“I entered the tent of the Prophet ﷺ with my father, who was a physician. My father diagnosed that the Prophet ﷺ had a back infection, so he said, ‘Please let me treat this back infection of yours, for I am a physician’. The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘You are my friend. Allah ﷻ is my physician.”

The above ḥadith reported by Abu Ramthah RA, highlights that whilst treatment may be provided by a healthcare professional, the outcome is dependent on the will of Allah ﷻ. As Muslims, we accept that Allah ﷻ is in control of every aspect of our lives including our health, whether in health maintenance or in the treatment of disease.

Allah ﷻ has bestowed a divine intelligence in each of us; this is embedded in the genetic makeup of every cell in our body. This intelligence works in a pre-determined, instinctive manner with a capacity of self-healing and for the perpetuation of life. This inherent wisdom is not only part of our genetic makeup, but also in every living entity, from the smallest life form to the perfection of creation, the human being. In man this inherent wisdom, is called ‘Physis’.

Physis is controlled by Allah ﷻ, the Creator who created the human body to perfection with self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms. This confirmation of Allah’s mercy in healing is evident in the many reports of people recovering from illnesses, including life-threatening conditions, which medical doctors are unable to explain.

Concept of Physis

The concept of physis comes originally from Hippocrates, who described it as ‘the ability of the body to heal itself’. The concept is not limited to Ṭibb, but is found in most traditional systems of medicine.

It is interesting to note that traditionally, whenever a Ḥakim wrote out a prescription, they began with the words ‘Huwa al-Shāfi – He is the Healer’. This is in keeping with the understanding that ultimately healing comes from Allah ﷻ, and the role of the physician is to assist physis, the ‘doctor within’ each of us.

Physis operates at every level of human existence, from the moment of fertilization in the mother’s womb, continuing after birth, and persisting until death. Physis operates during every second of existence to maintain good health, and especially when sickness develops.

It supports the body during convalescence, and is very active following injury. It acts to repair wounds, to overcome infection, and to eliminate the cancers which form constantly in our bodies. By doing so, it safeguards a person’s state of good health against a hostile environment, and actively promotes wellness if he or she is suffering from any ailment. Physis is the sum total of all the body’s natural, instinctive reactions and responses given to the human being to stay well and healthy.

When it comes to restoring health, the following quotation, appropriately describes the working of physis:

“In fact, no herb, no food or any other substance or procedure can do anything on its own to heal. It can only assist the body in its own self-healing. If your finger is cut, it is not the stitches or the bandage or the iodine that causes it to heal, it is the skin itself that performs the miracle.”

How are the workings of Physis recognised?

Everyone is confronted by many stresses and physical insults during the course of the day. They can arise in the environment, from chemical toxins, poor quality air, or air-borne disease-causing microbes, or pathogens. They can lurk in the food we eat and the beverages we drink. They can originate in anxiety related to money matters, or as a result of domestic, occupational or social strife. Whatever their source, if they are not neutralised, the stresses build up and can lead to a serious deterioration – often slowly but maybe rapidly – in health and wellbeing. Protecting us from these threats is physis.

The existence of physis can be recognised simply by looking at how a person’s body normally responds when it is under threat. When, for example, someone ingests something that does not agree with him, as in a case of food poisoning, physis responds typically by causing vomiting, sometimes with diarrhoea. When physis detects a threat to a person, it acts swiftly and effectively to neutralise it, by expelling the toxic pathogen forcefully, using a physiological reflex specially designed for the purpose of survival. During pregnancy, this reflex is particularly well-tuned, in order to protect the unborn child, and this explains the phenomenon of morning sickness, familiar to most mothers-to-be.

This is a well-developed reflex, designed to protect us from hostile disease causing agents. As such, it should not be suppressed, but encouraged, as it is operating in the person’s best interest. However, practitioners of modern medicine view vomiting and diarrhoea as signs and symptoms of a disease, and administer anti-emetics and anti-diarrhoeal drugs to oppose and contain them.

Another example of physis in action is abnormally high body temperature, or fever. Practitioners of natural medicine see this as a normal physis response to an infection. By raising body temperature, the body’s immune system is more effective in counteracting the invading micro-organism, and so eliminating it as a threat. This is another example of the correct working of physis; fever is a defence mechanism, not a symptom of illness. In contrast, modern medicine invariably deals with a fever as a sign of bodily distress, and actively and aggressively lowers body temperature with antipyretic drugs.

Ḥakims have always recognised the value of the physis responses. The aim of therapy is not to suppress these responses, but to support and encourage them. In the case of food poisoning, diarrhoea and vomiting needs to be managed and not immediately stopped, because the body wants to get rid of the toxins. Likewise, in fever, the higher body temperature is a help, not a hindrance, and should be supported. Whenever physis is halted or suppressed, as in chemotherapy or long-term drug use, the condition often returns in a more severe or aggressive form.

It may happen that the physis response is too vigorous, or lasts too long. In these cases, the healer is justified in dampening down vomiting and diarrhoea in instances of food poisoning, or fever in infection. In these circumstances managing the symptoms with either medication or other therapeutic interventions become necessary.