Milk as a Cure for Disease in Prophetic Medicine and Allopathic Doctors
IN 2008, SOME SALAFI DOCTORS were unhappy with materials posted on HealthyMuslim.com, which was founded upon Prophetic medicine and a natural, holistic approach to health. These doctors were trained in the allopathic model of medicine, and are strictly regulated by agencies such as the AMA (American Medical Association, US) and GMC (General Medical Council, UK), which maintain a strong grip on what doctors can say or practice, under threat of suspension.
This tight, regulatory capture is part of the commercial monopoly that was installed in the 20th century by the money-power, which also has tremendous political clout.
The wives of these doctors became concerned that many women were showing much interest in the health information, and were placing greater trust in this holistic, natural approach than in allopathic medicine. Prompted by their wives, these doctors began writing to me with concern and advice. This was around October 2008. This continued for a couple of months and there were some exchanges between us.
There was a focus on the issue of fresh, unpasteurised milk.
They claimed that promoting consumption of “raw milk”, which is fresh, untreated, unpasteurised milk is dangerous. I found this strange given that the sale of raw milk is legal in the UK, from farms whose herds are routinely tested and inspected by regulatory agencies, and also that in Europe, you can buy raw milk straight from vending machines.
In any case, I responded to them with a lengthy treatise, in the form of a 160+ page report on the subject of fresh, untreated milk, revolving around numerous aḥādīth of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), from the perspective of the Prophetic medicine. It covered the issue from the angle of religion, history and science combined.
Below is the cover letter, and also the document that was sent to them. They were generously given this response in print and bound form, a copy to each doctor, to make it as easy as possible for them to read, hoping that they would be open-minded.
Cover letter sent to the doctors.
1 page, PDF, 10 January 2009.
The Prophetic Medicine and Cow’s Milk
180 pages, PDF
They were taken by surprise that I presented the issue from the angle of the Prophetic medicine, and were unable to respond in substance, neither to the ḥadīths, nor to the documented history I provided them, nor to the science.
They just picked on side issues, and felt offended by the fact that I said there is an Iʿtizālī element in the medicine of the disbelievers, wherein they dismiss the Prophetic medicine, because they place reason over revelation, something Muslims are affected by as well, through which they reject authentic ḥadīths because they do not conform to science or reason, and this would include ḥadīths related to medicine.
So they went complaining to the scholars that I accused them of being “Muʿtazilah”, which was totally false, but never once addressed the information and arguments I presented to make them realise that they were wrong in their views.
They subsequently embarked upon a mission to have me refuted by scholars. They first went to Shaykh ʿUbayd al-Jābirī (رحمه الله), however, they never got anything from the Shaykh. When that attempt failed, months later, they tried again with Shaykh Falāḥ Ismāʿīl (رحمه الله), and again, they failed in their objectives. This was also a form of disrespect to Shaykh ʿUbayd in the sense, that a senior scholar had already advised them in the matter, and gave them nothing, but they just ignored that and “hopped” to another shaykh. Later on, another doctor allied with them tried to take it to Shaykh Rabiʿ bin Hādī (حفظه الله) as well, but to no avail.
Also, unable to reply in substance, they started bombarding me with “advices” and compiling refutations, some of them lengthy. They brought side issues, and picked on trivial matters, and things that do not change the substance of the argument, which they were careful to avoid addressing. They did this perhaps, so that it could be made out that they all advised me and I rejected their advice, and so that it could be made to appear, after the fact, that I had been refuted.
In reality, these were all just games, and they could not accept the fact that there are Muslims who have the perfect right to follow whatever model or approach of health they wish, and their pride was hurt by the fact that people would not take them as the final authority on all things related to medicine.
It is clear, and refuge is with Allāh, that they were puffed up with pride due to their profession, without acknowledging that there are other models and approaches to health and medicine that people are free to choose, and that they themselves, more or less, are just cogs in a wheel who have to follow strictly the guidelines given to them and that they have no right to disdain others for having a view different to the one they have taken from regulatory agencies that control their profession and livelihood.
This is not to say that all convential doctors trained in allophatic medicine are like them. No there are many humble and honest doctors who acknowledge the nature of their profession, its limitations and that there other valid approaches.
May Allāh grant us safety.