Turn medicine into worship
Medicine as a trust and an act of worship
Ibn Sina and the purpose of medicine
Muslim scholars made major contributions to the development and transmission of medical knowledge. One of the best-known figures in this history is Ibn Sina, known in the Latin tradition as Avicenna. He was honoured with the title al-Shaykh al-Ra’is, meaning “the foremost teacher” or “principal master”.
His most influential medical work was al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, known in English as The Canon of Medicine. It was translated into Latin in the twelfth century and became an important medical text in European universities for several centuries. Its influence on medieval and early modern medical education was considerable.
Ibn Sina defined medicine as:
“A science from which one learns the conditions of the human body with regard to health and the absence of health, the aim being to preserve health when it exists and restore it when it is lost.”
This definition is remarkably comprehensive. Medicine is not limited to treating disease after it appears. It also includes understanding the human body, diagnosing illness, as well as restoring health and preserving wellbeing through prevention. These aims remain central to the practice of medicine today.
A profession of mercy
Medical care may be understood as one of the means through which Allah’s mercy reaches people. The physician, nurse, therapist, pharmacist and other healthcare professionals relieve pain and restore function. They protect life and support people during some of their most vulnerable moments.
This mercy must not be restricted by race, colour, language, nationality, social position or religion. Every patient possesses human dignity and should receive appropriate care according to clinical need. As Allah stated in Surat al Isra:
وَلَقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٖ
مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَا تَفۡضِيلٗا
And We have certainly honoured the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. (17:70)
Contemporary Islamic codes of medical ethics likewise affirm that access to healthcare should not be denied on discriminatory grounds.
Seeing medicine in this way changes how a healthcare professional approaches the patient. The patient is not merely a case, diagnosis, bed number or procedure. He or she is a human being entrusted to the professional’s care. Clinical competence is therefore inseparable from mercy and patience, as well as honesty and respect.
Medicine as a collective obligation
Imam al-Ghazali included medicine among the disciplines that may be classified as a fard kifayah, or collective obligation. A collective obligation is a duty that must be fulfilled by a sufficient number of people within society. When enough qualified people undertake it, the obligation is fulfilled on behalf of the wider community. If nobody fulfils it despite the community’s need, the community bears responsibility for that failure.
This differs from a fard ayn, or individual obligation. Duties such as the five daily prayers cannot ordinarily be delegated to another person. Nobody can pray or fast on someone else’s behalf simply because that person is busy. They are personal duties.
Medicine, however, requires only some members of society to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. It would neither be possible nor useful for every person to become a doctor. Yet every community needs a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, researchers and other healthcare professionals to meet its needs.
Recognising medicine as a collective obligation gives the profession a deeper significance. It is not merely a career or a way of earning a living. It fulfils a genuine need within society and contributes to the preservation of life and health.
This does not mean that healthcare professionals may never earn well from their work. A lawful income is permissible, and medical training requires considerable sacrifice, time and expertise. The ethical concern arises when financial gain becomes more important than the patient’s welfare. It is also unacceptable to recommend or perform unnecessary treatment for profit, or when vulnerable people are exploited.
Excellence in clinical practice
A healthcare professional is entrusted with the wellbeing of other people. Carelessness, outdated knowledge or working beyond one’s competence can cause serious harm.
Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْإِحْسَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
“Allah has prescribed excellence in all things.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Although this hadith gives examples relating to the humane treatment of animals, its opening establishes the general importance of ihsan: acting with excellence, care and conscientiousness.
In healthcare, excellence includes maintaining professional competence. It requires keeping knowledge up to date, recognising one’s limitations and seeking advice when necessary. It also includes communicating clearly, maintaining confidentiality and treating patients with dignity. It means following appropriate clinical evidence and safety procedures rather than relying on assumption, habit or personal confidence alone.
A good intention does not excuse unsafe or incompetent practice. Sincerity must be accompanied by knowledge, training and responsible conduct.
Intention can transform work into worship
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى
“Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will have what they intended.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
A lawful everyday activity can become an act of worship when it is performed sincerely for Allah and in a manner that He permits. A doctor may therefore hold multiple intentions: to relieve suffering, protect life, serve humanity, fulfil a collective obligation and use the knowledge Allah has enabled them to acquire. And they would rewarded for each of these. A nurse may intend to comfort frightened patients, preserve their dignity and provide careful treatment. A researcher may intend to discover safer and more effective forms of care.
With such intentions, worship is not confined to the prayer mat. A Muslim can worship Allah while examining a patient, explaining a diagnosis, performing an operation, changing a dressing or sitting compassionately with a family.
The intention must nevertheless remain sincere. Status, prestige and financial security may accompany a medical career, but they should not become its ultimate purpose. The Muslim healthcare professional remains a servant of Allah in the clinic, hospital, laboratory and operating theatre.
Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim in the course on Medical Ethics.