The Prophet's remedy fordropsy

It is narrated in the books of Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslimthat Anas
Ibn Maaliksaid:
"Some people of )the tribes of( 'Ukl and 'Uraynah came to Al-Madeenah
and its climate did not suit them.So the Prophetordered them to go to
the herd of camels reserved for charity, and to drink their milk and
urine )as a medicine(. So they went as directed. After they became
healthy, they killed the shepherds of the Prophet's camels and drove
away all the camels, thus becoming aggressors against AllaahAll-Mighty
and His Messenger. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallm, sent)men(
in their pursuit and they were captured. The Prophetthen ordered that
their hands and feet to be cut off )and it was done(, and their eyes
were branded with heated pieces of iron. They were then kept in the
sun until they died."
These people were complaining from dropsy, as per the narration from
Imaam Muslimwho narrated the same narration above with the
followingaddition: "…The Bedouins said: We have not found Al-Madeenah
suitable for us and our stomachs swelled, our organs became weak..."
until the end of the narration.
Dropsy is a physical disease that occurs when a harmful cold substance
penetrates the external organs of the body and also the body organs
other than those that are used in digestion, causing them to swell.
There are three types of dropsy: in body tissue)fleshy(, which is the
mostserious of the three, in a body cavity )ascites(, and in an organ
)drum(. The remedy required for this disease includes mild laxatives
and diuretic medicines that help rid the body of fluids. These
diuretic qualities exist in the milk and urine of camels and that is
why the Prophetordered them to drink them. Camel milk is a mild
laxative, diuretic, cleanses and opens that which is closed and
removes the obstructionsand soothes the body. This is especially the
case when the camels graze on beneficial herbs, such as wormwood,
lavender, chamomile, daisy and lemongrass. These herbs help against
dropsy.
Dropsy is usually symptomatic of an ailment in the liver, especially
due to congestion in the liver. The milk of the Arabian camels helps
in this
case, because of its many benefits as mentioned and which help open
the clogged passages and theobstructions. Ar-Raazisaid: "The
she-camel's milk soothes the liver andthe effects of a spoiled
constitution." Al-Israaeelialso said: "The she-camel's milk is the
softest, least concentrated and lightestmilk. It is the best choice
for moving the bowels, as a laxative and for opening the clogged
passages and obstructions. What makesthis evident is the fact that
this type of milk is mildly salty, as a result of the animal's
instinctively hot nature. Therefore, the she-camel's milk is the best
remedy for the liver as it soothes it, opens its pores and veins and
softens the hardness of fresh food. Fresh, warm camel's milk is
beneficial against dropsy,especially when taken with fresh, warm camel
urine, thus making the combination more salty and adding strength to
its effectiveness in dissolving harmful fluids and as a laxative. If
the]combination of milk and urine[ did not purge the stomach, then one
shouldtake a stronger laxative." The author ofAl-Qanoonalso commented:
"Do not listen to those who claim that milk does not provide cure from
dropsy. Rather, know that camel's milk is an effective cure, because
it cleanses gently and easily, due to its other qualities. This type
of milk is so beneficial that if a person substituted water and food
with camel's milk, he would becured ]from dropsy and other ailments[.
Some people tried this remedy and were soon cured. Weshould state that
the bestcamel urine is that of the camels of Bedouin people."
The story that was mentioned in the narration above has several areas
of interest:
It encourages the use of medicines and cures.
It indicates the purity of the milk of the animals that Muslims are
allowed to eat.
Using what Allaah has prohibited in medicine is disallowed.
The people mentioned in the narrationwere not commanded to rinse their
mouths or their clothes for the prayer, although they were new
Muslims.
The Prophetcannot delay the necessary details of a religious command
when such elaboration is necessary.
It emphasizes the fact that the aggressor is punished by the same
method he transgressed. The people mentioned in the narration killed
the shepherd and branded his eyes, as in another report of this
narration by Imaam Muslim.
It mentioned that the entire group was killed for killing one person.
It indicates that whereas the aggressor deserves tobe punished for
multiple crimes, one punishable according to the law of equality and
the other for an act of aggression, then both laws are applied. The
Prophetordered that the hands and feet of the aggressors be cut off,
as a punishment from Allaahfor their audacious raid and aggression.
They were also killed because they had killed the shepherd.
It indicates that when armed aggressors steal money and also commit
murder, their hands and feet are cut off, and they are then executed.
It indicates that the punishment for multiple crimes is multiplied,
because the people who were mentioned in the story reverted from
Islam,killed a human being, disfigured the dead shepherd, stole other
people's property and announced their armed aggression. Also, the
entire armed band mentioned in the story were executed, not only those
who actually committed the murder, as the Prophetdid not consider this
fact, nor didhe ask about who actually committed the murder.
Assassination warrants capital punishment and cannot be pardoned ]by
the relatives of the deceased[ or compensated, according to the
scholars of Al-Madeenah, Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyyah.

What is Hijaamah)cupping(?

The word hijaamah )cupping( comes from the word hajm which means
sucking, as in the phrasehajama al-sabiy thadya ummihi)the infant
suckled his mother's breast(. Al-Hajjaam means the cupper, hijaamah is
the profession of cupping, and the wordmihjamis used to describe the
vessel in which the blood is collected and the lancet used by the
cupper.(
In fiqh )Jurisprudence( terminology, the word hijaamah is applied by
some scholars to the extraction of blood from the nape of the neck by
means of cupping after making an incision with the lancet.
Al-Zarqaanistated that cupping is not limitedto the nape of the neck,
rather it may be done on any part of the body. This was also the view
of al-Khattaabi.
In conclusion, hijaam refers to the extraction of blood from the body
by means of cupping using a suitable vessel or whatever modern
equipment serves the same purpose.
Cupping was known since ancienttimes. It was known to the Chinese, the
Babylonians and the Pharaohs. Their relics and carved images indicate
that they used cupping to treat some diseases. At first they used
metal cups or bulls' horns, from which they would remove the air by
sucking it out after placing the cup on theskin. Then they used glass
cups from which they would remove the air by burning a piece of cotton
or wool inside the cup.
Virtues of cupping:
Al-Bukhaarinarrated from Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbaasthat the
Prophetsaid: 'Healing is in three things: drinking honey, the incision
of a cupper, and cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my Nation to use
cauterizing.'
Al-Bukhaari and Muslimnarrated that Anas Ibn Maalikwas asked about the
earnings of the cupper, and he said:
The Messenger of Allaahwas treated with cupping by Abu Taybah.
Heordered that he )Abu Taybah( should be given two saa' )quantity
unit( of food, and he spoke with his masters so that they reduced what
they used to take from his earnings. And hesaid: 'The best medicine
with which you treat yourselves is cupping, or it is one of the best
of your medicines.'
It was narrated that Jaabir Ibn 'Abdillaahsaid: I heard the Messenger
of Allaah sallallaahu alyhi wa sallam say: 'If there is anything good
in the medicines with which you treat yourselves, it is in the
incision of the cupper, or a drink of honey or cauterization with
fire, but I do not like to be cauterized.')Al-Bukhaari, Muslim(.
Benefits of cupping:
Cupping has real benefits in treating many diseases, past and present.
The diseases which have been treated by cupping and for which it has
been of benefit by Allaah's Leave include the following:
1- Circulatory diseases
2- Treating blood pressure and infection of the heart muscle
3- Diseases of the chest and trachea
4- Headache and pains in the eyes
5- Pain in the neck and stomach, and rheumatic pain in the muscles
6- Some diseases of the heart and chest, and pain in the joints
In addition, cupping may offer a unique treatment which may reduce
pain, and it does not have any side-effects. For more information on
the benefits of cupping see Zaad al-Ma'aad by Ibn Al-Qayyim.
How cupping is done:
The mouth of the cupping vessel)nowadays they use glass vessels( is
placed on the skin at the site chosen for cupping. Thenthe cupper
rarefies the air inside the vessel by burning a small piece of paper
or cotton inside the vessel )the old method(, so that the mouth of the
vessel will cling to the skin. Sometimes a machine is used instead of
the method described above. The vessel clings to the skin and is left
for a period of three to ten minutes.
Then it is lifted off and a very small incision is made in the skin
using a clean sharp instrument such as a razor blade or the like. Then
the cup is put back in the same manner as described above,until it is
filled with the bad blood that comes out of the veins. Then it is
taken off, and may be put back once more if needed. When it is
finished and the cup is taken away, a dry dressing is placed over the
site ofthe incision.
Before ending we should point out that no one should undertake cupping
except one who can do it well, because of the harm that may result if
it is done by one who is incompetent.

Treating diarrhea

It is narrated in the books of Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslimthat Abu
Sa'eed Al-Khudrisaid: "A man came to the Prophetand said: 'My brother
is complaining about his stomach, or he is complaining about
diarrhea.' The Prophetsaid:'Give him some honey.'The man went and came
back later, saying, 'I have given him some honey, but it did not
help,' or he said, 'it made his diarrhea worse.'He repeated this twice
or three times, all the while the Prophetcontinued saying to
him:'Givehim some honey.'In the third or fourth time, the
Prophetsaid:'Allaah has said the truth while your brother's stomach
has lied. Go back and let him drink honey.'This time the ill man
recovered."
Honey has tremendous medicinal value, because it washes away the
harmful substances that might be collected in the intestines and the
veins. In treating diarrhea, honey promotes the rehydration of the
body and more quickly clears up the diarrhea and any vomiting and
stomach upsets. The anti-bacterial properties of honey, both the
peroxide and non-peroxide, are effective against MRSA strains of
bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and are
sometimes responsible for the closing of hospital wards.
Honey also dissolves excess moisture, is beneficial as a drink and as
an ointment, it is of great value for the elderly, and those suffering
from phlegm and cold moods or condition )chills(. Honey is nutritious,
softens one's bowel movement and is a good presetting agent.
In addition, licking honey on an empty stomach will help the body get
rid of mucus and phlegm. It cleanses the stomach and rids it of
harmful substances or mixtures, heats the stomach mildly and opens up
the pores. Honey has similar effects on the kidneys, the prostate and
the liver. Furthermore, honey is the least harmful sweet substance for
congesting the liver and kidneys.
Added to all these benefits and many others, honey does not have any
side effects, nor harm except for those suffering from bile and who
should take it with vinegar to neutralize its harm.
There is no other substance that is more beneficial than honey or that
even rivals its value. This is why the people of old relied on honey,
for most of the books of old do not mention sugar, as sugar was
discovered in modern times.
The Prophetused to drink some honey mixed with water onan empty
stomach. There is a wonderful secret behind this practice regarding
preserving thehealth. Hesaid:"Make use of the two cures: honey and the
Quran."]Ibn Maajah and others[
This Hadeeth joins the material and the divine cures, the medicine of
the body and the soul, the earthly medicine and the heavenly cure.
Back to the story of the man inflicted with diarrhea mentionedabove,
the Prophetrepeated his command to the man to give some honey to his
sick brother for a good reason. The prescribedmedicine should be in
sufficient doses; otherwise the ailment willnot be fully cured. When
the prescribed medicine is in a larger than necessary dose, it will
weaken the body and cause side effects.
Prophetic medicine is not similar to that offered by doctors and
physicians. Prophetic medicine is indeed the effective treatment and
cure provided by the revelation and the guidance of the Prophetthat is
coupled with a sound and perfect mind. In comparison, the majority of
remedies prescribed by other than the Prophetare based on hypothesis,
observation and experimentation.
It is a fact that many people do not benefit from Prophetic medicine,
because it will help only those who acknowledge andhave faith in it.
Thus, they believe that it will help them and they then submit to it.
If the Quran, which is a cure for whatever the heart conceals, is not
acknowledged and accepted withfaith, it will not provide a cure forthe
heart. In fact, the Quran will only add more disease to the hearts of
the hypocrites. This is also applied to the medications that sick
people take nowadays. Specialists stress on the role of psychological
factors in response to treatment. They say that in most cases, the
patient should beconvinced that he will be treated through this
medication he has, otherwise the treatment would be ineffective.
Prophetic medicine is only suitable for good and pure bodies, just as
the Quran is only suitable for righteous souls and feeling hearts.
Therefore, when the people ignore Prophetic medicine, it is like
ignoring the help and guidance of the Quran, which is the most
effective medicine. Again, when the medicine )the Quran and the
Prophetic medicine( do not work,it is due to the negativity in the
body and soul that are not suitable for accepting the medicine, not
because the medicine does not work.

Dought & clear - Ruling on watching movies and serials that portray the Prophets and the Sahabaah

There are movies that portray the Prophets forthe purpose of teaching
children; is it permissible to let our children watch cartoon movies
about the Prophets or those movies that portray Bilaal or Maryam, such
as ar-Risaalah (The Message) or as-SayyidahMaryam? I use these movies
to teach childrenbecause they get confused about the stories of
various Prophets and I also teach them how the Prophets put a great
deal of effort into conveying their messages.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The contemporary scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to
depict the Prophets (peace be upon them) ingeneral and our
ProphetMuhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in
particular.
Fatwas stating that this is haraam have been issued by the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a
statement to this effect was made by the Islamic Fiqh Council that met
in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
There is no doubt that depicting the Prophets isa kind of disrespect
towards them, because people have a great dealof respect towards them
and hold them in high esteem, but depicting them detracts from that
respect, especially if theyare depicted in cartoons.
What Allah has told us of their stories in the Qur'an is
sufficient."Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of
understanding. It (theQur'an) is not a forged statement but a
confirmation of Allah's existing Books (the Taurat (Torah), the
Injeel(Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah) and adetailed
explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who
believe" [Yoosuf 12:111].
It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council:… Depicting him,
whetherit is an animated drawing or otherwise, whether it is a
three-dimensional image or not – all of that is haraam and is not
permissible according toIslam.
It is not permissible to do that or approve of it for any purpose or
aim whatsoever, because it leads to very serious consequences.
Those who are in positions of authority and those who are in charge of
media and publications should prevent any depiction ofthe Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whether three-dimensional
or otherwise, in stories, reports, theatrical plays, children's books,
movies,TV shows and so on. Thatmust be denounced and any such
productions should be destroyed.
The ruling that applies to the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him), also applies to all of the Messengers and Prophets
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them); what is haraam in the
case of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is also
haraam in their case.
End quote from Statements of the IslamicFiqh Council, 8thsession,6thstatement.
Based on the above, it is haraam to watch such movies, whether they
are portrayed by real actors or in cartoons.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to depict the Sahaabah at all, according to the
correct scholarly opinion.
A fatwa to that effect was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a statement to that effect was issued
by the IslamicFiqh Council of the Muslim World League.
See the answer to question no. 163107
In that regard there is no differentiation between the senior Sahaabah
and those of lesser standing, or between the Rightly Guided Caliphs
and others, because that detracts from their status and the high
esteem in which they are held.
They had the honour of accompanying the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), striving in jihad with him, defending
the faith,being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger and His
religion, and conveying this religion and knowledge to us, which
dictates that they should be held in high esteem and greatly
respected.
Undoubtedly portraying them will detract from the high esteem in which
they are held by people, and viewers maybegin to think of them in the
image of the actors who play their roles. [?]
This is in addition to what many of these serials and movies contain
of distortion andfabrication of events according to what is dictated
by the medium.
In a fatwa of the Standing Committee (1/712) it says: Portraying the
Sahaabahor one of them is forbidden, because it is disrespectful
towards them, lowers the esteem in which they are held and exposes
them to criticism, even if it is thought that this serves a purpose,
because the negative consequences to which it leads outweigh any
benefits, and anything of which the negative consequences outweigh the
positive is definitely forbidden. A statement was issued by the
Council of Senior Scholars stating that this is forbidden. End quote.
To further emphasize this point, we shall quote the statement of the
Council of Senior Scholars on which all its members were unanimously
agreed, thetext of which follows:
1.Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, praised the Sahaabah and
affirmed their high status. Presenting the life story of any one of
them in the form of a play or movie is contraryto Allah's praise of
them and detracts from the high status and honour that Allah, may He
be exalted, granted them.
2.Depicting any one of them may expose them to mockery and belittling
by people whofor the most part are notrighteous and are far removed
from piety and Islamic conduct in their public lives, in addition to
the fact that those who produce such plays and serials do it for the
purpose of material gain.
No matter how careful they are, they will still include lies and
backbiting. Moreover, depicting the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased
with them) will make people lose respect for them and begin to look
down on them; their trust in the companions of the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) will be shaken and the
esteem in which Muslim viewers hold them will decrease. This may lead
Muslims to doubt their religion and will open the door to arguing
about the Companions of Muhammad (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon
him). Some of the actors would inevitably have to play the parts of
Abu Jahl and his ilk, which means that they would utter words reviling
Bilaal and reviling the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and what he brought of Islam, and this is undoubtedly wrong.
It will also be taken as a means of confusing the Muslims about their
religion, the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
3.What is said about serving interests – such as highlighting noble
characteristics and good manners, whilst making sure that facts are
presented accurately on the basis of authentic reports of the seerah,
and not compromising any of that in any way, in order to convey the
right message and teach lessons – is mere assumption and hope. Anyone
who knows howactors are and what theyaim for will realize that this
kind of acting is contrary to the reality of these actors and others
who work in that field, and how they really live and behave.
4.One of the established principles in Islam is thatanything that
leads to purely negative consequences, or of which the negative
consequences outweigh the good, is haraam. Even if we assume that
there is some benefit in acting the roles of the Sahaabah, its
negative consequences outweigh the positive. Therefore in order to
protect the public interests of the Muslims and block the means (that
may lead to evil), and to protect the dignity of the Companions of
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them), this must
beprevented.