New Defmition of Islamic Medicine:

'Neo-Islamic Medicine'
Husain F. Nagamia, MD
Tampa. Florida

Abstract
The definition of Islamic medicine and its various perspectives are pre~'Cnted.
Islamic medicine is difficult to definc unless the context of tbe definition is es-
tablished. The paper discusses thc various contexts in which it can be defined.
Primary among these are historical, indigenous, contemporal)', and ideological
concepts. Thc author suggests a conscnsus to be reached within the Islamic
scholarship and proposes that tbe new definition should be categorized by the
term "nco-Islamic medicine."

Key words: Islamic medicine, Muslim medicine, history of Islamic medicine,

definition of Islamic medicine, neo-Islamic medicine.

1 t is difficult to define "Islamic medicine" wl1ess tlle con-

text in whicll it is being defined is clarified. Most au-
thors refer to Islamic medicine in the historic-al context.
In the historical context, Islamic medkine can be de-
fined as the medical knowledge gathered by the early Mus-
tions. This body of knowledge then became a flourishing
science and art of medicine that was learned by the physi-
cians of the day and held as Ole only practice of scientific
medicine for more than a millennium. During this Islamic
epoch it was tlle only medicine that was scientific. logical,
lims during the early Islamic period of history from various and analytical. This body of knowledge Ulen was system-
existing sources including, but not limited to, tlle Greek, atized, manuscripted, and made into volumes ofmanllseripts
Syriac. Byzantine, Indian, and Chinese. During the middle and books that were available to scholars and physiciaJls of
and later periods of Islamic history. Muslims added their dle day in various Jjbraries. both royaJ and private, and held
own observations, eX1Jerimentations.. and anaJytical dedllc- ill the private c.ollections of notable physicians of Ole day.
There were extensive commentaries that were written ana-
lyzing and criticizing the earlier texts, and a scientific dis-
course took place in order to improve the observations and
From the InternationalIm·Wute ofIslamic Medicine (filM) findings of the earlier physicians and authors. Tilis scien-
and the Department o/Cardiovascular Surgery tific medicine formed the basis for the practice of medicine
Tampa General Hospital of the day, had a tremendous impact on tlle health of tlle
Tampa, Florida populace, and led to the development of hospitals, pharma-
cies, medical schools and medical universities. It also led
Reprint Requests: Husain F. Nagamia, MD to all attempt at systematization in the evaluation and
500 Vonderburg Drive licensure of physicians so tllat quacks and charlatans were
Suite 203 E prevented from practicing, thus preventing them from prey-
Brandon, FL 335/1 ing on the public's confidence, a practice tllat was rampant

Page 100 - JiMA: Volume 28. 1996

and prevalent in areas of Europe during the concurrent pe- Yes, of course it can. These very words describe the
riod of history called the "dark ages of Europe." It also led initial big stumble of modern medicine. For modern medi-
to all the knowledge being accumulated and systemaLizei! cine has become a commodity, and like odler commodities
in volumes of compendia. The impact of this accumulation in tile market, it is traded and sold to the bidder who pro-
of knowlege in medicine was so great !.hat it led to the fol- vides the least expensive service wilh little or minimal re-
lowing statement being madc by Emilie Sauvage-SmWl, gard to the quality ofoutcome or performance, but the highest
professor of the history of medicine at the Wellcome Li- regard for economics. Thus, modem medicine has made
brary of the History of Medicine: "The medicine of tile day tile patient lose respect for the physician. The physician is
was so brillantly _clarified by these compendia (especially no longer a confidante, an empathizer, a restorer of confi-
those by al-Majusi and ibn SIM) and sllch order and consis- dence, but one who essentially has become a provider of a
tency was brought 10 it Ulat a sense of perfection and hense service. If the service provided fails any community-set stan-
slUllifying tluthority resulted." dard, the physician deserves to be punished and, if neces-
The next definition ofIslamic medicine is in the present sary, banished from providing the service.
day "indigenous praclice" or "contemporary" context. Is- In the ligJlt of these shoncomings of modern medicine,
I~mjc medicine continued to be pmcticed in the Islamic lands Muslim physicians need to redefine Islamic medicine, per-
until the 17th and 18(h centuries. Then, wiUl the rise of haps with a new definition tllat may appropriately be called
modern medicine, tlle practice of Islam.ic medicine declined. {nco-Islamic medicine."
The geml theory revolutionized tlle treatment of infections Neo-Islamic medicine then can be defined as the prac-
by modem medical therapies and tile development of anti- tice of medicine that not only encompasses aU dle techno-
biotics even led to even greater strides, especially in curing logical advances of modern medical machinery and incor-
dreaded infections. These, coupled with preventive health porates all t.he proven and acceptable formulas of Ule mod-
by vaccinations and immunizations and tile improvcmcnt ern pharmacopoeias, but also should include all otller ratio-
in S(lJlitCltion. led to saving thousands of lives. These de- nal alternative therapies to give the practice of medicine a
velopments of modem medicine far outpaced any notable truly holistic context incorporating both the body and the
developments in Islamic medicine, which had withered like soul and include in it the benovelence, munificence, mercy,
its supporters in the Muslim political reginle. As Muslim :wd "Rahmah" of Allah ISWT\, the creator of the body and
lands became colonized and subservient to Western inter- soul. In addition to the patient. it is to Allnh alone that tJle
est, Islamic medicine heard ils last death knell as it contin- physician has the ultimate responsibility and to Him alone
ued to be replaced by modern medicine even in Islamic lands. does he have to answer for all his actions, interventions,
Everywhere, except in the Indian subcontinent, where, and treatment of his or her patient.
thanks to the Mogul rulers, Islamic medicine continued to With the inclusion of this spinuality, a holistic philoso-
enjoy some favor. Even in this, its last bastion, it became phy, a respect lUid confidence could be restored to modem
w~k and debilitated having suffered at dle hands of ad- medicine with the hopeful return of a strong doctor-patient
vancing British amlies of colonization and the modern medi- reJatiOJI hip.
cine that they brought with them. Thus, Islamic medicine Thus, nco-Islamic medicine does not necesS<'lrily have
deprived of most of its innovative. anaylytical, scientific, \0 start at the beginning. Much in Ole same way as !Jle early
inquisitive, and experimental capabiliLies, survived as a prac- Islamic physician adapted the extant Greek, Syrillc, Byzan-
tice of medicine that remained almost unchanged from t.he tine, Indian, aJld Chinese medicine and accepted what was
Lime of its greatest exponent, 'Abu 'Ali al-J:Iusin ibn good and rejected what was bad or un-Islamic, thus
i\bd'aJJ5h ibn Sina (b: 980 c.e. /370A.H.l d: 1037 (428 'Islamicizing" it, so also modern medicine can be
A.H.]) whose book the famous "al·Q;imln IiI-Tibb" (the Islanucized, accepting what is good and IsIami cally acccpt-
Canon of Medicine) still is regarded as the biblc ofindigcous able and discarding what is bad and un-Islamic.
Islamic medicine. Tlus medicine still continues to be prac- The definition of neo-Islamic medicine is: the most
ticed to this day in the Indian subcontinent as "Yllmlni' medi- modern and technologically advanced medicinc praticed
cine" and can be caJled the indigenous or contemporary Is- within the guidance of the Glorious Qur'an and "Sunnah"
lamic medicine. (prophet's traditions and sayings) and within the confines
Can. lhen, Islamic mcdicine be defined in modern and laws established by the' Sharr ah" (Islamic jurispru-
terms? What does Islamic medicine mean to a Muslim phy- dencc) of Islam.
sician who has graduated from J-L.1cvard and who has learned
to look at medicine in critical temlS of diagnosis. proce- References
dural codes, perfomulDce, outcomes, peer review; other neVi I. Savagc-Smitll, E. In: Islamic Culture LlJld Medical
phrases such liS HMO, PPO, MeO; and even distressing Ans. NLM Bethesda, MD. 1994.
words such as "cnpitalion?"

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