A lecture as a part of IIUM MBBS Islamic Medical Programme. The video on this lecture is available at https://youtu.be/vOKWgJ7WcS8

1. Islam &
Preventive Medicine
Prof. Dr. Jamalludin Ab Rahman MD MPH
Department of Community Medicine

2. What is Islam
 Submit, surrender
 A way of life
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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2

3. What is preventive medicine
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3This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
The science and practice
of disease prevention,
health promotion, and
public health policymaking

4. What is health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity. (WHO 1948)
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Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the
International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July
1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health
Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

5. What is health in Islam?
 Not just absence of disease
 Not about safe & health in this world
 Body is just a vessel (medium) – transport us
from dunnia to akhirat
 The final destination is jannah, the ultimate
purpose is Allah’s acknowledgement
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6. Shahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71, Number 582: Narrated Abu
Huraira: The Prophet said, "There is no disease
that Allah has created, except that He
also has created its treatment."
So why there is no treatment for AIDS?
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Prevention or treatment?

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No disease Asymptomatic disease Clinical course
Primary Prevention Secondary Prevention Tertiary Prevention
Manage the risk factors.
Prevent the onset of disease
Reduce complication &
disability
Early diagnosis & prompt treatment.
Onset of
disease
Clinical
diagnosisPrimordial
Prevention
Prevent the development of
risk factors

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Healthy Preclinical Clinical Complication Death
Health Disease
Alive Death
Hell
Heaven

9. Hygiene
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10. Hygiene…
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform]
prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the
elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your
feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah,
then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey
or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself
or you have contacted women and do not find water,
then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and
hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty
for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His
favor upon you that you may be grateful. (5:6)
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11. It’s about purity/cleanliness
And they ask you about menstruation. Say, "It is
harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation.
And do not approach them until they are pure. And
when they have purified themselves, then come to
them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed,
Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and
loves those who purify themselves.“ (2:222)
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12. Washing hands
Narrated Salman al-Farsi: I read in the Torah that the blessing of
food consists in ablution before it. So I mentioned it to the
Prophet. He (SAW) said: The blessing of food
consists in ablution before it and ablution
(wash hands) after it. Abu Dawud said: It is weak.
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13. Oral hygiene
Abu Hurairah narrated that: Allah's Messenger said: "If it
were not that it would be difficult on my nation,
then I would have ordered them to use the
Siwak for each prayer.”Jami` at-Tirmidhi 22
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14. Moderation in eating
On the authority of Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib who said: I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying: "No human ever filled a vessel
worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of
Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight.
But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third
for his drink and one third for his breath." Ahmad, At-
Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa’I, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih.
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15. Its not just about being moderate
 The test of Adam, was food and it is your test
until Qiyama. Al-Hassan Al-Basri
 Whoever takes control of his stomach gets
control of all good deeds. Al-Hassan Al-Basri
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16. Obesity is endemic
Narrated Zahdam bin Mudarrib: 'Imran bin Husain said: The Prophet said,
"The best people are my (present) generation and then
those who come after them (i.e., the next generation)."
Imran added: I am not sure whether the Prophet repeated the statement twice
after his first saying. The Prophet added, "And after them there will
come people who will bear witness, though they will not
be asked to give their witness; and they will be
treacherous and nobody will trust them, and they will
make vows, but will not fulfill them, and fatness will
appear among them.“ Volume 8, Book 76, Number 436
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17. Quarantine
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71, Number 608: Narrated
Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said,
“(There is) no 'Adwa (no contagious disease is
conveyed without Allah's permission), nor is there
any bad omen (from birds), nor is there any Hamah,
nor is there any bad omen in the month of Safar, and
one should run away from the leper as one runs
away from a lion”
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18. Umar & Allah’s order
 In one safar to Syam, there was outbreak of cholera and Umar
RA ordered sahabah to go back to Madinah.
 Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to 'Umar), "Are you running
away from what Allah had ordained?"
 Umar said, "Would that someone else had said such a thing, O
Abu 'Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had
ordained, to what Allah has ordained. Don't you agree that if
you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one
green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green
one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them
on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?"
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19. Outbreak Control
Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 71, Number 624: Narrated
Saud: The Prophet said,
"If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do
not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place
while you are in it, do not leave that place."
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20. Islam is the way of life
 Whilst jannah is our destination, we should not
neglect the physical health
 Intention is for Allah – including when eating,
living the life
 We are responsible for the wellness of other
people (e.g. neighbours, relative, patients,
community etc.)
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21. Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
The best friend in the sight of Allah is he who
is the well-wisher of his companions, and the
best neighbour is one who behaves best
towards his neighbours. Transmitted by Tirmidhi. - Al-
Tirmidhi, Number 120
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The true success is when
there is no possibility of
failure after you have
attained it