward off the greater one, or lose a certain benefit to procure a greater one”.

 -“Al-Qawa’id al-Kubra” By Imam Al Izz ibn Abdulsalam