“I know you’re not technically supposed to answer this, or guess, or tell me something that could possibly diminish my sense of hope or will to fight. But, please; I have babies at home. A family. I have to plan, I have to prepare. Are we talking six months? Less? Am I in my last few weeks?” “Listen, Linsey; we are all dying. That’s the only real truth I have to offer you. I could leave tonight and be hit by a bus on my way home. I don’t know if you’re in your last few weeks. There’s been many times I’ve left the operating room worried you wouldn’t make it through the night, and here you are. All I can tell you is to make the most of your time with them. Make every moment with them count. But don’t think you’re in any different position than the rest of us. You’re just lucky that due to your circumstances you’ve been given the gift of awareness. Most of us don’t realize until it’s too late.”
This was Linsey Alkozai conversation with her doctor.
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The Coronavirus has been a viral infection of MISINFORMATION. It has not only devastated the health of over 600,000 people across the world and claimed the lives of over 25,000 in less than 4 months. It has infected our minds to the point where we have lost our ability to think, reason and critically understand this pandemic.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger SAWS said, ‘There is no ‘Adha (no contagious disease is conveyed from the sick to the healthy without Allah’s permission), nor Safar, nor Hama.” Sahih al-Bukhari 5717
This does not mean we don’t take the precautionary measures to social distance and self-isolate, but it does mean we don’t panic and create hysteria. Death has always been there, the only difference now is our awareness to the fragility of life.
Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2012, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics)
That means there is a greater chance that we have cancer in our bodies at this very moment than we have a chance of contracting COVID-19.
The only difference is AWARENESS and PERCEPTION! We perceive the Coronavirus to be deadly because it is highly infectious which has heightened our awareness to becoming ill and possibly facing death. Yet cancer might be breeding within our bodies undetected for months or years before we become aware of its presence. COVID-19 has a higher chance of survival and recovery. So, take a deep breath!
Why compare Cancer to COVID-19?
Because healing begins from a place of sound knowledge, a thorough understanding of our Creator and His incredible design of the human body. The more you know Allah SWT, all His beautiful names and attributes, the more you will learn and understand how you are built.
The Qur’an and the Sunnah are not books about medicine. Allah SWT gave us guidelines and principles, negating practices and encouraging practices in medicine as it was practiced at the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAWS. Allah’s teachings are timeless and are as valid today as they were 1400 years ago.
You really need to understand that there are TWO COMPETING MEDICAL SYSTEMS around the world.
One is traditional medicine as it was practiced since the beginning of time. This traditional medical system was at its height of medical advancement by the time Hippocrates (the Father of Medicine), Galen, and Dioscorides had made their contributions for what is now known as Greek Medicine. It is important to note that the doctor of the Prophet Muhammad SAWS was Al Harith Ibn Kalada; a companion and oldest known Arab Physician who was educated in and practiced Greek Medicine. This medical system continued to grow and flourish with the work and contribution of Ibn Sina / Avicenna, whose Canon of Medicine books were used across Europe for over 600 years in universities for medical training of new doctors.
Our current, biomedical system that is used in all the commonwealth countries including USA, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia is less than 200 years old. Modern medicine has made tremendous advancements in research, diagnosis, surgical procedures and life-saving medical interventions, HOWEVER, it is an incomplete medical system. It has abandoned thousands of years of successful clinical research and practice, and it has adopted a completely different view on the human body, illness and treatment which has proven its limitations. In biomedicine, God has been eliminated from the entire equation of healing.
Our Creator has created healing modalities (such as herbs and cupping) for mankind that were removed from the modern medical system after the Flexner Report in 1910 in USA, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Herbalism is still successfully practiced in some countries around the world in combination with biomedicine.
As Muslims, there are some very important and fundamental beliefs we must have in order to overcome any illness, be it COVID-19 or Cancer.
Nothing can harm you without the will of Allah SWT
Disease like the sun, wind, angels and plants, etc. are all servants of Allah SWT. They follow His command. Disease, even highly infectious viruses, cannot harm you or infect you if Allah SWT does not grant it permission to do so.
And we know this from the hadith mentioned at the beginning of this article and the following ayah in the Qur’an that states:
And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can lift it but He. And if He intends good for you, then none can repel His favor which He causes to reach whom He wills among His servants. And He is the Pardoning, the Merciful.] Yunus 10:107
Whatever calamity befalls you has been ordained before you came into existence.
No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being – indeed that, for Allah, is easy – In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. Al-Hadid 57:22-23
Allah has created a cure for every disease
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet SAWS said, “There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment.”
Not all cures come in the form of biomedical medicine! As Muslims, we don’t need scientific medical proof to believe when Allah SWT states in the Qur’an:
And We sent down in the Quran such things that have healing and mercy for the believers (an-Najm, 17:82)
There issues from within the bodies of the bee a drink (honey) of varying colors wherein is healing for mankind. (an-Nahl, 16:69)
And when I am ill, it is [God] who cures me.” (ash-Shu`ara, 26:80) (A supplication of Prophet Abraham [as])
And declare (O Muhammad) that [the Quran] is a guidance and healing for the believers. (al-Fussilat, 41:44)
Ibn Al-Qayyim writes:
How can disease resist the words of the Lord of heaven and earth which, if He had revealed it to the mountains they would have crumbled and if He had revealed it to the earth it would have broken it apart? There is no sickness, spiritual or physical, but in the Qur’an there is that which indicates its remedy, its cause and how to protect against it for those who are blessed with understanding of His Book.
Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/352
The Prophetic Sunnah teaches the use of herbs, dietary abstinence and cupping as treatment for illnesses.
Al-Bukhaari (5688) and Muslim (2215) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say concerning the black seed: “In it there is healing for every disease, except as-saam.” Ibn Shihaab said: As-saam is death.
(The Prophet (ﷺ) said), “Healing is in three things: A gulp of honey, cupping, and branding with fire (cauterizing).” But I forbid my followers to use (cauterization) branding with fire.”
Seeking medical treatment
Seeking medical treatment does not cancel out putting one’s trust in Allah SWT. The Prophet SAWS sought medical treatment and taught his ummah to seek medical treatment, and he is the leader of those who put their trust in Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: In the saheeh hadiths there is instruction to seek medical treatment, and the indication that it is not contrary to putting one’s trust in Allah, just as putting one’s trust in Allah is not cancelled out by warding off hunger, thirst, heat and cold by means of their opposites.
What is considered seeking treatment?
- Qur’an recitation
- Dua / supplication (seeking refuge in Allah)
- Honey, Black seed, Zamzam water and other mentioned herbs/remedies
- Hijama/cupping is medical treatment (when appropriate for the patient — some may be too young, weak or frail for hijama)
- Seeking biomedical diagnosis and pharmaceutical drugs
- Seeking traditional medical doctors/herbalists/naturopaths and their dietary / herbal remedies
To rely only on biomedicine is flawed.
Healing comes from Allah SWT, first and foremost, and the most perfect treatment of the sick and afflicted is to perform as many of the Qur’an and Sunnah based medical practices in addition to the biomedical treatments. Herbs and herbal remedies are an integral part of the Qur’an and Sunnah. But just as you need to seek a biomedical doctor to know what is the best treatment (dosage/frequency) for your disease, you must also seek knowledge from herbal specialists and traditional medical doctors to ensure you know which herbs to use and what is the correct dosing for your age, weight, body type, etc.
The coronavirus has humbled humanity, medical professionals and world leaders to submit that the only way through this pandemic is with God. Perhaps it is time to re-introduce God into the teachings of medicine and embrace complimenting biomedicine with natural herbs God has created for our medicinal use.
Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient. Al Hadid 57:16