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HEALnt

AND MEDICINE IN

THE

ISLAMC TRADITION Y

FAZLUR

RAHMAN

New York, The Crossroad Publishing

company, (370 Lexington Avenue, New York, N Y

10017, U.S.A.). 1987. Pages 149 (+Foreword 13).

Hard

cover. Price U.S. 18.95.

What are the lslamic concepts of human life, health, diseases,

medicine and cure? And what

is

the real nature of lslamic Culture in this

regard? Very few attempts have been made to answer these questions to the

extent vssible with the help of all available knowledge and resources of

research.

11 is

a

fact that the Holy

Qur 5n

being a perfect source of

knowledge and guidance gives a concept of life which covers both body and

soul. Its teachmgs fulfil all the bodily

and spiritu l

demands of human

existence

and as

such they help us in achieving the highest standards of

physical and Intellectual development. In proof of this claim we have a

great treasure of the Holy Prophet's (S.A.W.) Traditions A l ) which

bnng before us the practical model of the Qur 'k ic teachings.

This

forms a

h ~ t o r y f the culture g~vingproper mportance t o health and

is

based

on

the principles of Islam fnrhich in their final analysis

are

perfectly seientific.

Pmf. Fazlur Rahmm's

book

Health and Medicine in the Islamic

Tradition

is

before

us

and comprises this study and research. The

book

consisting of only 137 pages bears a unique style of analysing the Islarrdc

tradition and teachings in connection with helth and diseases, medicine and

cure and may be of great help to us in reaching the conclusion that

Islamic

culture in its nature

is

a culture of perfect health of human beings.

The b k

s

divided into following

s x

chapters:

The concept of health and disease in the world of Islam-In this

chapter the author, while highlighting the health concepts of al l other

religions and nations, has made an in-depth comparative analysis with

reference to the Qur'hic Aayiit and the Prophet's (S.A.W.) Traditions. Thus

the lslamic concept of health and medicine

h s

been put in its true and

scholarly perspective. The style of analysis of the effects of faith on

health

is

masterly and

is

commendable.

The second chapter consists of thought provoking arguments

r e g d i n g relegious values and their important references relating t o health

and medicine.

The third chapter contains discussion on Prohetic Medicine which.

beyond a11 doubts, tnspires

our

vision

The fourth chapter explains the Islamic principles of hygiene. Various

significant

issues have been discussed in it. The chapter contains in detail

such historical references which confitm the fact that health conciousness

has always been a pminent

part

of the teachings of Islam, both a t the

individual and social levels.

Islamic Studies (Islamabad) 27:3 (1988)

Dr Muhammad Hamidullah Library, IIU, Islamabad.http://iri.iiu.edu.pk/

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s lamic Studies 27:3 1988) 275

in a few years especially in North America) Islam would become the second

largest religion after Christianity.

I

the basis of his conjecture he

has

ascribed this book for fulfilling the intellectual demands of the Americans

in

study of Islamic medical ethics and the Islamic medical attitude).

H MD RD FOUND TION

K R CHI

H KIM MlHMM D S ID