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ISLAMIC MEDICAL EDUCATION RESOURCES-04

0710-Medical Treatment

Background reading material for Year 1 Semester 1 medical student PPSD session on 10th October 2007 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr.

1.0 CURE OF DISEASE

Every disease has a treatment. Humans are encouraged to seek treatment. Some people may know the cure and others may ignore it but it nevertheless exists. Humans try, but it is the Creator who cures. Disease treatment is part of pre-determination. Seeking treatment does not contradict pre-determination.

 

2.0 PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

The concept of prevention does not involve claiming to know the future or the unseen or even trying to reverse pre-determination. The human using limited human knowledge attempts to extrapolate from the present situation and anticipates certain disease conditions for which preventive measures can be taken. Only the Creator knows for sure whether the diseases will occur or not. The human uses knowledge of risk factors for particular diseases established empirically to predict disease risk. Preventive action usually involves alleviation or reversal of those risk factors.

 

3.0 CURATIVE MEDICINE

Curative medicine may be spiritual, physical or both. Non-invasive approaches aiming at assisting the body fight disease are preferred to riskier invasive approaches.

 

4.0 MODALITIES OF TREATMENT

Among spiritual approaches to disease management is use of supplication. Among physical approaches to disease management are: diet, natural agents (chemical, animal and plant products), manufactured chemical agents, surgery, and physical treatment like heat. Physical approaches can reverse disease pathology, mitigate its effects or just stop farther progression. There should no dichotomy between spiritual and physical modalities of treatment. Both approaches should be used for the same condition; they are complementary. Each cures the disease each using a different pathway. There is no contradiction but there is always synergy. It is a mistake to use one and reject the other.

 

5.0 SHIRK IN SEEKING CURE

Superstitious practices in disease treatment include: talismans, amulets, fortune telling, divination, astrology, and sorcery. Other superstitious practices are: claiming knowledge of the unseen and claiming supernatural powers by any human. Many people with disease conditions resort to superstitious practices. These practices distract from seeking true treatment based on rational scientific medicine.

© Professor Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr. October ,2007