Ain al-Hayat: This is the dedicated treatise on the subject of Geriatrics and Gerontology, authored by Mohammad Ibn Yusuf Al-Harawi around 1532 AD. The fundamentals of this treatise are based on the humoral theory of medicine. According to this doctrine, every organism gets a fixed amount of innate moisture from its parent at the time of conception that is utilized for the survival of life. Innate heat is retained in innate moisture that is used as a fuel for life. With the increase in age, the amount of innate moisture gradually decreases and ultimately becomes insufficient to maintain life leading to the death of an organism. This book is based on three objectives: 1. Theory of aging based on innate heat and moisture, 2. Description of drugs and regimens that strengthen the innate heat. 3. Description of drugs and regimens that weakens the innate heat. • This treatise discusses upon following: • Number of single drugs mentioned: 87 • Number of compound drugs mentioned: 10 • Name of compound drugs mentioned: Anushdaru, Barshasha, Tiryaq Kabir, Julab, Janjabeen, Khamar, Ghalia, Faloojaz, Maa ul leham, and mussalas. • Number of regimens: 04 • Asbab e sitta zarooriya (six essentials of life): Authored has a core focus on maintaining a healthy harmony among the six essentials of life. • Habitats, Habit, and Manners: High altitude residence, tour and journey, Hunting, Music, Intimacy, intercourse, lovemaking, and admiration There are four Persian manuscripts of this treatise available. One copy is at the State oriental manuscript library and Research Institute, Hyderabad, one copy is at Raza Library, Rampur, and two copy at the Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences in Aligarh. This treatise was translated into Urdu by prof S. Zillur Rahmanin 2007 and English by Ashfaque Ahmad IN 2019 Urdu translator: Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman, Professor, at the Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, AMU, Aligarh. He was honored with Padma Shri in 2006 by the Government of India for his contribution to the field of medicine. He is the founder of Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences, Aligarh. English Translator: Ashfaque Ahmad, Research Officer at CCRAS- National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad translated this treatise into English. Author: The author of Ain al-Hayat, Mohammad Ibn Yousuf Al-Harwi was a Persian-born, Indian medical scholar of the 16th century. He also authored the Bahrul Jawaha, a medical dictionary. He came to India with emperor Babur in 1526 after the first war of Panipath. Yousuf Al-Harwi died in 1544 in India.

1. Ainul Hayat
Authored by
An important treatise on
Geriatrics and Gerontology
Mohammad Ibn Yusuf Al-Harawi
Dr.Shabistan Fatma Taiyabi
PG-Scholar, Dept. of Mahiyatul Amraz
Government Tibbi College
and Hospital, Patna

2. Literally meaning of
Ainul Hayat
water of life
Fountain of Youth
Who Drinks His Life Will Be Eternal!
On the subject of
Geriatrics and Gerontology

3. Mohammad Ibn Yusuf Al-Harawi
The author of Ain al-Hayat, Mohammad Ibn
Yousuf Al-Harwi was a Persian-born, Indian
medical scholar of the 16th century. He also
authored the Bahrul Jawaha, a medical
dictionary.
He came to India with emperor Babur in
1526 after the first war of Panipath.
Yousuf Al-Harwi died in 1544 in India.
Authored Ainul Hayat
around 1532 AD

4. Introduction of the
subject
It is believed that geriatric medicine was evolved
in the twentieth century AD. Some American
geriatricians assert that it was created by Ignatz
Nascher in 1909, who coined the term 'geriatrics'.
While, British geriatricians claim that it was
founded in 1935 AD, in London, associated with
the work of Marjory Warren.
Ignatz Nascher
Marjory Warren

5. Historical background
Cato the elder (234-149 BCE) of Rome wrote about
old age, “Senectus ipsa morbus est” (old age itself is
a disease) and “We must fight it as we should an
illness”.
Galen in his treatise the De Sanitate Tuenda, he
developed the concept of gerocomy, namely the
care of the aged and he described exclusively on the
care of older people in his fifth book on dietetics.
Few aphorisms of the Hippocratic
Corpus deal with geriatric medicine.

6. Ageing
It is the inevitable, irreversible
continuous process, results in
deterioration of organs leads to
functional impairment, decreases the
ability to adapt to the environment, and
responds to challenges to maintain
homeostasis, ultimately causes death.

7. Human Lifespan
Age – It is a measurement of time of the existence of a person
or objects and estimated from the degree of anatomical
development.
Senescence: Senescence is progressive structural and
functional deterioration over time in normal human ageing.
Old age: in the classical text of Unani medicine, old age is
defined as the chronological age of 60 and above (from birth).

8. Theories of ageing
Several theories has
been proposed to
explain the
phenomena of ageing
but none of these
accepted universally

9. Category of theories
1. Programmed theories (adaptive/Active): These
theories argue that ageing is programmed by genes and
beneficial for species and group.
2. Non-programmed /Stochastic theories (Error
theories): Many researchers believe that ageing is
the continuation of developmental growth.
3. Quasi-programmed theories: The arguments of
these theories are different from both programmed
and error theory.

10. Category of theories
1.Religious theory of ageing
2.The philosophical theory of ageing
3.The psychological theory of ageing
4. Scientific theories
Another
categorization

11. Humoral theory of ageing
According to the Unani system of medicine, aging is
a complex, multifactorial, planned, and progressive
natural phenomenon. The life span of an individual
and the age of natural death is programmed as per
their innate temperament (miza
̅ j ula
̅ ), which is
individual-specific and accounts for a different life
span of each individual. Entire body function is
coordinated by the tabiya
̅ t.

12. Factors responsible for ageing are-
1. Gradually decreasing amount of innate moisture
2. Gradually increasing amount alien moisture (Ruṭūbat-
e-ghari̅ ba)
3. Change in temperament from hot-moist to cold-dry
4. Dominancy of element earth (Ard
̩ ) in advanced age

13. Ain al-Hayat
This book is based on three objectives:
1. Theory of aging based on innate heat and
moisture,
2. Description of drugs and regimens that
strengthen the innate heat.
3. Description of drugs and regimens that
weakens the innate heat.

14. This treatise discusses upon following:
 Number of single drugs mentioned: 87
 Number of compound drugs mentioned: 10
 Name of compound drugs mentioned:
Anushdaru, Barshasha, Tiryaq Kabir,
Julab, Janjabeen, Khamar, Ghalia,
Faloojaz, Maa ul leham, and mussalas.
 Number of regimens: 04

15. Asbab e sitta zarooriya (six essentials of life):
 Author has a core focus on maintaining a
healthy harmony among the six essentials of
life.
 Habitats, Habit, and Manners: High altitude
residence, tour and journey, Hunting, Music,
Intimacy, intercourse, lovemaking, and
admiration

16. Persian Copy
There are four Persian manuscripts of
this treatise available. One copy is at
the State oriental manuscript library
and Research Institute, Hyderabad, one
copy is at Raza Library, Rampur, and
two copy at the Ibn Sina Academy of
Medieval Medicine and Sciences in
Aligarh.

17. Translation
This treatise was translated into Urdu by
Prof. S. Zillur Rahmanin 2007 and
English by Ashfaque Ahmad in 2019
published by Ibn Sina Academy of
Medieval Medicine and Sciences, Aligarh

18. Urdu translator
Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman,
Professor, at the Ajmal Khan
Tibbiya College, AMU, Aligarh.
He was honored with Padma Shri
in 2006 by the Government of
India for his contribution to the
field of medicine. He is the
founder of Ibn Sina Academy of
Medieval Medicine and Sciences,
Aligarh.

19. English Translator
Ashfaque Ahmad,
Research Officer
at CCRAS- National
Institute of Indian Medical
Heritage, Hyderabad
translated this treatise into
English.

20. Take Home Message
Follow the principle of
the Unani Medicine to
live a long life in the
stage of Youth
Dr.Shabistan Fatma
Taiyabi