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| Integrative Paradigm of Islâmic
Holistic Medicine
HOLISTIC SCIENCE - A NEW DEFINITION The Crisis of Modern Man The crisis of modern man begins with the
acceptance of a totally wrong scientific philosophy. The basic premise of
this philosophy is that man is here on this earth to dominate and exploit
nature to the fullest. Modern man has secularized the natural religious
philosophy by divorcing God. By redefining that "man is god",
modern man blatantly proclaimed victory over nature. That nature is to be
"conquered", subdued, raped and used to the fullest regardless
of the consequences. This has become the hallmark of "success"
for today's civilization. This fact can be easily be verified. The great
super powers and industrialized nations are responsible for more than 85%
of the total pollution and toxic waste discharged on this planet earth. A
simple deduction is, if a country wants to be a developed nation, be a
major pollutant or else it will remain
a backward underdeveloped or poor nation. Imagine 15 major industrialized
countries account for nearly 85% of the total world pollution. If this
trend is followed by all 156 country members of United Nations, the planet
Earth will be uninhabitable within 10 years. Redefinition of Holistic Science The term 'Holistic' means totally
all-inclusive, all comprehensive, integrative, systematic, balanced and
takes into account all factors. Should we follow this definition then
Holistic Science would mean an all encompassing science of nature and life
inclusive of ecology, biology, physics, chemistry and other sciences. It
would also include technology and methods of how to use it in harmony with
nature and it's inhabitants. The current definition of 'holistic
science' merely pertains to the science of healing and nutrition. This is
a very narrow definition because healing or good health and good nutrition
cannot exist on its own without being nurtured in a natural and balanced
environment. It also cannot exist in an immoral and vice ridden
civilization. It is of paramount importance that all Holistic
Practitioners work together to redefine holistic science, and much better
for the future generations. We should not talk of ecology per se for
example but it should be "Holistic Ecology" that covers the full
spectrum of nature, man, spirit and the universe its entireness. Practitioners of Holistic Sciences must see
in their mission integrated concepts of all sciences for the mutual
benefit of all beings, be it vegetation, animal, human and the universe.
This can be achieved by first redefining holistic science as not only the
science of healing and nutrition, but "the science that integrates
and brings into balance in totality all aspects of the universe and it's
existence for the mutual good of all". If this approach is propagated
now, I believe 20 years from now, all curriculums in schools would have
"Holistic Sciences" as their major subject for our children's
education. If we dare to take this route then we can tame the wild fire of
technological suicide that is engulfing today's civilization and ensure
the long term survival of this planet-earth. Modern Science and Ancient Wisdom It is with understanding the mistakes of
contemporary societies and the world-view of our ancient predecessors that
we can resolve our grave current social problems. It must not be forgotten
that modern man is no different from the ancient man. Human being are
human beings, were regardless of whether they are modern humans or ancient
human beings. They all have to abide by the rules and laws of the cosmos.
And this itself is a
fulfillment of the divine authority in which man is but one of the players
in this total scheme of the universe. In order for modern science to find
its roots, it must go back to the original understanding of nature and the
cosmos. He must be enlightened enough to differentiate between the sacred
and the profane. The world of modern science must change from vulgarizing
and worshipping technology. The mono-dimensional single-minded approach to
knowledge based on our narrow achievements to conquer and harness nature
must stop. Rather we must achieve true understanding of God, the ultimate
reality and the Realizer of the whole universal scheme of things. The quantitative character of the modern
schema must be replaced with a moral philosophy so that immorality and
greed can be curbed. For this to happen we have to return back to our
ancient traditions. The current philosophical idea held by many modern
scholars, especially the scientists is that science is competent and
capable of solving all our problems. This is sheer nonsense and untrue
because science is just a mere tool to a gradual realization of greater
knowledge. It is in the greater understanding of our role in nature that
true metaphysics and knowledge begins. Our salvation lies in the
realization of ancient wisdom coupled with scientific knowledge to achieve
a homeostasis that can bring this civilization to the greatest pinnacle of
success, harmony and fulfillment. What we all must realize is that the
inter-relationship between the knowledge of science, metaphysics,
theology, and philosophy was discovered by our ancient predecessors very
accurately in resonance with the reality of our existence. This ancient
knowledge is not superstition, but actually formed the basis of a holistic
science that was rejected by the modern scientists in the late sixteenth
century. This was the greatest retrogression in the history of humankind.
And it is due to this philosophical mistake that today we face the danger
of the total annihilation of humanity and of all life on this planet. Let
us recall how the holistic sciences were developed by our ancient
forefathers. This ancient wisdom is still available and can be retraced by
any of us if we bother to seek and find. If we begin from the Greek civilization,
the Greeks produced a great number of philosophers who were attuned to
nature and holistic thinking. If we study the writings of Aristotle,
Pythagorus and Plato, we would find that the basis of knowledge had
begun with the realization of the totality of Being. The true wisdom of any body of knowledge must be based
on living naturally in accordance with the reality of this universe. This
was the philosophical idea of the ancient Greeks which was later absorbed
by the founders of the Christian
theology like Clemont and Oregon, Arenous and Gregory of Nyssa and
the rest. However, the philosophical ideas of the Greeks was later lost by
the Christians during the dark ages and even in the Renaissance. The
conflict that developed between the dogmatic church and the scientists
resulted in the total rejection of the theology as the basis of truth. And
as a result, the fundamental idea of an integrated holistic science has
since then been destroyed. Apart from the Greek tradition, we also see
in the traditions of the Chinese the same approach as they tried to
understand the nature of things. For example, in the Chinese tradition of
Taoism and Neo-Confucism, nature must be comprehended in its totality as a
metaphysical being that must be treated with respect and love. This is
also found in the Shintoism School of philosophy as practiced in
Japan today. We can see this ancient wisdom written in the book of Taoism,
e,g, in the Tao teaching, "The ways of man are conditioned by those
of earth, the ways of earth by those of heaven, the ways of heaven by
those of the Tao, and the Tao coming to be by itself." "Heaven is the reflection of a Divine
principle and earth the reflection of human." This concept of Taoism
reflects the total approach to nature that is a framework to the holistic
approach that we would want the world to understand. We can also learn from the ancient Indian
approach to holistic science. For example, in the Hindu philosophy, this
world is just an illusion, a maya, which is a veil pointing to supreme
self that is the Absolute Reality, through which man has to find his real
self or his empirical self by seeking knowledge. This knowledge is
embodied in the concept of understanding the nature of reality through the
principle of "prakritti"
- the prime substance, "vyaktu" - the manifested matter and
"jpurasa" the spirit that neither begets not is begotten. Our ancient fore-fathers in the East as
well as in the West, understood holistic sciences more than modern man. In
this article, we will study in detail the holistic science and the
scientific philosophies of Islam. Basically in Islam, everything is based
on the principle of the "Al-Tawhîd" or the 'principle of
unity'.
Everything in the cosmos is governed by 'UNITY' and from the theological
point of view, God is all encompassing one and is not divorced from us.
God is the All-existing as recorded in Al-Quran. This All-existing unitary
Creator puts this universe, nature and all the things into existence. It
is this existence that supports a system of life that is shared by all. To understand the philosophy of Islamic
holistic science, we must understand Islam. Firstly, Islam is not a new
religion. In the Islamic concept, Islam is the continuation of the ancient
wisdom that was revealed by God Almighty through his Prophets beginning
with the first human being. From the Islamic perspective, Adam, the
prototype human being, the first man that existed on this earth is not an
ignorant being. Adam was given the knowledge of
"the nature of things". This is the holistic knowledge
that has been endowed on the first human being and the subsequent
generations after Adam. The holistic knowledge that enables the early
human beings to live in harmony with world and their Creator. Throughout
the generations of human beings, God Almighty had sent prophets to all
tribes and nations to reveal to them the true knowledge of the Creator,
the true purpose of their existence and the real meaning of life as a
human being. This accumulation of knowledge was transferred from one
generation to another and as a result in Islam, we see no contradiction
between the early religious and holistic knowledge in philosophy, science
and religion. Holistic science as found in the ancient Holy books from the
East or the West contains this truth. From the Islamic perspective, the
destruction of the previous civilizations over various period of the
history of man was the result of the divergence from this truth. With this
divergence, came moral and spiritual degradation and this resulted in the
destruction of that civilization. This happened when the true, pure
holistic knowledge taught by the prophets of those civilizations were
distorted by the later generations. Islam actually accepts all basic principles
of truth as found in all doctrine of all religions. The only difference is
that the inner truth may not be manifested by the current adherence of
those religions due to the distortion as mentioned above. In Islamic holistic sciences, knowledge is an important component towards the realization of divine truth. The history of Islam shows many examples of the advanced and refined state of holistic science. The techniques and the methodology of the study of nature, intuitive and scientific knowledge and the knowledge of the Creator is surprisingly complete and in accordance with the latest discovery of modern science. This does not mean that Islam accepts the philosophy of modern science. Islam acknowledges the basic natural truth that was true ten thousand years ago as it is today. In Islam, the basis of religions is called
"Ad-din". Ad-din is not simply a concept but it is how
human beings believe and live i.e. a way of life. The word
"Islam" or the religion of Islam is defined as submission to God
to achieve peace or "salâm". It is by completely submitting to
God and acting upon the beliefs in accordance to the divine principle laid
out by God that we discover our true destiny. This involves the
recognition and the acknowledgement of God as the giver of existence and
that man is to return to God when he finally leaves this earth. This returning to God or life-after-death
involves a journey. The beginning of that journey begins in our existence
in the primordial soul state where we acknowledge the Creator as the one
and the only Creator. In the primordial state we carry a "spiritual
genetic program" that allows us to know, acknowledge and submit to
the Creator. From this primordial soul
state we then journey to this physical world. The primordial soul
is wrapped with physical self for as long as we live on planet earth.
Death is the separation on this physical wrapping from the soul which
journeys on towards God and fulfillment, i.e. Heaven, or separation from
God, i.e. Hell. This concept of "Ad-din" in Islam
must be understood because it is the basis of
"Îmân" or the basis of
belief. Belief is not what we understand in the English Language as
a sort of a faith. Belief in Islam involves putting our complete trust and
confidence in God and with complete submission to God alone and no one
else. This belief must be manifested in the heart and acted on by our body
in conformity with our "Îmân", our complete faith. Only when we
live in accordance with the harmony of the state of
"Îmân" we can truly realize "Tawhîd" which is
the oneness or unity of God. The religion of Islam is not in the sense a
religion per se: Islam is a way life which is the way of balanced or middle path. Our existence on this earth must
lead towards a balanced nature, a balanced purpose and a balanced
universe. For this purpose, man is created as "Khalifathullah Fil
Ard" or God's vicegerent on earth. In this context, the nature of
human beings is created to be the highest creature in the hierarchy of all
created beings. We are created to be the vicegerents of God on this earth.
To fulfill this role as the preserver of nature we are allowed to use
nature but not to destroy it. This is radically different from the modern
materialistic scientific technology that seeks to conquer, use, delete and
destroy the gift of nature. This position of vicegerent ensures that we
take full and complete responsibility for the well being of all creatures
on earth and in the universe. This is not purely the perspective of
physical well-being but a rather a total integrated well being which
encompasses the physical, spiritual and mental planes. A deeper
understanding of the concept of vicegerency is important to ensure that
the true understanding of the role of human beings in this world is
brought about. We are not born sinners or bad. In Islam we are born good
and pure. Evil, immorality and the destruction of nature is alien to the
true nature of man. The true nature of man is linked to the true nature of
the Creator. Human beings try as far as possible to evolve and develop
qualities as close as possible to his Creator. This philosophy is a
holistic philosophy where men try to fulfill their role by understanding
their true nature, purpose and destiny in this physical world and beyond. If we study modern philosophy and
sociology, Maslow in his theory of the hierarchy of human needs traced the
hierarchy of man to food, clothing, shelter, family, social and finally
psychological needs. This is not acceptable from the holistic point of
view. The nature of man and hierarchy of needs should begin with his
spiritual aspect and lastly his physical needs. The well-being of his
life-force or soul-force or the vital-force that encompasses his life
while he is on this earth is most important. Islamic holistic hierarchy is
exactly the opposite with the Maslow theory because the needs of the
spiritual aspect come first and foremost. If this spirit is dead, then no
amount of bodily action can reform a person. It is important that we
redefine the hierarchy of needs of human beings. If we continue to live by
the philosophy as founded by Maslow, there will be total destruction of
the earth. Maslow only saw human beings from a myopic point of view in
which our survival was dependent on the needs of our physical body only.
This is an insult to the dignity of all human beings. Our needs should be
to fulfill the vicegerancy of God A major philosophical error is the
perception of modern scientific theory. We conceive this world as mere
objects and events to be studied by in a restricted, fragmented manner. As
a result we have mono-dimensional scientist such as nuclear physicist,
biologist, psychologist, anthropologist, etc. This fragmented methodology
even extends beyond its own field of study resulting in distorted
hypotheses that are fragmented and contradictory. In reality these
hypotheses do not correspond to the reality and the totality of the
universe. This causes one theory to contradict the other, which results in
the complete destruction of our ethos, morality and spirituality. The
basis of modern science and technology is the hypothesis that events and
objects are true only when observable and material in nature. What is observable can only be things that are physical. The higher truth that is the spiritual truth cannot be deduced via physical scientific methods. And because of that, there is moral and spiritual decay in today's civilization. The present moral, spiritual and ecological destruction can clearly be seen and felt by all of us today. Islam sees this world in a radically different perspective. Holistic science in Islam is based on the realization of our spirituality that is first, foremost and above all other. Based on this realization we can perceive the integrated totality of the spiritual, mental and physical world and our relationship with our Creator. We will then understand our role as a vicegerent of God on earth and that our purpose is to fulfill our role in perfect harmony with nature. We are all partners living together to fulfill the common purpose and destiny of modern man. We would be humbled by realizing and understanding the challenge of our mission. We would then fulfill our role as the protector of this universe and not as a destroyer of this universe. This philosophical idea of the institution of human beings as vicegerents of God on earth is extremely important. Based on this philosophy, throughout the Islamic civilization, holistic science has always been integrated through the hierarchy of needs of all creation. This Islamic perspective outlines our journey on this earth, which is a journey of discovering the truth. Truth is not simply some idea by some philosopher or some idea based on science and technology but an idea that is imprinted in our soul, our mind and in our genes. In this journey to discover the truth, the man of Islam will consider himself to be a spiritual being as well as a physical being living on this earth only temporarily; seeking to sharpen his inner faculties of knowing and comprehending this universe. In doing so, his purpose as "Khalifatullah fil-ard" will be fulfilled only when he realizes and reaches the highest level and truth (haqq), when can we be said to be different from other beings or all other animals on this earth. Only then do we achieve our purpose of leading a complete life on earth. HEALTH, ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE As we have understood earlier, nutrition
does not mean just physical nutrition. Then are we to follow the
secularized definition as expounded by Abraham Maslow, that the needs of
the human beings begins with physical needs, with no spiritual needs or
development? The basis of Islamic nutrition begins with this need of the
soul because the basis and purpose of our existence begins with the soul.
The second nutritional need is the nutritional need of our vital force or
the mind or mental state. The third nutritional need is the need of the
body or the self. This is the radical opposite of the modern materialistic
philosophy. So taking into account this approach, let us understand the
need of the soul, mind or vital force and the need of the body this
sequence. The definition of health in the secular
sense is also unacceptable in Islam. Even the current holistic definition
of health is incomplete from the perspective of Islam. What is health? Do
we mean the health from our physical self that is our tissues, cells and
organs or our physical and mental self or our total self, which includes
our soul? The conventional definition of health being
the absence of any manifestation of disease as used by the conventional
modern Allopathic doctors is untrue. This premise is based on a fragmented
analysis of a localized effect of a disease rather than the analysis of
the real cause of a disease. For example, if we have an illness such as
pain or a change in the blood pressure, diagnostic tests are carried out
for the specific disease and a specific treatment will be directed to that
part of the body. This method is called the reductionist approach. If a
person has a pain in a joint, such as an arthritic pain, treatment by
cortisone will be administered by injection into the joint; without really
understanding the principle cause of arthritis itself. The modern
reductionist approach is to treat a disease based on a specific symptom
and not based on the totality of a person. They can see an ant a mile away
and yet miss the elephant right in front of their nose. This problem is
increased because of the inherent fragmentation (specialization) within
the field of medicine, such as a dermatologist for our skin problem, a
cardiologist for our heart and cardiovascular problems and so on. Each of
these specialists having a very specific narrow understanding of a
specific part of a human being. It is interesting to find that in this century, many practitioners of medicine have realized the fallacy of such an approach. An example is Dr. Henry Lindlahr, one of the pioneers of holistic medicine, who called for a return to the true science of medicine, where we see the human being in his totality. In the forward of Henry Lindlahr’s book, The Philosophy of Natural Medicine J.C.Penny, he wrotein summary: "If there is to be a true science of
medicine, it must be before all else a true science of health. It must
recognize that health and disease like everything else are subject to the
natural laws and do not change. A beginning must be made to discover at
least some of the basic laws and principles which govern health and the
violation of which lead to disease". The holistic 'whole person’ approach is closer to the Islamic understanding of health. Holistic practitioners believe in the healing power of nature. The core of natural healing is "vis medicatrix naturae" i.e. the healing capacity of nature to balance itself where is imbalance. The concept of balance or homeostasis is an indisputable fact today. Holistic practitioners understand the existence of a vital force or a life force which together with the physical body carries out appropriate physiological processes to correct any imbalances in the body and tries to maintain balance. This concept of the vital force is common in much Eastern religious thinking and it is also the basis of the Islamic understanding of the human being. Dr Henry Lindlahr referred to this force as
a divine energy that gives direction to the molecules and other elements
of matter so that the human being will be in the state of balance. What is
strange is that this concept is totally rejected by modern medicine. As a
result of this current rejection of the spiritual dimension of good health
that modern man is facing many diseases that are physical, psychosomatic
and psychological. The only problem is how far the holistic approach of
"vis medicatrix naturae", or the healing power of the self, can
be fully understood in order to be of heal the spirituality of man. Until
modern times holistic practitioners well understand the phenomena of the
vital force or vital energy and its action together with its result.
Holistic practitioners today will have to return to the revealed knowledge
of the Creator to fully understand this phenomena. That revealed knowledge
is embodied in the Holy Quran. An unbiased study of this revealing book
will bring a much greater understanding of the nature of man and the true
nature of health. DIVINE PRINCIPLES AND NUTRITION - BASIC ISLAMIC CONCEPTS ON HEALTH In Islam, all that is in this universe is
governed by a set of Divine Laws or laws of nature. Thus nutrition, food
and health are intrinsically linked to basic Divine principles that bring
happiness, joy and health to those who follow these laws, and unhappiness,
ill-health and destruction to those who transgress the basic laws of
nature. The Holy Quran says, This basic approach of Islamic nutrition
covers all aspects of being a human being vis-à-vis the earth and the
universe. It covers all aspects of the human being, i.e. soul, mind and
body in a synergistic and balanced way. Islam has laid down the foundation in the Quran and the Sunnah for the best approach for balanced health. This approach is mainly through selection of the best, preventive methods, and staying away from any harmful things. The following is a summary of the principal ideas of Islam relating to nutrition and health: Allah asked everyone to eat what is lawful.
The Quran state in Sûrah Al-Baqarah: People are to enjoy their food as it affects their personality and character. Enjoying the eating of food is a matter of worship as is any aspect of life in Islam. Muslims are to select the best quality of
food. In this regard Allah says in the Quran in Sûrah Al-Kahf (The Cave): Muslims are to eat the best food after
selecting. Allah says in the Quran in Sûrah Al-A'raf Regarding the idea of moderation through
diet, it is mentioned Sûrah Taha whereby Allah says: In another approach, Islam demands from its
followers the idea of Total Abstinence of food and drinks for one whole
month from dawn to sunset. The benefits of fasting have been tested and
documented especially in the areas of biochemistry, physiology, clinical
therapeutics, clinical nutrition , etc. It is beyond doubt that fasting
helps the individual to get rid of most of the toxins in the body. At the same time fasting increases
productivity and curbs inflation. In this regard. Allah says in the Quran
in Sûrah Al-Baqarah: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: The word "Taqwâh" has been explained in many aspects, some of which are related to health and disease, food and dietetics, physical fitness, etc. It also means: self-training, self-restraint, self-control, self-discipline, self-education and self-evaluation for the purification of the total self, soul, mind and body. The Islamic way of life is a system of
Divine principles and code of ethics to be applied in the daily life of
every person. As such Islam has many constructive ideas to offer in the
field of health care and medical practice. The concept of heath in Islam, as
demonstrated in Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's Hadith, practices and
approvals), is that Mankind should be sound mentally, physically and
socially. This greatly corresponds to the WHO definition of Health.
Medicine and health in Islam are part and parcel of worship or
subservience to Allah. A weak person may not perform his duties towards
Allah, his family and community as the strong healthy one can do. FOOD AND HEALTH To keep optimum health we have to ensure proper diet and nutrition. The Holy Prophet Muhammad says: "Stomach is the home of disease. Diet is the main medicine." Sahih Muslim The worldly life is one of the stages of
the journey to God, and body is the vehicle for this journey. As such, it
is important that the traveler maintains the body in optimum condition so
that the diversions of discomfort and pain do not distract one from the
concentration upon the goal. Digestion is the process of taking in
nutrients through the mouth and then refining those elements in the
body. When it is said that the stomach is the home of disease, this means
that disease arises when this digestion process becomes unbalanced.
"Diet is the main medicine" is to be taken mean that we should
first use foods themselves to rebalance and rebuild the digestive process.
The foods are used as vehicles for conveying certain healing formulas-both
herbal and non-physical - to the body The possible exception to this general rule
occurs when the body and its organs have been damaged so severely that
there remains no regenerative power to rebuild an organ or bodily system.
In such cases, surgery or other radical modes might be the
treatment of choice. However, if the principles of health are followed
throughout life, from earliest childhood onward, one need have no more
fear of falling ill than of being struck by lightening. Health is best defined as that state in which one never needs the need to be aware of the
body. In other words, a healthy person receives no signal of pain,
disturbance or discomfort which signifies some kind of imbalance in the
body. However, this optimum health standard is
rarely achieved in our modern, stressful and polluted world. Pain and
disease seem to be the hallmark of this 21st century civilization. Islamic
nutritional methodology offers a viable media to balance ourselves so that
we can achieve a decent level of good
health both physically and spiritually. It is important for
us to understand the important principle in Islam that the food we
consume will have a direct effect of not only our physical bodies but also
our souls. Thus the means in which the money to purchase food was earned,
the way the food was prepared and the psyche of the cook and the persons
who eat the food all are linked in a chain of the law of cause and effect. The conception and intention brought to the
preparation of a meal are important things that bear on food. In today's
fast food era it seems that not only do people seldom consciously think
about food in this way, but
they really do not take the time to sit down and eat properly, preferring
to have a Styrofoam wrapped mass of junk fast food, slapped in to their
hands as they drive by a window. This fast track, fast food fad is a
recipe for indigestion ill health and disaster. Even if we have the best
food, prepared according to the correct methods, and are ready to put into
our mouths, even before we put the food we have to think for a second:
Where does this food come from, and what is our purpose of consuming it?
For the Muslims the eating of a food is a time of fellowship, a
celebration of life, and rededication of life to the highest ideals of
human existence. Before eating, the Muslims says "Bismi
Llahi ir-Rahman nir-rahim: In the name of God, the most merciful, the most
compassionate, O my Lord, I will eat this food only be to be better
servant of yours. Use this food to uplift me and uplift all of your
humanity. Amin." The reason for eating is not simply or primarily to derive pleasure. It is to maintain the body, which is the vehicle for conveyance of the soul and the means by which we improve and give strength and gracefulness to the soul. Only after applying such invocation to the food do we put it in our mouths, insha Allah (that is God willing). Source: http://islamic-world.net/papers/islamic_holistic_medicine.doc |