Reflections from the Ahkaam: Medical treatment

Similar has been narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((Whoever practices medicine without being known for such before that and a person is harmed as a result, he shall be held liable)). It is also narrated that the Commander of Believers, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, upon him be peace, said: "Whoever is a doctor and treats someone will be innocent of anything that occurs by his hand. Witnesses must testify to his innocence. Then he is to treat and employ much effort and sincere advice as well as fear Allah his Lord regarding the one he is treating."

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...

This passage appears in the Ahkaam of Imam al-Haadi, peace be upon him. And it covers the liability regarding indemnity, injuries and offences. The import of these narrations is very clear. However, I would like to point out some reflections I've had on these narrations. 

It should be evident to one from these narrations, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, encourages or at least permits medical treatment for illnesses and injuries. The reason this is very significant to me is that it is our belief that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, had the ability to perform miraculous healing, as evidenced in the narrations that we have. However, he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, does not exempt one from seeking medical treatment or medical advice or the like. The reason that this is also significant to me is that it is typical of opponents of religion too decry the religious for seeking out non-conventional means of healing and treatment. For example, they readily assume that for every injury, illness and sickness, the religious adept is the one who seeks treatment through prayer, talismans, and other 'non-traditional' means of treatment. However, as evidence from this narration, the Prophet endorsed the use of conventional medical treatments especially for those illnesses and ailments that may apply to one's physiology. 

At the same time, the same text relates reports in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, similarly endorsed the recitation of the Quran as a form of treatment. Of course, this would highlight the possible spiritual and emotional or psychological source of some illnesses; such is in line with modern scientific discovery. However, it is significant that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, also encouraged the use of physiological treatment of diseases and ailments, thus also recognising the biological source of some illnesses. 

One of the other aspects I would point out is that the Prophet stipulated that the medical practitioner be known for such. This would mandate that any medical practitioner in a community should be a person who is recognised as such, and such recognition is most likely based upon experience and successes. The narration of the Commander of Believers, peace be upon him, goes even further to say that such medical practitioner is one who should be capable, scrupulous and whose character should be attested to by a group of witnesses. Once again, this emphasises the importance for any medical practitioner within a community to be known for the effort that he or she employs as well as God-consciousness. Unfortunately, this is a far cry from what we tend to see in our communities. Medical practitioners are generally held to be those who maintain a distance from themselves and their patients. No doubt this is a result of the western, European model of the doctor slash patient relationship being such that the doctor maintains social distancing from his or her patients. These narrations, at least in my mind, should call those medical practitioners in our communities to emphasise their notoriety and scrupulousness so that they are known in their own respective communities as such. I would also say that these narrations emphasise that those Muslims who have taken upon themselves the oath of assisting others in treatments and relieving others of sickness and illness, should make it a point to be recognised and known in their communities as those who are slaves of Allah, first of all, and servants to their communities.

These narrations also point out the necessity and importance of scientific inquiry and treatments in terms of common illnesses in elements, as well as the worth that the medical practitioner places in applying these methodologies coupled with religious scrutiny. This means that the dividing line between conventional medical practitioners and traditional healers should not be so bold as to differentiate one from the other. Rather, the medical practitioner should be one who, depending on the situation, would have no problem applying more "traditional" practises and treatments when he or she sees fit. 

This religious scrupulousness must also come into play when the practitioner prescribes medications, drugs and other forms of treatment. This is because in many societies, doctors and physicians are often pressured and 'rewarded' for prescribing otherwise unnecessary drugs and treatments. These treatments often come at a high price with unwanted side effects that, in some cases, require even more drugs and medicines to treat the unwanted effects. However, the medical practitioners/doctors/physicians who are fuelled by their love and obedience to their Lord would have to contemplate and consider the possible moral and ethical issues in the prescription of such drugs.

The last point of reflection regarding this narration of Imam 'Ali, upon him be peace, is the importance of 'sincere advice' on the part of the doctor. The Islamic medical model goes far beyond treating consequences but also incorporates the utilisation of advice and encouragements as preventative measures. Furthermore, such advice should be 'sincere' in that the sole objective should be the pleasure of one's Lord in ameliorating the conditions of His creation. One should not be prompted by material quotas or anything of that sort. Such healer will have a high standing in his or her community as well as a high station with his or her Lord.