Asslamo Allaikum,
In order to discuss this matter thoroughly it requires one to rid themselves of conspiracy theories and unnecessary suspicions about your “normal” medical professionals. Many Muslims have an unhealthy obsessions that Doctors are idiots, out of get you and don’t know what they are talking about and my Shaykh and Maulana knows best.
A Doctor spends 7-8 years training and learning to cure the human body of ailments while medical science is neither perfect nor understands everything it does help a lot of people in their illnesses. There is nothing mentioned in Islamic Shariah about undue suspicion towards them. On the other hand there are “some” Ulamah and Mashaykh who have an unhealthy obsessions towards them, I say some because they are very clearly in the minority. You approach these Ulamah and Mashayh and let them test their skills (they blame most of illnesses on Black Magic and Jinns) and initially they guarantee treatment but after months and months of treatment they can’t cure the person (either)! I use “cure” in the human terms because the real cure is in the hands of Allah (SWT).
When it comes to mental illnesses this negative view of Muslims is very profound. Most Muslims think that either mental illnesses don’t exist or medical practitioners don’t know how to treat it or will give you pills which will turn you into a suicidal maniac. Problems with children like Autism or Asperger syndrome are attributed to Jinn and Jadoo (which maybe ) I have yet to find evidence of anyone with severe symptoms successfully treated by Ulama and Mashaykh or even Ayurveda or homeotheraphy...mild to moderate cases may sort themselves and patient grows to be “functional” anyways. Our Sisters (particularly) with depression and other mental health illnesses are sent from pillar to post (anything but avoid the Doctor) and told that their illness doesn’t really exist and do Dhik’r etc. Dhik’r, dua, getting closer to Allah (SWT), Hijamah all help but at the end of the day illnesses do exist!
In UK most people see their GP who is not an expert on most complicated illnesses so the treatment may not reflect the symptoms; that is not the reflection of the state of the medical science but the incompetency of the physician.
Again (let me say that) Medical science is neither perfect nor claims to be..But how many people are treated fully of spiritual illnesses by a Shaykh? How many people are fully treated by Jinn or Jadoo problems? And were these Jinn of Jadoo to begin with OR other issues misunderstood to be Jinn or Jadoo? In life many people go through ups and down, relationship issues, spousal concerns, children problems so they experience temporary downs (not necessarily Jinn of Jaddo) and many things automatically sort themselves out without any intervention.
I am no gung-ho supporter of medical science but then neither have I seen so called “Islamic medicine” work flawlessly and I have most certainly not seen spiritual Islamic medicine (aka Tassawuff) work flawlessly, over the past two decades I have literally seen hundreds and thousands go become Mureeds and how many of them actually get cured of their issues? If you say it depends on which Shaykh you refer to then I say it’s the same for medical science (depends on which Doctor you refer to)!
Some of them will read this and RED MIST will descend in your brain with FATWAS OF KAAFIR flashing before your eyes that I am comparing Islam to medicine. Relax and take a deep breath! I am comparing two system of treating human illnesses, there is no established system of “Islamic medicine” it is the interpretation and explanation of Ulamah of various texts and narrations over the centuries. If there is someone who claims to be an expert in Islamic medicine let him/her treat some diagnosed and confirmed Cancer stage 3 or 4 patients and subject these patient to full medical examination and let your treatment be monitored to convince the world of the efficacy of your treatment. If they can’t prove it and can’t guarantee treatment (then news flash) neither can medical science!
Now let’s turn to vaccines. The issue is about safeguarding human life and misery and its pretty simple to discuss on a form with access to first grade western medicine. Polio or Tuberculosis can be treated (with a lot of pain and impact on quality of life) in the west but in the remote villages of 3rd world countries it is deadly!
Again, bring me documented, confirmed and repeatable cases where atrophied limbs of a polio victim have been cured by “Islamic or spiritual medicine”
