Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir
To the Questions of Visitors to his Facebook Page "Fiqhi"
To: Abu Hanifa Fawalha
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh,
Our eminent Ameer, I ask your forgiveness if this question is a burden upon you, given the tireless effort you put into seeking the good for this stricken Ummah... However, there is a matter I have not been able to fully grasp, which is: Is seeking medical treatment (at-tadawi) obligatory (wajib), recommended (mandub), or something else? Please benefit us, and may Allah bless you and open all gates of goodness through your hands.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh,
The answer to your question is found in the Cloning (Al-Istinsakh) booklet. I will quote for you what is mentioned regarding the ruling on seeking medical treatment from pages 30-32 of the Word file:
[...To arrive at a ruling based on clear evidence, we must review the evidences regarding seeking medical treatment (at-tadawi). Al-Bukhari reported via Abu Hurairah that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلَّا أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً
"Allah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Muslim reported from Jabir bin Abdullah that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءٌ، فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءُ الدَّاءِ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
"For every disease there is a remedy; when the remedy for the disease is applied, it is cured by the permission of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime." (Reported by Muslim)
In the Musnad of Ahmad, from the Hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, attributed to the Prophet:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَمْ يُنْزِلْ دَاءً إِلَّا أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ
"Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it; those who know it, know it, and those who do not know it, do not know it." (Reported by Ahmad)
These three Hadiths inform us that Allah (swt) sent down the disease and sent down the cure, that every disease has a cure, and that if the cure is found, the disease is healed by the permission of Allah (swt); some know it and some are ignorant of it. These Hadiths provide guidance (irshad) that every disease has a remedy that cures it, acting as an incentive to seek medical treatment which leads to the healing of the disease by the permission of Allah (swt). The disease is from Him, the cure is from Him, and the healing is by His permission and not from the medicine itself; rather, He placed the property of healing in the medicine when it comes into contact with the disease. This is guidance (irshad) and not an obligation (ijab).
Ahmad reported from Anas that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَيْثُ خَلَقَ الدَّاءَ خَلَقَ الدَّوَاءَ فَتَدَاوَوْا
"Indeed, when Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, created the disease, He also created the cure, so seek medical treatment." (Reported by Ahmad)
Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah reported from Usama bin Sharik that he said: I was with the Prophet ﷺ and the Bedouins came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, should we seek medical treatment?" He said:
نَعَمْ، يَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ تَدَاوَوْا، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَمْ يَضَعْ دَاءً إِلَّا وَضَعَ لَهُ شِفَاءً...
"Yes, O servants of Allah, seek medical treatment, for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has not placed any disease but He has also placed a cure for it..." (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah)
In the first Hadith, there is a command to seek medical treatment, and in this Hadith, there is an answer to the Bedouins to seek medical treatment and an address to the servants to seek medical treatment, for Allah has not placed any disease except that He placed a cure for it. The address in both Hadiths came in the form of a command (amr), and a command denotes a general request (mutlaq at-talab), and it does not denote obligation (wujub) unless it is a decisive command (amran jaziman). Decisiveness (jazm) requires an indication (qarinah) that points to it, and there is no indication in either Hadith pointing to obligation. The three previous Hadiths are merely information and guidance (irshad), which makes the request for seeking medical treatment in these two Hadiths not for obligation. Additionally, Hadiths have been narrated that indicate the permissibility of leaving medical treatment, which negates the implication of obligation from these two Hadiths. Muslim reported from Imran bin Husayn that the Prophet ﷺ said:
يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ، قَالُوا: مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: هُمْ الَّذِينَ لَا يَسْتَرْقُونَ، وَلَا يَتَطَيَّرُونَ، وَلَا يَكْتَوُونَ، وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
"Seventy thousand of my Ummah will enter Paradise without reckoning. They asked: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: They are those who do not seek incantations (ruqyah), do not believe in omens, do not seek cauterization, and they put their trust in their Lord." (Reported by Muslim)
Al-Bukhari reported from Ibn Abbas who said: "This black woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'I suffer from epilepsy and I become uncovered, so supplicate to Allah for me.' He said:
إِنْ شِئْتِ صَبَرْتِ وَلَكِ الْجَنَّةُ، وَإِنْ شِئْتِ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُعَافِيَكِ
'If you wish, you can be patient and Paradise will be yours; and if you wish, I will supplicate to Allah to heal you.'
She said: 'I will be patient.' Then she said: 'But I become uncovered, so supplicate to Allah that I do not become uncovered,' and he supplicated for her." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
These two Hadiths indicate the permissibility of leaving medical treatment. In the first Hadith, those who enter Paradise without reckoning are described as those who do not seek ruqyah or cauterization—meaning they do not seek medical treatment; rather, they leave the matter to their Lord and put their trust in Him in all their affairs. Both ruqyah and cauterization are forms of medical treatment. The Messenger ﷺ encouraged treatment by ruqyah, and Jibril performed ruqyah on him, just as he said:
الشِّفَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ: فِي شَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ، أَوْ شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ، أَوْ كَيَّةٍ بِنَارٍ، وَأَنْهَى أُمَّتِي عَنْ الْكَيِّ
"Healing is in three things: cupping, a drink of honey, or cauterization with fire, and I forbid my Ummah from cauterization." (Reported by Al-Bukhari from the path of Ibn Abbas)
In the second Hadith, the Messenger ﷺ gave the black woman a choice between being patient with the epilepsy she had and having Paradise, or supplicating to Allah for her to be healed, which indicates the permissibility of leaving medical treatment. Accordingly, these two Hadiths turn the command for medical treatment mentioned in the Hadith answering the Bedouins, and in the Hadith before it, away from obligation (wujub). Due to the strength of the Messenger’s ﷺ encouragement for medical treatment, the command for medical treatment mentioned in the Hadiths is for recommendation (nadb).] End.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
23 Shawwal 1442 AH Corresponding to 04/06/2021 CE
Link to the answer from the Ameer’s page (may Allah protect him) on Facebook
Link to the answer from the Ameer’s page (may Allah protect him) Web