The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine

I. Muslim Views on Seeking Medical Treatment

In any attempt to discuss medical treatment in Islamic history, we have to answer before anything else a central question namely ““hal al-tadawi afdal min tarkuhu: Is seeking medical treatment better than abandonment? In the middle of third century after hijrah and even after, this issue became one of the serious debates and has been discussed widely in Islamic legal literature. In this regard, there are two different opinions of Muslims in answering the question. These two opinions are based on the ahadith reported by Imam Bukhari (194-256/ 810-870) in bab ma anzala Allah da’ illa anzala lahu shifa’ ("There is no disease that Allah has created except that He also has created its treatment"). The first opinion agrees with Imam Bukhari’s idea that it is better to seek medical treatment. On the other hand, some Muslims, especially Sufis, believe that tark al-tadawi (leaving of seeking medical treatment) is better as a sign of piousness.

The first school of thought, which represents the opinion of Imam Bukhari, realized the importance of the art of medicine as a means to preserve health and restore it, if one falls into illness, into the normal condition. Following the idea of Imam Bukhari, the majority of the Sunni legal schools accept the use of medicines because it does not deny the belief of God’s destiny (al-tadawi la yunafi al-tawakkal).[2] For this reason, Ibn Hajr (773–852/1372-1449), the author of Fath al-Bari, advised a patient to seek relief and healing from any physical or mental ailment by means of medical assistance and treatment; and not only by putting one’s trust in God’s power and mercy. This interpretation was essentially a distraction from the ahadith, although in many cases the Prophet (s.a.w) did not provide specific drugs for certain treatment. However, we are responsible to find its cure because Allah (s.a.w) mercifully provides cures for all illnesses except death and old age. Imam Bukhari reported the hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w): “for every disease there is a remedy, and when the remedy is made apparent, then the disease is cured by the permission of Allah, the Almighty.” Connecting to this hadith, Imam Bukhari reported that Abu Hurayrah narrated the hadith of the Prophet: “Allah has not created any disease without also creating a medicine or a remedy for it (ma anzala Allah da’ illa anzala lahu shifa’).”[3]

The word al-inzal, (literally, "send down"), according to Ibn Ahmad al-Ayni, indicates that disease was sent down by Allah (s.w.t) through the angel (inzal al-mala’ikah al-muwakkilin bi mubasharah makhluqat al-ard min al-da’ wa al-dawa’)[4] and not by supernatural powers, a spirit, a ghost, either because the patient has broken a taboo or otherwise offended a spirit, or simply because he has fallen a victim to the ghost of an unreconciled dead or to the malice of a demon. Even though disease was sent down by Allah (s.w.t) through angels, patients still have a strong desire to know the meaning of their being sick. Why am I suffering? Why am I sick? Why am I plagued with a gastric ulcer that will kill me? What have I done to deserve such a fate? These are questions the physician today may hear all the time and everywhere. For those who read the hadith “Allah has not created any disease without also creating a medicine or a remedy” ask the question if God is the only one who cures the diseases, so why does God send the disease? The commentators of Sahih Bukhari agreed that God sent down illnesses but they failed to give a detailed explanation why God sent them to people.

They did, however, express some opinions on the matter while discussing various illnesses. In the time while some people believe that an individual is sick as a punishment for having sinned, for having committed an offense against the law of God, especially when a individual is stricken in the organ with which he has sinned. However, Muslims believe that illnesses were not God’s punishment to the believer but to scrutinize him, to test whether he (the patient) satisfies God’s bounty or otherwise. This means that the purpose of sending the disease is to remind the believer that he is a servant who should supplicate humbly to God, the Creator of all Universes. As the servant, he has to prostrate himself in front of Him, and seek refuge in Him. If the believer has success in fighting disease, then the disease, in this case, is considered as the means to increase his Iman (faith). Otherwise, it may destroy man’s life in this world and the hereafter. They quoted the hadith of the Prophet who said, "Whatever misfortunes a true believer may have-fatigue, grief, melancholy or worry - are used to redeem his sins."

Although the above evidence seemingly represents Islamic medical teaching, but there were Muslims who doubt about the permissibility of the use of medicines. It is very regrettable that some of them were of opinions that medical treatment is permissible, but its abandonment is better. They understood that the use of medicine is an act incompatible with tawakkal (belief of God’s destiny). They argued that the preference to use medicine was an expression of one’s distrust in Allah (s.w.t). In their opinion, it was only Allah (s.w.t) who directly caused health and illness, and therefore, He alone cure disease. It is not surprising that Ahmad b. Hanbal (d. 240/855), for example, was reported to have said that medical treatment is permissible, but its abandonment is better. Similarly, Rabi‘ah al-`Adawiyyah, the well-known woman Sufis, does not regard treatment disease as essentially demand of Islam. In one story, when Rabi‘ah al-`Adawiyyah was asked to pray to Allah (s.w.t) to ease her suffering, she replied: "Do you not know who has willed my suffering? Is it not Allah? If you know this, then why do you ask me to pray for what contradicts His will."[5]